(Xposted from www.mydesert.com)
January 10, 2008 – Palm Springs Village Fest Voter Registration and Presidential Candidate Information Tabling at Palm Canyon & Arenas, Palm Springs, CA, Thursday nights from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (Adult beverages enjoyed thereafter at the local pubs).
A cool desert night saw multitudes of proud, progressive, Democrats and throngs of supportive locals, visitors, and prospective voters. The trend is clear…red-to-purple-to-blue.
The Democratic clubs were represented as usual with Desert Stonewall Democratic Club (DSD) staffing the tables thanks to George Zander, President of DSD, and Bob Silverman, Treasurer of DSD. Remember, the montly meeting of the DSD Democratic Club occurs on Saturday, January 12, 2008, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Desert Pride Center, 611 S. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs. Re full disclosure, BluePalmSpringsBoyz iz a member of DSD. Eleanor Jackson staffed the Democrats of the Desert Democratic Club table.
More below the flip…
Paul Clay, teacher and an announced candidate for the CA 45th Congressional District to replace Mary Bono Baxely Mack, absentee Congresswoman, R-CA, discussed his congressional campaign and recent progress towards the party nomination.
Proud progressive Democrats discussed the recent victory in the New Hampshire primary of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The excitement was tangible as activists discussed the pros and cons of the Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and former-Sen. John Edwards campaigns for President. Activists also discussed the absence of Gary Jeandron, candidate for the Republican nomination for the CA 80th Assembly District from the dedication of the Cathedral City monument to its soldier fallen in Iraq yesterday. Interesting.
Back to Village Fest. Tracy Turner, Vets for Peace, helped stir the discussion concerning Mary Bono Baxely Mack’s (R-CA) support for Pres. Bush’s failed Iraq occupation policies. He discussed the Vets for Peace plans for ongoing vigils and marches. More on anti-occupation efforts as information becomes available.
Gene Stillman and others staffed the John Edwards for President table (re full disclosure, BlueBeaumontBoyz iz a John Edwards for President supporter). They distributed position papers from the John Edwards for President campaign, provided campaign buttons and bumper stickers, signed up volunteers for the Edwards for President Campaign, and solicited voters to register to vote. They discussed Edward’s strong standing in the delegate counts thus far (see CNN.com for totals including the Super Delegates). Other Democratic Party activists staffed tables for the Hillary Clinton campaign (Wayne and Frank, Greg Rodriguez and his sons) and the Barack Obama campaign (Ed Grubman, Charlotte Murphy, M.D., and others). Zander noted that at one time, 41 people surrounded the DSD, DoD, Edwards, Clinton, Obama, and Kucinich tables while only two women sat lonely and despairing at the Republican booth. So very sad, and telling, indeed.
We registered eighteen voters last night, including one change of party affiliation from the darkside to the Democratic party and two changes from the Libertarian party to the Democratic party and Decline to State. Moderate and progressive Independents and Republicans continue to express their distaste for the callous disregard for the U.S. Constitution of the Bush cabal, the failing occupation effort in Afghanistan and in Iraq, the war profiteering of the Bush cronies in business and industry, the regressive social policies of the Bush/Cheney administration, the faltering economy, and the drain on the Federal treasury as the Bush/Cheney miscreants funnel funds to their cronies in big business, especially to the oil and gas, insurance, defense, and pharmaceutical industies. Now Independents and Republicans are voting with their feet by moving quickly to the Democratic Party!
Zander, Silverman, Turner, Murphy, and yours truly attended the Unofficial Drinking Liberally (UODL) after-party at Bongo Johnny’s on Arenas in Palm Springs! Ever celebrating the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs turning deeper shades of purple and blue! But, still, beware the dying beast.