Posted by Ava

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Posted by Ava

Watch the Video: YouTube | QuickTime(High Quality)
A few short clips from the footage I shot at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Here's a short summary of each day:

Day 1 - I sat on an airplane parked on the runway for an hour, so my flight was late getting in. I managed to make it into the convention during Senator Kennedy's speech and was able to catch most of the major speeches on night one.

Day 2 - I got onto the floor for the day, and went to the "Sweet Home AlObama" state party convention headquarters for a watch party during Senator Clinton's speech.

Day 3 - That morning Former President Jimmy Carter spoke to the Alabama and Georgia delegations. The rest of the day I got to see a little bit of Denver. I spent most of the day checking out some of the political activities going on in downtown Denver, and there were a lot of them! The 16th Street mall was filled with convention goers, protesters, and lots of political swag. After checking all that out, I headed back to "Sweet Home AlObama" for the night's speeches.

Day 4 - It took three hours of standing in line to get into Invesco Field. During that time I ran into the "God Hates Fags" folks, who were singing "God Hates America" instead of "God Bless America." Absolutely disgusting people. I did run into some nice protesters though. There were some young guys there protesting for "World Can't Wait." Though I disagree with them on supporting third party candidates, they were very polite to the people passing and certainly weren't disruptive at all.

I can't really describe how amazing it was to be there in Invesco Field. The energy in the audience is completely undescribable. It was the most inspiring thing I've ever witnessed. An absolutely amazing end to an amazing and inspiring week.

If you aren't registered to vote, make sure to register ASAP. And let me just stress to my fellow young people how important it is for us to get out there and vote on November 4th. Voting isn't just a right, it is an obligation. We cannot afford to let this country have 4 more years of the last 8 years. We MUST bring about the change that our country desperately needs. We MUST elect Barack Obama. We can do it, but you have to get out to the voting booth on election day. VOTE!

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Posted by Ava

This is video that I edited for the Alabama Democratic Party. It was shown to the Alabama Delegation during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. I made a short intro, and then the remaining part of the video is the "I Have a Dream" speech in full. I've seen this speech more times than I can count, but it still gives me chill bumps each time I watch it.

So to those of you who were there at the DNC and those who joined in through the internet, radio, and tv.. don't let the inspiration of this week and Dr. King's speech go to waste. Do what you can to get Obama elected. Hit the streets with information about the campaign. Make sure your friends are signed up to vote. Make sure they're able to get to the polls on election day. Most of all, make sure you cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. History was made Thursday night, but with our help even more history will be made come November. Yes We Can!

You can watch the video on YouTube or below. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzorKztL3hQ

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Posted by Ava

Short video and song that make a very good point.

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Posted by Ava

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Posted by Ava

I just got home from the airport. It was a long day of travel to get back across the country to 'Bama, but I'm still fired up and excited about last night. The whole night was awesome, inspiring, and amazing. I think what really was great for me as a young person was to see all the other politically active young people there. Many in the crowd were first time voters, and by the time the night was over all were fired up and ready to hit the streets for the campaign.

That seemed to be the common attitude of everyone leaving today - at the hotel, the airport, the other airport, and the resturaunt we stopped at on the way home. Obama shirts, buttons, and hats were everywhere. I'd talk to people with them and they all said the same thing - they were ready to do what they can to help get Obama elected. I know I'm not the only person home from Denver that feels ready to go, and who feels like change isn't just possible, it's coming soon. Yes We Can!

So to those of you who were there and those who joined in through the internet, radio, and tv.. don't let the inspiration of this week go to waste. Do what you can to get Obama elected. Hit the streets with information about the campaign. Make sure your friends are signed up to vote. Make sure they're able to get to the polls on election day. Most of all, make sure you cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. History was made Thursday night, but with our help even more history will be made come November. Yes We Can!

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Posted by Ava

I waited three hours to get into the final day of the Democratic National Convention... and it was worth it.

