 After returning to Ireland, Arlington High School graduate Sean Conroy had time to check his e-mail and answer some questions raised by YourArlington. "Please check for grammar
mistakes/typos," he wrote "as I am writing this just after the red-eye flight!" Here's an edited Q & A:
How did your attempt to become an Obama delegate go today at
Minuteman? What was the vote and who else was elected with you?
The first of six rounds in the male race involved five
candidates. Of them, two were eliminated, and then the three of us
maintained a roughly 50-50-50 vote tally for the next several rounds
before [Russell] Ashton pulled slightly ahead and gained the 51 percent needed to win
the caucus -- in part because many of Bob Colt's supporters left
and switched sides.
Can you give some sense of the atmosphere at the caucus?
The
atmosphere was very different from anything I have ever experienced.
While I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to the people, the 'behind-the-scenes' action and the private curtailing of caucusgoers wasn't a
highlight for me. Although I was in a clear second-place standing after
the first round, the (at the time) first- and third-place candidates
approached me in order to attempt to persuade me to drop out of the
race and then endorse their respective candidacies.
My two remaining
fellow candidates spoke to me, at times very 'sympathetic' to my
position-saying things like 'You have the power to crown a king,' while
at other times very abrupt, You have your entire life to vote for
people who look like you.' All conversation emanating from them
essentially inferred that I should drop out and endorse, which was not
an action that my supporters came to see.
Why did you decide to fly from Dublin to be AT THE CAUCUS?
While
only a recent supporter of Obama (within the past few months), I have
done much of my canvassing work for him from here in Dublin. Usually in
the form of e-mails to family/friends and calls using the interface on
his Web site to Texas/Ohio/other states via Skype. It would have been an
honor to go the convention to speak for the people of Massachusetts in
support of a candidate that I so earnestly believe. While I wasn't
successful, the trip most certainly was not a waste as I gained much
valuable experience, and was able to see many friends and family.
You comment further in any way you wish.
While parts
of the experience were disheartening (i.e., some techniques used in
order for some candidates to attain votes), overall, the day was both a
positive experience and informative. The event ran smoothly thanks to
the help of many volunteers and I am sure that the candidates elected
are great representatives of the district's Obama supporters.
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