Guide to the Texas Democratic Convention in Dallas July 14-16

The Texas Democratic Convention will take place  in Dallas from Thursday-Saturday July 14-16. Here is a quick guide for those attending:

Do not sign any petitions. When you check in and during the convention you will be asked to sign petition for various resolutions. Do yourself a favor Don't sign them. If a group gets enough signatures from each of their Senate District their resolution must be brought to the floor for a vote. Sometimes this could amount to a very long, drawn out, worthless vote. If the resolution they are pushing have merit they should have pushed them through the resolution committees of the Senate Conventions. Many of the fringe groups have done this in the past.

The Texas Democratic Party has a load of information at their website, TexasDemocraticConvention.com. It has a schedule of events and the rules of the convention as well as other information. Take some time to read it.

Go to the Kickoff receptions. The kickoff is a great way to meet your elected officials, donate to the party, and have fun. It is always a good party for the party. The kickoff is at the host hotel on Thursday evening. Find tickets here.

Find hospitality suites. Many elected officials and organizations will have hospitality suites throughout the event. Organizations like Annie's List, Texas Freedom Network, Young Democrats, etc are just a few that will most probably have a party. This is again a great way to meet like minded people on specific issues. And they are usually a lot of fun!

Visit the vendors. Once they are open find a plastic cover for your convention credentials. The vendors will have t-shirts, stickers, and other political merchandise. Many organizations will have a booth with information about their specific issue. Find an issue you are concerned about. Sign up to keep informed.

Attend your Senate District Caucus. At this time delegates will vote for SDEC chairs and positions for the various committees. You should have been contacted by those who are running by now.

Attend a caucus. There will be a caucus for a number of organizations including the Hispanic Caucus, Young Democrats, and specific issues caucus. Pick one and attend. Unfortunately they only schedule a couple of hours for these meetings and most of the time is spent listening to candidates. 

Attend a training session. Your delegate package will have a detailed schedule with training sessions usually on Saturday morning. Pick one or more.

Do not feed the fringe groups. In the past the fringe group was the LaRouche people. I did not see them at the last convention. But if there is a new fringe, just leave them alone. They tend to be like lost, cute puppies. Once you talk to them you will end up taking them home. And feeding them. These fringe groups are the cult of the Democratic Party. Do yourself a favor and just leave them alone.