Words simply cannot describe how absolutely amazing today was. Just the amount of people there to support the campaign was unbelievable, but the enthusiasm and excitement of everyone there was touching, inspiring, and amazing. There's that word again - amazing. I'll be using it a lot in this blog post. I'm not sure if the television appropriately showed the size of the crowd there today. Even hours before Obama spoke, the stadium was almost completely full, and by the time it was time for the Next President of the United States to speak it was completely full.

Everyone gave great speeches, but no one could top Barack Obama tonight. Every time he takes the stage he give a damn good speech, and tonight was no exception. Simply amazing... not just his speech either. The crowd response was out of this world. People were on their feet cheering through out his speech. It was simply a phenomenal experience. There were many speakers today, and while of course Obama stood out there were some others that also gave speeches that fired up the crowd. Al Gore, Dick Durbin, Bill Richardson, and Joe Biden all got the crowd on their feet numerous times.

Security was tight, and there were 75,000 people in attendance, so of course the line was long. I got to the field at about 2:30. I got into the stadium at about 5:45. A long long long long wait in a long long long line, but very very very worth it.

I would post more, but I really can't describe it in any other way than absolutely amazing. I'm sure that tomorrow morning I'll have more to add. Until then I'll leave you with the photos I took, and I took plenty of them today!

View them at these two links:
Part 1 - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28549&l=57578&id=501299258
Part 2 - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28550&l=7717c&id=501299258

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Posted by Ava

I'm so sorry for not blogging last night, but by the time I got back to the room I was absolutely exhausted. I spent most of yesterday morning and early afternoon checking out the 16th Street Mall. There is gobs of political activity going on there, from the protesters to the information booths. The "official" Barack Obama booth had a huge crowd surrounding it for hours. People were buying swag, registering the vote, and getting information about the candidate we all know and love.

I found some great Obama buttons and got a few(as you can see in the photos in my previous post), and I even found an Obama doll and a Clinton doll! Of course when I saw them I had to get them! My little sisters love Senator Clinton(girl power!) so they'll love having the dolls. I've got to make sure they're politically active youth too!

After checking out the 16th Street Mall I headed back over to "Sweet Home AlObama" where there was a large crowd gathered to watch the nomination process. On of our own Congressmen, Artur Davis, spoke briefly to second Obama's nomination. He gave a great speech and made Alabama proud! When he joined the delegation for breakfast this morning he congratulated and thanked by many Alabamians. The "stunt" Clinton pulled yesterday during the nomination process was genius. I keep seeing blogs and articles online and hearing the talking heads on tv say that there is a rift in the party, and that this can be felt at the convention. I could not disagree more. The party is united, excited, strong, and willing to do the work it will take to get Obama elected!

Clinton's speech was great - as expected. His charm always wins over a crowd. I expected him to draw comparisons between himself and Obama when it comes to the critics saying that Obama is too young and inexperienced. Still the speech was entertaining, strong, and above all it was very supportive of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Perhaps this will shut up the media about the "bitter" Clintons, though I doubt it. Both Bill and Hillary Clinton couldn't have been more supportive of Obama during this convention.

Joe Biden's speech was great, though I didn't hear parts due to trying to scarf down some dinner - I was starving at this point after walking all day and not eating since breakfast. I'm completely convinced now that he was a great choice for Vice President. He's an average "Joe"(pun intended) and can connect well with the American people. Not only is he a well-liked guy, but he's also smart and as it was said, he's one of the few that has worked to change DC and not let it change him. I met up with some great folks, had some great food, and watched a great speech. In other words it was a great night.

I just picked up my pass for Obama's speech this afternoon, and words can't describe how excited I am! Today is already a historic day thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s stand for equality years ago when he gave that unforgettable "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Now we'll have another historic speech to add to the books on this day - Barack Obama's acceptance speech.

I've got to get ready to watch the next President of the United States give a speech. I'll be back to report on it later tonight!

