Report From Rhode Island

By Sue Bergeron

February 25:  Today I begin the process of becoming a national delegate to the Democratic National Committee's Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this July. I'm presently being schooled by RI's Biden for President campaign, in the complicated and historically controversial process of nominating a candidate for my party. How did this happen? I'm not really sure, to be honest. I received an email from my state's Democratic party last week, informing me I'd been selected by the campaign to represent Rhode Island, as a "Constituent District 2 delegate." We have two districts, with 14 delegates split evenly between them. The breakdown must include four women and three men from D1 and three women and four men from D2. This is based on population statistics from the last census. There are also 14 other delegates called "PLEO"---which refers to Public Leaders and Elected Officials. I'd have a snowball's chance in hell of winning a slot in that pool; those are your senators, city councilmen, legislators and the like---the politically connected. The PLEO's are chosen by committee, in the proverbial smokey backrooms, by party heads. Then there are two alternates---in case any delegates become unavailable for any reason.

The pool that I'm in must undergo a rigorous process. I must hand deliver Pledge of Support and Statement of Candidacy papers to the Secretary of State's office within a specific window of time: it's a 24 hour time period---can't be early, can't be late (February 26-27). Next, I must collect at least 150 signatures of registered voters. This sounds easy, but the rules are very specific and the Secretary of State will end up tossing out quite a few because they can't read them, wrong address, etc. For that reason, you really need to collect about twice that number. Then, the hard part: Campaigning! I'll not only be campaigning for my candidate---Rhode Island for Joe Biden---but for myself.  If the state party approves my application, "Susan Bergeron" will appear on the Primary ballot in Rhode Island, under "Joseph R. Biden for Nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States," under District 2 Delegate, along with the other vetted candidates. The voter will be prompted to choose up to seven from their district.  

There are nine delegates to be won from Little Rhodey. How that number of 30 eventually boils down to the lucky nine who go to Milwaukee is still cloudy. I know the governor has endorsed Bloomberg. Her posse from the PLEO group will back him, too. That may work out for me if Joe rises from the ashes. The Bloomed would then be doomed. All those Biden naysayers will be sent packing and the Nobody Girl will be on the plane to Wisconsin, after all! Hope springs eternal.

There is a space on the pledge form where the delegate pledges the name of their candidate or pledges "uncommitted." If you're from a state with a small group of delegates---like me---you'd be best served to support the name of the candidate from the campaign that nominated you for delegate. You roll the dice. If your candidate does not win the primary, they must meet the 15% threshold---providing the winner gets at least 15%---to have any chance at receiving any delegates at all. If the winner's percentage drops below 15%---possible in a crowded field---the viable candidates must get at least half the percentage of the winner's percentage. See what I mean? If you're not a numbers cruncher this thing will have your head in a blender. So if Joe does not do well on Super Tuesday, by the time of the Rhode Island Primary on April 28th, I'll definately be sent packing. Those prized nine delegates will go to the other Democrats who wrote in the winning names on their forms. And the only part of Milwaukee I'll be seeing this July will be the label on a cold bottle of Old Milwakee while I'm on my back porch lighting off sparklers with my neighbors.

I still wonder---how did Rhode Island for Joe Biden find me? These were some of the guidelines in the 51 page booklet they mailed to me when I was informed I was a selectee: Must be a registered voter: Check. Must be a card carrying member of the Democratic Party: Check. Must be a member of the State Democratic Party: Check. Must be a strong supporter of Joe Biden for President: You can check that twice. But who submitted my name? I figure it must have been somebody from the New Hampshire campaign. I worked on the campaign for eight months, first working alongside college students from around the nation as a summer fellow, and then training mostly with SNHU students, to become a Biden NH Primary campaign worker. I have great memories of my time in NH. One Sunday night after canvessing in January, I hurried back to the Manchester office to hear John Kerry speak. I sat on a desk in the back of the room, my arm in a sling with ice on it, listening to him explain to a group of voters what 'swiftboating' meant. Later, I had a chance to speak with the Vietnam War hero and he thanked me for making the trip from RI. On the morning of the NH Primary, when Jill Biden was in the Manchester office rallying a group of rain-soaked canvassers, I came through the door crushed with fatique. The NH campaign was imploding; workers were defecting, the conditions were horrendous. Jill saw the tears welling up in my eyes and pulled me to her side. "C'mon. Let's take a picture!" She made me smile when the world looked so gloomy and cold.

Over the years, I often wondered Who are these mysterious delegates? Where do they come from? As it turns out, many of them are people like me! They are not necessarily bureaucrats, or bought and paid for by "the establishment." They are dedicated campaign workers who spend their own money and endless hours out there on the trail, grinding it out, just for the privledge of participating in our democracy. While we still have one.

I attended many campaign functions and drove thousands of miles campaigning for the NH Primary before the RI Democrats were even planning their Biden for President campaign. I was simply eager to start. I didn't want to wait until the springtime to campaign for Joe. It was that simple. But who had made that phone call to the Rhode Island campaign? When I ask, all they will tell me is that they were "looking for hardcore supporters of Joe Biden." That would be me, for sure. 

I do worry about becoming a part of the 'machine.' I have always been a party person. The undeclared voter is quickly becoming the largest pool of voter in the nation. But this leopard ain't changin' her spots. I like belonging to a party. I've been a registered Democrat for 42 years. However, party aside, I would not support my candidate if I didn't believe in him. But take note: There's a difference between supporting and voting for a candidate. By taking part in the democratic process on such an intimate level I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere at opposing Trump. I've battled against Trump for years now. First, by joining rallies and protests. Next, I worked in political satire in the theater and I did comedy shows lampooning him. Then I moved into political advocacy. And I believe this: Enjoy your chance to make a personal political statement during the Primary process. But come November, after this long bloody Primary battle has ended, we all must choose. If you write in a candidate, you choose Trump. If you vote third party, you choose Trump. If you stay home, you choose Trump. Whether the last man or woman standing in the Democratic Party is to your liking or not, you must hold your nose and VOTE FOR THEM! Anything less is just another step down a slippery slope, enabling the megalomaniac in the White House to initiate a "Kristallnacht II" type routing of anyone who doesn't swear allegience to Dear Leader. It's already happening. Do you hear the sound of glass breaking in the night?---that's the sound of the windows in the West Wing shattering.

*Third impeached President of the U.S.