SAN JOSE -- It’s their first statewide gathering since the gubernatorial recall election that snapped their winning streak in the nation’s largest state.
California Democrats here for their annual state convention are reassuring one another that their party still dominates in statewide offices and the Legislature.
But they’re also acknowledging they must face the loss and confront GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ability to amass attention and dollars for the state’s long-faltering Republican Party.
Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres has christened the three-day gathering in San Jose “Barbara Boxer’s convention,” saying activists will focus on helping the Democratic U.S. senator secure a third term in Washington.
He also conceded, however, that party leaders will shape a plan to remind California voters of Democratic priorities and look for ways to win over a growing number of voters who decline to state a party affiliation.
“Are we unhappy we lost the recall? Absolutely. Has it destroyed the spirits of the party? Absolutely not,” Torres said Friday, the opening day of the weekend gathering. “At this point, we’ve got to move on.”
Scheduled the weekend before the Iowa presidential caucuses, the convention is attracting less attention and fewer national names than usual. While most of the Democratic presidential candidates clamored for a time slot to speak to California’s Democrats a year ago, just two long-shot hopefuls appeared in person this time.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich spoke at a reception Friday night, hardly the most high-profile time slot. The Rev. Al Sharpton was also scheduled to speak Friday but was delayed because of bad weather. And retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who isn’t participating in the Iowa caucuses, was scheduled to send his son to California on his behalf.
Kucinich told the crowd that he will fight for California workers, if nominated to challenge President Bush, and he urged the delegates to rebuild the Democratic Party in California.
“Let this convention be the beginning of a resurgence of this party,” he said.
Boxer, meanwhile, will headline the convention today, with scheduled speeches to delegates and at a dinner in her honor. Boxer is battling for re-election, with four major Republican candidates seeking the nomination next month to take her on in November.
Democrats arriving Friday said they were determined to avoid dwelling on the recall defeat, but hard feelings permeated the gathering’s opening afternoon.
Delegates and leaders lamented the recall election’s unprecedented format, Schwarzenegger’s star power and U.S. Rep Darrell Issa’s decision to toss $2 million into the effort to qualify the recall for the ballot.
“The recall was a joke,” said Rick Gibson, a delegate from Azusa. “There’s a feeling of anger, not defeat.”
Ronald Sampson, a delegate from Paradise, said party activists must focus on the economy, the war in Iraq and Democratic principles rather than recounting the October loss. He also said he believes that voters will see that Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal does not offer any new answers to the state’s budget woes and instead makes deep cuts to critical state services.
“What we have to do is to explain to the electorate in California that all that should be done was being done and that ... there are no magic answers,” he said.
In a powerful reminder of the recent defeat, however, former Gov. Gray Davis will make an appearance at the convention today.
Torres said he invited Davis, along with some outgoing Democratic lawmakers, to thank them for their service to the party. Davis is expected to make brief remarks during the morning session today.
“I think it’s appropriate to say thank you,” Torres said.
Drove by the convention center today...what a sorry bunch of folks...saw the LaRouchies too. LOL!