The Ted Kennedy/dfaROCHESTER experience

Written by: Thomas Janowski on Aug 29, 2009 7:47 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Democracy for New York, dfaROCHESTER

It was late February 2004...just days before the New York primary.  Dean was no longer actively campaigning.   The local county Democratic committee had advertised a rally for all candidates to take place on Saturday morning.  Representatives from all local presidential campaigns were supposedly welcome.  As the weekend approached, the county Dems were changing their plans.  The location for the rally changed.  And then on the morning of the rally, we noticed that it was being called a Kerry rally featuring Ted Kennedy. 

While most of the magic had left the Dean campaign by then, there were still some diehard supporters.  Many who were no longer actively supporting Dean were supporting John Edwards.  Even with the change in venue and a change of the intended purpose of the rally, Dean and Edwards supporter went to the rally anyway.  Dean supporters in their Dean sweatshirts, pins and baseball caps...the same for the Edwards supporters.  But there was a problem...upon entering the union hall where the rally was to take place, we were asked to return Dean/Edwards buttons and baseball caps.  We were also asked to open our coats to expose our Dean sweatshirts.  We were refused entry to the rally because we refused to take off our Dean-wear. 

Outraged?  Of course!  These were members of our own party--the inclusive Democrats--barring us from entering.  Always ones to take lemons and make lemonade, we went back outside, went to our cars and got out Dean or Edwards signs.  We then took up a position across the street from the union hall.  We attracted reporters and others on their way to the event.

When the event was about to start, and car traffic on the street and parking lot died down, we noticed a minivan approaching.  The minivan slowed even more as it was about to turn into the parking lot...and that's when the window rolled down and a head popped out.  It was Ted Kennedy.  He saw us out in the cold, not knowing the circumstances, and shouted to us to join him inside.  We followed the minivan towards the parking lot...the van continued, but we were stopped by the goons on the side walk.  We explained that Senator Kennedy had just invited us to join him inside.  The men simply said "Ted Kennedy doesn't own the building".  Again we were turned away, yet we had just had a Ted Kennedy experience...and that made everything OK.

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