Nicole LaChapelle, of Easthampton, is looking forward to “five days of pure policy-wonk adrenaline” at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
“You don’t sleep,” said LaChapelle, 49, a member of the Democratic State Committee who is a delegate from the 1st Congressional District pledged to support presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton.
On her way to Philadelphia on Saturday, LaChapelle said she was humbled and grateful to be chosen to represent the district.
She said she supports Clinton because she believes she is the most qualified person for the job. LaChapelle believes her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, is a “good balance” for the ticket because he has an understanding of rural populations and experience as a governor.
LaChapelle attended the 2012 national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, as an observer. She was not sure what to expect, but knew she wanted to be “on the ground,” for the experience.
What she found beyond the crowds and the chaos was something she can’t wait to be a part of again — the conversations.
According to LaChapelle, the 2012 convention was charged by “substantive conversations and conversations of urgency around key issues.”
LaChapelle said discussions regarding health care, homeland security and affordability continued from panels to luncheons all the way to her hotel lobby.
“There were so many groups talking about the core of their passions,” LaChapelle said. “I could, and did participate in strong conversations.”
State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst, also a delegate pledged to Clinton, is representing the state rather than his Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester County district — which voted overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders.
In an interview with the Recorder, Rosenberg gave Sanders a nod for his influence on primary voters.
“I think one of the highlights of this convention is actually going to be the party platform discussion, because unlike most of these conventions where it’s really cut and dry, given the role that Bernie Sanders played in the primary, he moved the party in a more progressive direction, so that means that the party platform will be more reflective of the core values that we’re engaged in and support here in Massachusetts through our own party platform,” Rosenberg said.
“I’m very excited to think the national party platform is going to look a lot more like the Massachusetts party platform than it’s looked in a long time.”
There are 45 delegates pledged to support Sanders on the first ballot unless the Vermont senator releases his delegates. Sanders is scheduled to address the convention Monday.
“He really energized the progressive wing of the Democratic Party,” Rosenberg said of socialist Sanders. “Some people may push to get more than the platform committee put in of the agenda that Senator Sanders was promoting, but a lot got in, so that’s exciting.”
State Rep. Paul Mark, the first public official in Massachusetts to endorse Sanders, instead may cast a vote for Clinton at his first Democratic National Convention.
Mark co-chaired the Sanders campaign in Massachusetts and was elected as an at-large delegate representing youth, since he was still 36 when he was chosen by the Democratic State Committee.
Mark is the only Sanders delegate from Berkshire, Franklin or Hampshire counties, although each favored Sanders in the primary. Mark is an at-large delegate representing the state as a whole.
“Bernie Sanders has endorsed Hillary, and I’m going to follow his lead,” Mark said. “Bernie Sanders wants the Democratic ticket to win, he wants to make sure Donald Trump is not our president, and I strongly support that. When the convention wraps up and we have a nominee, I’m going to support the Democratic nominee. Obviously, I wish was going there to nominate my candidate, but I’ll be happy with what we end up doing.”
Mark, who introduced Sanders at a rally at the University of Massachusetts in January that drew 3,400 supporters as the kind of candidate he’s been waiting for “my whole life,” said he felt very strongly about the issues that Sanders was able to bring to the campaign, but believes it is time to move forward.
“It’s not about one candidate for one office,” Mark said. “It’s about getting people elected that feel the same way, that have the same values. It’s about electing people to Congress, it’s about electing people to state legislatures, it’s about electing governors, it’s about more than just one person. I’m not the kind of person where because my candidate came up short in the nomination process, that’s it, I’m going to take my ball and go back home. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
Marc Oster, 54, of Amherst, agrees there is work to be done when it comes to reforming politics. Even more, he is willing to be arrested for it.
A former Sanders supporter, Oster said he will go to Philadelphia to protest the role money plays in politics from outside the convention. He credits Sanders with “bringing a lot of people to the table” when it comes to addressing political reform.
“It’s up to us to capture this momentum and channel it into organizations that are doing the good work and fighting the good fight. This is one piece of a larger puzzle. You can’t stop the revolution, to borrow Bernie’s words,” Oster said. “Voting is a very, very, very small part in making political change … This won’t end with Bernie.”
Oster believes money plays a paralyzing role in government and elections, making it impossible for real change to be accomplished. He believes Clinton is “beholden to” the financial sector, coal and fossil fuel industries and others.
Clinton is a prime example “of what’s wrong with getting things done in government,” Oster said. “Where I stand, she is a bought politician who is controlled by special interests, whatever they are.”
Oster said he plans to take part in nonviolent civil disobedience at the convention Monday morning. He will march with a large group led by reform organization Democracy Spring and perform a sit-in. When police ask the protesters to leave, they will refuse, he said.
“Once the police indicate they will arrest us if we do not vacate the area, we will get up and we will cooperate” in the arrest, Oster said.
He expects protesters will taken to the police station for processing, charged with trespassing or disturbing the peace, and fined $50 to $100 before being sent on their way. Each participant handles his or her own costs, Oster said.
During the rest of the week, Oster said he plans to act as a liaison between protesters and police to ensure demonstrations run smoothly. Before each sit-in, the organization will hold a three-hour training for those who plan to be arrested.
Beyond this week’s protests, Oster said he is unsure if he will cast a protest vote Nov. 8.
“I have the privilege of living in a state more liberal than most. My personal vote is less important, so it’ll be easy for me to cast a protest vote and write in Bernie Sanders or vote for Jill Stein,” Oster said.
But if he lived in a state like Florida that is more crucial in the general election, Oster said he would consider voting for Clinton to keep the presidency out of the hands of Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“I’m not a Bernie-or-bust kind of guy. I could quite possibly vote for Hillary Clinton,” Oster said.