A lifetime of convention memories

Elizabeth “Liz” Jackson was born in 1918, before women had the right to vote. Now the 90-year-old Michigan delegate is attending her ninth political convention. 

On the flight from Detroit to Denver, the retired United Auto Workers representative was greeted by several fellow delegates on the plane. Former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard (D) stopped by to give her a hug.

{mosads}Jackson is one of the oldest delegates at this convention, but not the oldest. A 91-year-old from Pennsylvania has her beat.

Jackson's favorite convention was in 1964 at Atlantic City, where President Lyndon Johnson was nominated. Since that time, she has missed only two Democratic conventions.

But this cycle, she faced a tough choice as a black woman — Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the first African American to have a strong chance for the nomination, or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), the first woman with a good chance.

She ended up supporting Clinton. “I would love to see her,” Jackson said when asked what she’s looking forward to at this convention.

But Jackson added: “I will be supporting Obama” in the general election.

Obama did have some support in the Jackson family from the beginning. Traveling with Jackson is her daughter Stevetta Johnson, who is a longtime supporter of the Illinois senator. She helped organize fundraisers for him in his 2004 Senate race.

Johnson, a social worker who is active in Democratic politics, is not a delegate this time but she has enjoyed traveling with her mother to several conventions. Her favorite trip with her mom: 1992 in New York City when then-Gov. Bill Clinton accepted the party’s nomination.

“She was a delegate and I was on the Rules Committee,” Johnson said.

And when asked if she was on the Rules Committee this time, Johnson sighed: “No, I wish I were.”

The Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic Party decides when each state should hold its presidential primary. Michigan defied party rules and held its primary early this year, on Jan. 15. Originally it was ruled that each delegate from that state would get half a vote but the Obama campaign, after it had secured the nomination, asked that the entire vote be counted.

In August, the Credentials Committee, in light of the Obama’s campaign’s request, returned full voting rights to Michigan and Florida, the other state that was punished for moving up its primary.

“Deep down inside I kind of figured it would come back together,” Jackson said. “I think they made the right decision.”

Obama did not put his name on the ballot in Michigan to honor the party’s primary system, but Clinton was on the ballot. However, both Jackson and Johnson think it won’t hurt him in this battleground state.

“I think it’s pretty good,” Johnson said of Obama’s chances. “We’ve just got to get out the vote in the big counties.”

Most analysts classify Michigan as one of the top battleground states this cycle. And that has led to speculation in Washington that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) will pick former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) as his running mate. Romney’s father, George Romney, was a Michigan governor and Mitt Romney won the state during the GOP primary.

But neither Jackson nor Johnson think Romney’s roots will help him in the Wolverine State in the general election.

“He’s not his dad,” Johnson said.