Published: April 05, 2008 11:00 pm            

Obama gets nod at St. Francis' mock Democratic convention

LORETTO — With all the hoopla of a national poli-tical convention, students at St. Francis University – staging their own mock Democratic convention – chose Sen. Barack Obama as their party’s nominee.

When the gavel came down adjourning the convention, Courtney Williams, acting as chairwoman, declared amid loud cheering by hundreds of convention-goers that Obama would be the next president of the United States.

Obama won by a wide margin, with 60 percent or 2,469 of the delegations’ votes to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1,580 votes.

Clinton, a favorite of many in the crowd, ended up as the mock convention’s choice for Obama’s running mate.

Most of the “delegates” were St. Francis students, but several came from nearby colleges, the Upward Bound program and even a half-dozen sixth-graders from the Foot-of-Ten Elementary School near Duncansville.

Zach Gordon, 18, of Wilmington, Del., – posing as chairman of the Illinois delegation – was elated his candidate emerged the winner.

Gordon, who is a freshman at Juniata College in Huntingdon, said that in his home state, he already had cast an absentee vote for Obama.

Jessica Melusky, 12, said before the vote that the “Delaware delegation” was leaning toward Obama. They ended up giving all 23 votes to the Illinois senator.

The convention got off to a lively start with stirring speeches by Williams and former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, both of whom tore into the Bush administration for failed economic policies and sending troops into Iraq on false information.

“This party is the one that will save this country after eight years of failed Republican leadership under President Bush and ‘Darth’ Cheney,” said Williams, portraying the party chairman.

“Whether the standard bearer be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, we’re about to nominate the next president of America,” she said.

Hamilton, an Obama supporter who told news reporters that he will support the party’s choice regardless of who wins the nomination, said that Republicans are vulnerable this year because of the GOP’s fiscal irresponsibility, a decline in the American economy, mismanagement of Iraq, allowing torture and mistreatment of prisoners.

Pointing to Friday’s reports of national job losses of 80,000 in March and 250,000 this year, Hamilton said, “That’s about as bad a record as I can recall.”

The Democratic Party is gaining tens of thousands of new registered voters because of the people’s dissatisfaction with the Republicans and the Bush administration, the former congressman said.

The Democrats, Hamilton added, want to reform government to eliminate poverty; lessen dependency on foreign oil; guarantee the privacy rights of all Americans; and support social programs such as child care and higher education.

Gov. Ed Rendell, who also was scheduled to speak, canceled because of schedule conflicts. But five women, touring the state for Clinton’s campaign, urged the “delegates” to support Clinton.

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Philadelphia/Montgomery County, said Clinton has the experience to lead the nation, an understanding of everyday issues and a determined ability to get things done.

“I believe that she is the most qualified for the office,” Schwartz said.

        

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