Notes from Quebec ... in conclusion....

My overall impression of the NDP convention is that I was surprised by the depth of my ignorance about so many of the issues today, so much of the process involved in the political system. I feel like my eyes have really been opened.

But on the flip-side I just got back from the victory party for the Cheri DiNovo campaign. She just won a seat in the Ontario Provincial parliament. This is a huge coup for the NDP to take a seat in a bi-election from the reigning party. The Liberals were out in force. I was working election day and I was told by the folks out knocking on doors that everywhere they turned Liberals were hopping out of cars and knocking on doors and dropping literature within an hour of the close of the poles. It was my first ever victory party, and only my second ever winning campaign. A really amazing feeling.
If anyone was watching the news tonight, I don't doubt that my face was on every channel with a sandwich hanging out of my mouth. I got to the party from the poll and was starving, I grabbed a sandwich and a drink and went to talk to some friends. I didn't realize that we were standing right behind the media scrum and when the speeches started and the crowd cheered the cameras all turned around and filmed us cheering. I hope they didn't get a good shot of me trying to cheer with tuna salad in my teeth. Sometimes democracy is just not pretty.