National conventions fire up attendees

The recent Republican and Democratic national conventions had plenty of local representation, and participants on both sides left with high hopes for their respective parties in the upcoming presidential election.

Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages, who represents the 3rd District which includes North Valley Stream and part of the village, was one of 387 New York state delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. He and his colleagues cast their votes for President Barack Obama’s nomination for re-election.

“I had an amazing time,” Solages said of his experience at the convention, which ran from Sept. 3-6. “I was very happy to support the national agenda.”

Solages, who applied and was accepted to be a delegate, said the opportunity gave him a chance to see some of the up-and-coming people in the Democratic party. He said he was particularly inspired by the speeches from a pair of governors — Ted Strickland of Ohio and Martin O’Malley of Maryland.

Three Valley Streamers attended the Republican National Convention in Tampa from Aug. 28-31 including local Republican leader John DeGrace, his wife, Barbara, and village Deputy Mayor John Tufarelli.

For John DeGrace, this was his fourth convention. He also attended in 1996, 2000 and 2004. “I was extremely impressed with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan,” he said, “very impressed with their platform and their focus on the economy.”

Barbara DeGrace, who attended a convention for the third time, said while there is always a level of excitement, this year there was something more. “I saw more energy and more enthusiasm this time,” she said. “There was something different this time around.”

She said the most inspiring speech she saw was from Ann Romney, the wife of the Republican party nominee. DeGrace said Romney spoke of issues that people can relate to, and painted her husband as a very humble, competent man. “People were very engaged in her speech,” she said. “They were listening to her.”

Tufarelli, who attended a convention for the first time, said he wasn’t sure what to expect of the experience but went in with an open mind. He said he enjoyed his time there immensely and got to meet a lot of people from all over the state.

The trio spent some time with Congressman Peter King, and said they enjoyed speeches from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and, of course, the presidential candidate himself. “That was the purpose,” John DeGrace said. “You wanted to hear what Mitt Romney had to say.”

At the Democratic convention, Solages said he was very excited by Obama’s remarks. “He delivered a presidential speech, not a candidate speech,” Solages said.

He said he also enjoyed hearing from First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton. Additionally, Solages got to personally meet Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate John Kerry, along with San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro, who delivered a keynote speech.

“This was like a political junkie’s dream,” he said. “It was much more than you saw on TV. I met a lot of great people.”

Solages, who attended the convention with three other Nassau County legislators, said he enjoyed the southern hospitality and was even able to do some white water rafting. And, he said, he spent plenty of time on the phone dealing with issues in his legislative district, specifically the merger of the 4th and 5th police precincts.

He said he also got to make some new connections. Solages met with some Apple lobbyists and said he is working to get some more iPads for local schools.

Tufarelli and the DeGraces said they spent much time attending breakfast and workshops, and hearing guest speakers. Barbara DeGrace said it was exciting to be in the same room with people who at the same time were on the world stage.

One of the most talked about moments from the convention was actor Clint Eastwood’s speech, as he spoke to an empty chair, pretending to have a conversation with President Obama. Barbara DeGrace said the speech caught people’s attention made several strong points.

John DeGrace said he enjoyed the speeches from business people who talked about Romney’s corporate success, and hearing from people in Romney’s church about how the candidate helped families in their times of need.

The convention definitely gave the Republicans momentum, John DeGrace explained, but the Democratic convention the following week did the same for that party, as well. He said he believes that this year’s election will be close, and said the primary issue both sides are focusing on is the economy.

Romney and vice presidential candidate Ryan, DeGrace explained, believe the private sector will fix the economy, while Obama and Vice President Joe Biden believe it’s up to the government to solve the problems. “You either believe in one or the other,” he said, “and that’s what this election is all about — philosophy.”