Far Across the Oceans, Pools of Voting Democrats

[kskiska]

TOKYO, Feb. 8 — The 80 chairs filled up a half-hour before the caucus was to start, as did two dozen more that were hastily brought into the back of the room, and then the chairs along both walls and the window ledges and the aisles in the 20th-floor meeting room overlooking the grounds of the Imperial Palace.

Before long, what the Japan chapter of Democrats Abroad really needed was one of those Tokyo transit workers who cram commuters into rush-hour subway cars.

"We had about 40 people show up for our caucuses in 1996 and 2000," said John McCreery, vice chairman of Democrats Abroad and a 24-year resident of Japan. "We knew there was more interest this year, so we thought we'd get 80 people."

Instead, 156 eager, percolating Democrats showed up Sunday at the meeting room of Tokyo's Foreign Correspondents Club, the great majority of them attending their first overseas caucus and many voting in their first presidential election.

"I never got involved in politics before; I never even voted," said Terri MacMillan, 46, who was raised in Harlem and now runs her own English translation company in Tokyo. "But I had to get involved this year because of George Bush and what he's doing to the world."

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/09/politics/campaign/09ABRO.html?pagewanted=print&position=

[ozymandius]

1. nice

We should all be so responsible.

[DannyRed]

2. Hey!!!

I was there!!!

That deal with the Kucinich people -- we got them viable, and they threw support to us in return....

That was ME!!!

Har!

[Zo Zig]

3. Democracy in Action

Sounds like fun, good job!

[DannyRed]

5. And,

to continue the string of coincidences...

My 1.5 year old daughter's name is....

Zoe!


Howdy!

[Bonobo]

7. Dude, my daughter is named Zoe too!

"Busy, busy, busy!"

-Bokononist saying

guuzen da ne!

[Art_from_Ark]

6. Darn

I had been planning to go, but wasn't unable to attend because of health reasons.

[lebkuchen]

4. The dem caucus in Paris was so large this year, that it had to

meet inside the main interior of the church. A smaller room had originally been planned. Kerry won.

[Mackay]

8. I was there...

the energy was fantastic!!! I was very sorry to see Kerry get more votes than Dean however... still, I'll support anyone against Bush... and that was the general attitude.

The caucus made me proud to be American. A lot of great people in the room who are going to make sure that the 2000 fiasco does not happen again.

Great speeches on the part of two supporters of Kerry and Kucinich.

You live in Paris, Lebkuchen?