TodayConventional wisdom: Finding inspiration
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Mike Reed is one of the few Democrats in a family of Republicans. He credits his maternal grandmother.
Elizabeth Miller was a strong-willed leader from an era when women were not generally permitted to be leaders, let alone the strong-willed kind.
“It was pretty unusual for her time, but she was the political chairwoman for the Democrats in Greene County,” Reed says.
As such, Miller served as a delegate to the historic 1944 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. That convention served as merely another coronation for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who would go on to win his fourth term in November 1944.
However, the real history was made in the selection of Missouri Sen. Harry S. Truman to overtake Henry Wallace as FDR’s running mate. A floor fight erupted over the intraparty coup and a re-vote was needed before Truman emerged as the more moderate choice.
The change would have a major impact on history as FDR’s declining health led to his death in April 1945. Truman took office and later approved the use of atomic bombs to end World War II.
Nixon no influence
Reed doesn’t remember how his grandmother voted during the 1944 convention but says she influenced his Democratic leanings. So did Richard Nixon.
“I came of age during the early 1970s, when Nixon was president,” says Reed, 53, with a wry smile. “So that might have influenced me towards becoming a Democrat.”
Reed’s political path is taking him to Denver this week, where he will serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. That duty is a culmination of a journey that began with a youthful affection for Jimmy Carter and a passion that was re-ignited by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
“I got away from (politics) for a while,” says Reed, who says he supported Carter while in college. “When I heard Obama speak at the (2004) convention, I was impressed and decided to get back into it.
“I’ve always been looking for a politician who was a little more inspirational than what’s out there,” Reed explains. Obama “is obviously a very different kind of presidential candidate.”
‘Lot of work’
The push for a delegate seat began in earnest with a November 2007 meeting in Harrisburg. From there, Reed laid the ground work for ballot position, applying to the state Democratic Committee in January and following up with door-to-door work to collect petition signatures.
“It’s been a lot of work to get the petitions signed,” he says. “In a way, that was sort of the enjoyable part, too. I thought the response was pretty good. I only had a few people who refused to sign the petition.”
A lawyer with the Harrisburg firm of Mette, Evans and Woodside, Reed is paying for his own airplane tickets and hotel room. While there, however, he will have no shortage of activities to attend.
“I’ve gotten a lot of invitations from lobbying groups who are hosting receptions,” says Reed, who has two grown sons with wife Elizabeth Goldstein.
While meeting Obama is not likely -- “I’m sure he can’t meet every delegate” -- Reed does hope to meet someone famous while in Denver.
“I’m hoping to meet Franco Harris,” he says of the former Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back. “He’s a delegate from southwestern PA.”
