Sunday, April 18, 2010

Fabric and Politics on Saturday

Saturday morning I got up at 5 am, and my friend Amelia and I drove to Carrboro for an estate sale that was all fabric. I was especially hoping to find vintage fabric, and I bought some but not as much as I wanted. I just love unusual fabric, and yard sales and estate sales are usually where I find the strangest stuff.

Then I went straight to the N.C. Fourth District Republican Convention in Raleigh. I was one of 51 delegates from Wake County to go on to the Fourth District Convention. It is amazing that a Jane Average like me could see an announcement in the newspaper, and then just walk into the precinct meeting in February, and from there become a delegate to the Wake County convention, and then go on to the Fourth District convention. From here, if I wanted to, I could still go on to the State Republican Convention, but I am busy that weekend.

The only requirement was that I was a registered Republican. No one asked me anything, I didn't have to necessarily agree with anyone on anything, and yet I am a delegate. That just shows you how easy it is to participate in government. If I went to the state convention, my little voice combined with all the other delegates in all the states would be what makes up the decision-making process in the National Republican Party.

I really enjoyed hearing the candidates give their speeches to a room full of involved Republicans. They weren't trying to convince Democrats and Independents to vote for them, they were trying to show us why we should vote for them in the Primary against other Republicans. I think it was fascinating to hear the topics they choice to speak about, in order to differentiate themselves from their opponents.

The candidates for North Carolina positions were for: increasing the numbers of state charter schools by removing the caps, law enforcement, job creation in NC.

Candidates for the US House of Representatives were for: DEFEATING DAVID PRICE, cutting taxes, reducing spending, reducing the size of government, rejecting cap-and-trade, protecting private property, promoting a free market, controlling immigration, Pro-life, promoting energy exploration in the US.

When I see those words as simple sound bites, I am also for everything they say they are for. The complication comes in wondering HOW they are going to do it, and how good they will be at accomplishing their stated goals. It is still a hard decision knowing who to vote for. But I am more informed now than before I heard all their speeches.

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