The Voice

I attended the event on Tuesday January 24th and thought I should report back. I took my camera and took photos, some of which I’ll include in this report. My wife and I had already attended a fundraiser for Gabrielle a week and a half earlier. We were very impressed. She came across as very bright, welll spoken, and forthright. Other Tanque Verde Democratic Club members should report on any of the Democratic Party candidates whose events they attend. That’s the point of setting this website up as a blog, so you can contribute.
The Kickoff was held at the Arizona Inn, in a courtyard of the Flandreu House. The crowd was beyond standing-room-only. I learned later that 250 people were there. I scooted to a decent location behind the last row of seats and started taking pictures. I’ve posted a few here to help tell the story.

Before the event started there was lots of socializing. Gabrielle was obviously known and loved by many in the crowd–

Michael McNulty (I believe Jim McNulty’s son) was master of ceremonies. Here’s Michael speaking to the crowd. He’s flanked by Dorothy Finley, Eddie Basha, Raul Grijalva, Gabrielle and Laura Almquist–

Michael introduced Dorothy Finley and Ed Basha, the Honorary Co-Chairs of the campaign. They made clear their solid support of Gabrielle. One thing Dorothy mentioned that caught my attention was that Gabrielle was a 3rd generation Arizonan. Then Michael introduced U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva. Raul made clear his support. He wanted to make the point that he was for Gabrielle, not against her primary opponents. Here’s a shot of Raul–

Raul gave Gabrielle a glowing introduction, then she got up to speak for herself. In her clear, forthright manner she talked about why she wants to go to Congress to provide integrity and a postive approach to government. You should read her own words at her web site. Two things she said really stuck in my mind. She characterized President Bush as a “reverse Midas”–everything he touches crumbles. Pretty direct. She also talked about an incident that illustrates her willingness to stand up and fight. When the Republicans in the State Legislature tried to pass a spending bill with draconian cuts in the dark of night, she forced the issue of a quorum. Despite desperate efforts, there was no quorum to be found and the Republicans were forced to negotiate with the Democrats for a more reasonable budget bill. For this Gabrielle was labelled the “quorum queen” by her opponents. Here’s a nice picture of Gabrielle with the American flag in the background–

Gabrielle’s remarks were well received by an enthusiatic crowd. A standing ovation was followed by a mood of general good cheer and a sense of purpose. Here’s my last shot–

I had a great time. Get out and meet the candidates and tell the club what you learned!