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Posted by Ava

I'll admit that tonight I'm exhausted. I spent much of this morning and early afternoon walking around the 16th street mall. I got some great video footage, snagged some cool swag, and took a few photos. I'm very tired, so I won't be writing about tonight until the morning. I must be up at 6am to head to the Alabama Delegation morning meeting where one of my videos will be shown. I'll be blogging shortly after that. Until then, here are some photos from today: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28422&l=69067&id=501299258

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Posted by Ava

And he's still got it! President Carter spoke with Alabama and Georgia Democrats for about 30 minutes, and had the crowd on their feet cheering on numerous occasions. He spoke about many of the crucial issues our country is facing right now, but he also touched on a topic that is close to the heart of many southerners - Hurricane Katrina and the mishandling of the response. Of course with Carter having been the President that created FEMA he was especially passionate when speaking about the disaster that was the "heckuva job Brownie" fiasco. When I get home I'll edit the footage I got and post it for you all to see.

Here's a link to a few photos from this morning - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28345&l=7eb04&id=501299258

Sorry for the horrible photos, but my digital camera didn't want to cooperate when I was trying to take photos. I snapped a few of still frames from the video footage I got(which is much much better than the photos). I've been bad about not taking photos of things I should so far, but that's because I've been busy videoing rather than photographing. I'll have lots of video for you all when I get home!

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To check out a few photos that I took on the convention floor and at the "AlObama" hangout today, go to:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28297&l=d256f&id=501299258

Here are a few thumbnails -

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Posted by Ava

Today was an awesome day, and a very cool experience to say the least. The executive director of the Alabama Democratic party let me use his floor pass earlier in the afternoon before Clinton's speech, so I was able to walk the floor, get right up at the stage, and get some awesome footage and photos. The energy on the floor is electric.. it's filled with people who are passionate about the campaign and who are willing to (loudly)vocalize that support! And oh the hats! There are numerous hats made up of with buttons, glitter, bright colors, beads, and more. They're big and gaudy as hell(and of course fun as a result), and of course they accomplish exactly their purpose - they get attention. Hat wearers certainly aren't shy, and are more than willing to let you take video and photos of their decked out political masterpieces of head wear. :wink

After circling the floor for a bit and getting some great footage and photos, I headed back over to "Sweet Home AlObama" - the Alabama Democratic headquarters for the convention. With an awesome name, how could one not want to check out the place? "Sweet Home AlObama" has become a home away from home for Alabama convention goers. From the Alabama sports memorabilia(don't worry, there's Auburn stuff too), to Crimson and Orange walls that are an homage to Alabama's rival football teams, the place just feels like a little Alabama in the heart of Denver. And of course the Alabama style BBQ chicken isn't exactly vegetarian friendly(Alabama isn't exactly the mecca of vegetarians).

I spent the evening with fellow Alabamians at the "Sweet Home AlObama" watching Senator Clinton's speech. The group of Alabamians that have come to Denver is diverse, unique, and of course we have these awesome southern accents to flaunt around too! Alabamians of all ages, races,and people who supporter Obama, Clinton, or others in the primary election, gathered together tonight at the AlObama building to watch the speech.

We all very much enjoyed Senator Bob's Casey speech, and thought that he has several sound bytes that would be repeated during the election. One in particular that we all found amusing(and true) was the "That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick" in reference to McCain's self appointed nickname of "the maverick." With McCain voting with George W. Bush 90% of the time, it seems the Senator Casey was spot on. He also played the crowd well with "4 more months, instead of 4 more years." Democrats will be chanting that in their sleep tonight! It has to be the best non-headlining speech I've seen so far at the convention, next to Senator Kennedy's speech yesterday evening.

Next up was soon to be Senator Mark Warner's speech. I would be lying if I tried to give you a detailed review of his speech, because to be honest I tuned out a bit because I found the speech to be surprisingly dull. However he got my attention back when he said that his biggest critique of Bush was that he "never tacked into the greatest resource, the character and resolve of the American people... John McCain promises more of the same... That's four more years we can't afford." McCain was a big focus of tonight's speeches, and I'm glad to see the Democrats going on the offense. There were many signs in the crowd that made a simple point - "McCain: the SAME."

