A View of the Democratic National Convention

2nd September 2000

Been there. Still there. “A View of the Democratic National Convention”

Margie Adam holding a Gore 2000 sign. The context for my latest adventure is that my career in music was forged in the political fires of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the 1970s. I worked with women all over the United States who understood the transformative connexion between politics and culture. My performances were often at events where these two powerful and empowering forces were effortlessly intertwined. Imagine then what a sublime pleasure it was to attend the recent Democratic National Convention and find many women who have participated in building the Women’s Music Movement still involved in the electoral process as delegates, elected officials, campaign workers and political organizers. As Alix Dobkin says: “Been there. Still there.”

I spent the week in Los Angeles immersed in the convention from the point of view of Vice President Gore’s campaign manager, Donna Brazile. My pal Kerry Lobel, recently retired Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and now executive producer of my current CD project made this extraordinary opportunity possible through her friendship with Donna. As a result, we moved throughout the convention environment from backstage, to the delegate floor to the podium, the skyboxes and caucuses. Here I saw a community of people who are decent and fiercely committed to electoral politics and progressive values in ways that were deeply moving.

Kerry Lobel, Margie Adam, Eleanor Holmes Norton and Donna Brazile The experience of working with these passionate, committed women shifted energy in me at a molecular level. Whew!

When I arrived home from Los Angeles at the end of the week, I went directly to perform at an event. What a blow-out! I sang and talked with a voice full of the energy and hope I carried home from the convention. I spoke of the importance of voting for Gore to protect women’s right to choose and affirmative action, about Women’s Music as a training ground for political activism and, of course, I dished just a bit about the many celebrities we ran into (Annette Bening was the most stunning – she seemed to be lit from within). What a week! One last thought.

If you have not already done so, and you care about women….
Register to Vote.

African-Americans for Gore/Lieberman" — African-Americans for Gore/Lieberman
I was moved by this visible showing of solidarity by Jews and African-Americans on the night of Sen. Lieberman’s nomination. One of the extraordinary moments of the week was meeting Joseph and Hadassah Lieberman. I was surprised and quite affected by how spiritually present they both were.

Margie Adam with David Mixner, a brilliant political organizer, gay activist and self-avowed fan who I spotted sitting quietly one morning in a skybox next to Donna Brazile’s skybox.

Democratic National Convention Finale — The final moments of the convention… taken with my digital point-and-shoot camera.

Margie Adam with Al Franken, a terrific political commentator, comic and friend I ran into in the VIP section on the evening of Vice President Gore’s speech. We first met on the Alaska NATION cruise where Lani Guinier and I helped score one for democratic process.