Watauga Democratic Party
Conventioneers

choose Obama
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Watauga Democrats are leaning toward Barack Obama as the state presidential primary looms.

Attendees at Saturday’s Watauga County Democratic Party convention gave 65 percent of their votes to presidential candidate Barack Obama, with rival candidate Hillary Clinton receiving just under 35 percent in the first-ever Democratic presidential straw poll. According to the count, 121 convention delegates and guests voted at the annual convention.

Diane Tilson, county party chairwoman, said the party's core was energized by its local success and ready to drive the political engine beyond the county borders. “There was a great deal of enthusiasm for all the candidates,” she said.

“The most active of our party attend the convention. These are the people who will try to go out and influence other people.”

The convention also heard from 2008 candidates state Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-93), member of the N.C. House of Representatives running for reelection; from two candidates vying for the District 1 County Commission seat, Tim Futrelle and Doug McGuinn; and from three school board candidates, Steve Combs, Joni Horine and Marsha Walpole. Kelly Sechrist, daughter of state Sen. Steve Goss (D-45), spoke on behalf of her father’s reelection campaign.

“There were people there we hadn't seen in a very long time and there were some new faces, and we've got plenty of new (party voter) registrations,” Tilson said.

“We've heard from the board of elections that 1,400 Democratic registrations were entered the week before the registration deadline. We're not sure how many have voted in early one-stop voting. Turnout is already good.”

The convention passed 12 resolutions, including one praising local government for “green” and “zero-waste” recycling programs and other environmental initiatives and another calling on the county to establish an eastern community center similar to the Western Watauga Community Center. Another resolution called on the N.C. Department of Transportation to reconsider its permit for a new digital billboard that faces in-bound traffic on the Doc & Merle Watson Scenic Byway.

Other resolutions approved by the convention addressed prescription drug advertising, national and North Carolina election campaign reform, health-care for members of the armed forces and health-care equity.

Tilson pointed out the party's resolutions increasingly deal with local issues, though state and national issues remain important and the county will be seeking to influence surrounding counties. “Because the county commission races are, in essence, won after the race between Tim Futrelle and Doug McGuinn in the primary, we have a lot of passion behind the candidates and a lot of work will be done at the national level,” Tilson said. “We just have to stand behind all the Democrats who are nominated.

“There are lots and lots of people who don't know there are other candidates on the primary ballot so there's plenty of work left to do. Everyone is fired up and ready to work for whatever Democrats are elected in the primary.”

Members of Troop 109, Boy Scouts of America, presented the colors and led the convention in the Pledge of Allegiance. All 17 organized precincts in the county answered present to the roll-call, and the convention also voted to provide more funding for the 1451st National Guard Family Readiness Support Group.

The party is having a canvass on April 26, going door to door and asking people to vote. Tilson said the party has to work hard at the grassroots activist level because Republicans hold a registration edge, despite Democrats' being able to win local seats. “We're trying to build our base and keep our offices filled with Democrats,” Tilson said.

“We can theorize all day about why they (Republicans) didn't run anybody. We have good candidates who are for a new high school, water issues and sustainability. Apparently, a majority of people in the county feel the commissioners are doing a good job.”

Tilson said Obama got a jumpstart in the county by opening a campaign field office in Boone two weeks ago, with the Appalachian State University Students for Obama opening a second office. Tilson said there were rumors that Clinton's campaign would be opening an office in Boone as well, and many Democrats had yet to choose sides in the presidential primary that could go a long way in determining the party's nomination.

The Democratic 5th District Convention is on May 17 in Statesville and the state party convention on June 21 in New Bern. The county party sends 41 delegates to each convention.