Bootheel delegate is ready to be a 'part of history'

SIKESTON -- Among the thousands of delegates attending the 45th Democratic National Convention in Denver will be one from New Madrid County.

Vannessa Frazier of Howardville was selected as one of the 8th Congressional District's three delegates for Hillary Clinton.

"I can't wait," Frazier said. "I just feel so special representing the Missouri Bootheel. I didn't know anybody from the Bootheel could end up going. ... I'm excited still that they even elected me."

Frazier and her husband, Jessie Newson, left Saturday for Denver as there is a mandatory meeting for delegates to attend at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The convention itself will begin Monday and will run through Thursday when Barack Obama is scheduled to make his acceptance speech for the presidential candidacy.

Also attending as this district's Clinton delegates will be Rick Althaus of Cape Girardeau and Gene Oakley of Van Buren. John Heisser of Cape Girardeau will be this district's delegate for Barack Obama.

"Hillary beat Obama in the 8th district," Frazier said. "She was awarded three delegates and he was awarded one."

This district's delegates were elected during the district caucus held March 27 in Van Buren.

"This was my very first state caucus," Frazier said. "It was new to me so I got a chance to see how it works."

Obama's supporters sat on left, Clinton's on the right and state committee members sat in center, she recalled.

Frazier and others who filed to be a delegate were each given two minutes to speak before each group voted on their respective delegates along with alternates.

"Shelby Chan, the mayor from Pilot Knob, was elected as my alternate," Frazier said. Alternates will attend the convention whether the regular delegates are able to make it or not, she noted.

Frazier said she managed to work it out so her husband was able to get credentials to be on the floor with her at INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver instead of having to sit in the stands. Having only recently become involved in politics as an elected official -- mayor of Howardville -- Newson is understandably excited about about attending the national convention.

"That stadium holds 75,000 people and it was sold out weeks ago," she said. "I'm an educator and a presenter so I'm around a lot of people all the time. The excitement I feel is being a part of history for both Hillary and Obama."

Frazier said she is also looking forward to attending the workshops during the convention. "I will get to meet a lot of people," she said.

This is not, however, Frazier's first experience with national politics.

"I lived in Little Rock in '92 when (Bill) Clinton made his announcement at the state house that he was running for president," Frazier said. "I worked on his campaign. Then I moved back to Missouri in '96 and I worked on his re-election campaign from here."

It was the past working relationship with the Clintons that led to her supporting Hillary Clinton's bid for the presidency.

"I know them both and I have great passion for both of them," Frazier said. "I didn't know Obama; he was from Illinois."

Despite Obama coming out on top, Frazier is far from crestfallen.

"Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose," she said. "I wasn't disappointed because I have a lot of foresight and they we're both good contenders. We have two great candidates and I have great passion for both of them. The delegates need to work to restore unity for the party and prepare for a united front in November."

She said once she listened to Obama, she realized that "both he and Hillary are saying a lot of the same things."

Frazier still believes Clinton's health care plan is better than Obama's and says many are hopeful that he will embrace her plan as his own.

As far as casting her vote for the presidential candidacy, the rules state that "you can vote for whoever you want to when you get there," Frazier said.

The party's officials prefer, however, that delegates "be considerate" and cast their vote to reflect their constituents' votes, she said, "so that's what I have to do. During the roll call vote, I will vote for Hillary; that's my obligation."

After delegates have cast their votes, it is anticipated that Clinton will endorse Obama Tuesday night when she makes her speech. "She told us that she is going to support him," Frazier said. "She is going to officially release her delegates."

Frazier said the November election is an opportunity for the Democratic Party.

"There's still a lot of us out there that are hurting. I really feel as a delegate that this is our last chance," she said. "Everybody is suffering but the crisis is with the poor and middle class. We just can not allow these same old divisive tactics to keep us separated when we all have the same needs. The country has been under the Republican administration for eight years and look at where we are now -- the country is in turmoil. I think they need to give Obama his chance regardless of his color."