that year the jesse helms senate seat was up after the far, far, far, far right senator jesse helms stepped down, that state had gone to elizabeth dole. in 2008, republican elizabeth dole, the incumbent republican senator in the jesse helms seat, in 2008 she lost that seat to a democrat. kay hagan. she got beaten badly in that race. elizabeth dole losing that race by nine points. for the governs race, it was a three-point race. the governor won. beth purdue bake became the first female governor. barack obama didn't need north carolina or indiana either. but seeing states like north carolina and states like indiana turn so unexpectedly blue was the exclamation point on the democratic victory in 2008. the democrats choosing north carolina for their 2012 convention was sort of a bold move and an emotional move. barack obama and joe biden won north carolina as i said in 2008 by the slimmest of margins. look at that. 49.7% to 49.4%. they won by less than 15,000 votes out of more than 4 million cast. the slimmest of margins. and they fought tooth and nail for every single one of those votes. this

that year the jesse helms senate seat was up after the far, far, far, far right senator jesse helms stepped down, that seat had gone to elizabeth dole. in 2008 republican elizabeth dole, the incumbent republican senator in the jesse helms seat, in 2008 she lost that seat to a democrat. kay hagan. she got beaten badly in that race. elizabeth dole losing that race by nine points. for the governor's race in north carolina it was a little closer. it was a three-point race. but again the democrat won. bev perdue became the state's first female governor. barack obama didn't need to win north carolina to win the presidency. he didn't need to win indiana either. but seeing states like north carolina and states like indiana turn so unexpectedly blue was an emotional thing. it was essentially the exclamation point on that democratic victory in 2008. and so the democrats choosing north carolina for their 2012 convention was sort of a bold move and an emotional move. barack obama and joe biden won north carolina, as i said, in 2008 by the slimmest of margins. look at that. 49.7% to 49.4%. they won by l

i was involved in campaigning against senator jesse helms when i was in college. when i came out here i was not initially involved politically. i was involved in community work, helping to build the lgbt community center, doing neighborhood work, and i eventually started doing campaigns and gradually got more involved in democratic party politics. ultimately, in 2004, i ran for the democratic county central committee and ended up chairing the committee. it was a gradual process for me. by the time i started thinking about running for supervisor, it made sense because of my involvement in the community and the politics. i knock on about $15,000 -- i knocked on about 15,000 doors and a huge amount of people. the best way to learn about the city and what people want and what people's concerns are. i feel like i know so much more than before i started campaigning. i am a good liberal democrat. in the san francisco, miniature spectrum, i am considered pretty middle of the road. one thing about me is i am very independent when it comes to the issues, and i do not vote o

i was involved campaign against senator jesse helms when i was in college. when i cannot hear, and was not initially involved politically. -- when i came out here, i was not initially involved politically. i helped to build the lgbt community center. i started doing campaigns. i gradually got involved in democratic party politics. i got involved in the alice b. toklas democratic club. i ran for the democratic central committee in 2004. i ended up sharing the committee. it was a gradual process for me. by the time i started thinking about running for supervisor, it made sense because of my involvement in the community and in politics. >> what did you learn from campaigning for supervisor? >> i learned a lot. i knocked on about $15,000. -- i knocked about 15,000 doors. i met a huge number of people. that is the best way to learn about the neighborhood, the city, and what people want and what their concerns are. i feel i can do so much more than before and started campaigning. -- i feel like i know so much more than before i started campaigning. we're all part

i was involved in campaigning against senator jesse helms when i was in college. when i came out here i was not initially involved politically. i was involved in community work, helping to build the lgbt community center, doing neighborhood work, and i eventually started doing campaigns and gradually got more involved in democratic party pols

as soon as clinton took over, senator jesse helms led a group of senators to say we want our soldiers out of somalia. i remember the language they use struck me. the presence of an american soldier in somalia, there's great pressure on president clinton to pull out. the fact that it descended into war with blackrock down did not improve the situation. -- with black hawk down did not improve the situation. but somalia has descended to this day to where the country is split and there is fighting and there's chaos and it has something to do with the policy that if this is an african country, we do not want u.s. troops there even saving lives. the argument made by senator helms and others -- if you go on youtube now, the clip is there. and president clinton was arguing with chris wallace because chris wallace was making the charge that mr. clinton needs to be blamed for 9/11 because he did not have a strong policy in the middle east starting with somalia and mr. clinton pushed back and said that you forget that you republicans said that i should not be in somalia. the next thing no one to

he said it's a bit of a rarity that an issue comes up that brings jesse helms and ted kennedy together. i never served with senator helms, i did serve with senator kennedy and i can assure you of what i know of senator helms and his record, that was an understatement. he but he said that was such an issue, the taiwan relations act. senator kennedy, senator goldwater and i along what congressman wolf, derwinski and others set out to ensure after having their treaty of alliance tossed in the trash can our friends in taiwan would be left with far more than the vague verbal promises the carter administration was offering for taiwan. so we went to work and the result was the taiwan relations act. i believe, madam president, my amendment is a natural extension or actually a fulfillment of the taiwan relations act and a reaffirmation of the bipartisan leadership that the senate has brought which would -- originally brought senator kennedy and senator helms together way back in 1979 and we should not depart from that strong bipartisan tradition of supporting our ally in taiwan and providing th

clinton took over, senator jesse helms who was in the u.s. senate, led a group of senators to say we want our soldiers out of somalia. i remember the language they use which struck me, senator helms said an african life is not worth the presence of an american soldier in somalia. there was pressure on president clinton to pull out. the world's -- they did not improve their situation. the do think the policy of the u.s. troops come out of somalia and somalia has descended to this day where the country is more or less split and there's farming and has something to do with the policies that it is an african country we don't want u.s. troops saving lives which was the argument made by senator helms and others and if you go on youtube now the clip is there. president clinton was arguing with chris wallace because chris wallace was making the charge that mr. clinton is to be blamed for 9/11 because he did not have a strong policy in the middle east starting with somalia and clinton was pushing back saying did you forget the republicans said that i