The introduction video for Senator Clinton was touching and as a young woman I found it to be very inspiring. If you missed it, I highly suggest you try to find a copy on the net and watch it. Even if you weren't a Clinton supporter in the primary(I wasn't) you'll still enjoy it. Watching it I kept thinking "she should have been the Vice Presidential nominee." Chelsea came onto stage and was visibly teary eyed, and of course former President Bill Clinton was fighting back tears as well. Many women in the crowd were teary eyed too. It was a bittersweet moment for Clinton supporters. Her campaign has been over, and that is a bitter pill to swallow when she was undeniably an inspiring and important candidate in the primary. It was also proof that if anyone knows how to pick themselves up, carry themselves with grace and dignity, and inspire people even after not winning the primary it's Hillary Clinton.

Senator Clinton couldn't have done more tonight to prove her support for Senator Obama. She called herself "a proud supporter of Barack Obama," and said "It's time to take back the country we love." She couldn't have done any more than she did tonight to make it clear that she wants her supporters to support Barack Obama with her. "The time is now, to unite." The crowd at the AlObama was huddled around the televisions, listening carefully to her speech, and on their feet cheering at times. "No way, no how, no McCain" had people hollering "Go Hillary!"

She told her supporters to ask themselves an important question. "Were you in this for me" or where you in this for the countless Americans she heard from on the campaign trail. She made a selfless appeal to her supporters tonight, asking them to be in this for change, and to do whatever it takes to get Barack Obama elected. "we did it before with President Clinton," she said, and we can do it again. Again the attention was turned to John McCain - "It makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart." That line made Lt. Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. and several others at AlObama cackle.. funny and true.

Of course with it being the 88th anniversary of women earning the right to vote, Clinton focused much of her speech on what women have accomplished, and what we can accomplish in the future. She used Harriet Tubman for inspiration, and now many young women(myself included) can also use Senator Clinton for inspiration. She's an example of what a woman can do, with a lot of very hard work and determination. She cleared a lot of path for us gals, and whether or not we realize it we have a lot to thank her for. "And after so many decades - 88 years ago on this very day = the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution. My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president. This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up."

It was a great speech, another great day at the convention, and yet again I'm physically worn out and mentally revved up for the campaign. I'll be posting some photos from today shortly, and I'll be back tomorrow with more updates from the Convention!

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Posted by Ava

Before I write about today's events at the convention I wanted to share something with you that shows how desperate our country is for change. I seem to have a knack for picking cabs with chatty cab drivers, which I enjoy. With the convention in town, it is no surprise that cab drivers are talking politics and about Barack Obama as the Presidential nominee. Today I got into a cab of a man who moved to America in 1994, during the Clinton years. He works another job in addition to working as a cab driver, and still tries to find time to go to school. A few months ago his wife got sick and had to go to the hospital. They have no health insurance, and he got a bill in the mail that he couldn't afford to pay. So he's working two jobs, trying to go to school so that he can get a better job, and can't afford to pay hospital bills with no health insurance.

Immigrants are drawn to come to America, the land of the free, where you can dream big and accomplish anything with hard work and determination - the American dream. However, we're at a place in our country right now where we see that American dream slipping away, and if it goes too far down the path it is headed, we may not get it back for a long long time. We desperately need to get back on the right track.. we need change. As the cab driver said "George bush acts like a 5 year old, not like a President," and "John McCain is just like Bush." He came to America in the 90's and saw the Clinton years and what the country looks like under Democratic leadership. Then he saw how it looked under Republican leadership. We went from a record surplus to a record deficit. If that won't make you a Democrat, then I'm not sure what will.

A blog about the convention will be up shortly, along with some photos.

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Posted by Ava

Here's my credential from last night, or as I prefer to call it - my golden ticket.


I'll try to get some better pictures tonight. Last night I was more concerned with getting video. I'll be doing a lot of videoing tonight too, particularly during the Clinton speech, but I'll try to get some good crowd shots in between. When I get home this weekend I'll work on putting together the footage I've gotten so you all can see. It's been an amazing experience so far, and I'm looking forward to the rest!

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Posted by Ava

I'll be updating my facebook page with photos from the convention on a daily basis, but you don't have to be on facebook to see them! Check them out at the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28172&l=a687d&id=501299258

Your's truly at the convention tonight -


I'm mostly doing videoing, but I'm trying to take as many photos as possible in addition. See ya tomorrow!

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