Audio By Carbonatix
California
Total Number of Delegates: 441 Pledged: 370 Unpledged: 71
How to Recognize a California Delegate: If the United States of America was a high school and the residents of each state represented a different clique, Californians would be considered the “cool kids,” and California’s Democratic delegates would be considered prom royalty. Californians will be the most gorgeous delegates in Denver, with the best haircuts, most stylish clothes and most beautiful smiles. And there will be many of them: Approximately one in every ten delegates at the 2008 convention will be from California. They will be very difficult to spot, however, because delegates from less cool states will crowd them like fame-crazed paparazzi. Large groups of delegates typically surround the Californians, especially if the outer delegates are from the primary California-worshiping states of Colorado, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee and Massachusetts.
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Famous Californians:Monica Lewinsky, Ted Danson, Tom Hanks, William Randolph Hearst, Joan Didion, Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, O.J. Simpson, Marilyn Monroe, Courtney Love, Candice Bergen, Beck, Ted Williams, Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods
Famous California Democrats: Ronald Reagan (until 1962), Pat Brown, Jerry Brown, Kathleen Brown, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Antonio Villaraigosa, Art Torres, Maxine Waters, Henry Waxman and Gary Condit
Famous Californians with Denver Connections: Robert Redford (CU-Boulder dropout), weatherwoman Kathy Sabine, Denver Broncos tight end Nate Jackson, Rocky Mountain News columnist Penny Parker, celebrity chef Sean Yontz
State Nickname: The Golden State Population: 36,457,549 Racial Distribution: 44% white, 7% black, 12% Asian, 1% Native American, 36% Hispanic Per Capita Personal Income: $33,750 Unemployment: 7%
Recommendations for the California Delegation:
Most Californian Denver Neighborhood: Combination of Sloan’s Lake, West Colfax and Villa Park
Most Californian Bar: The Corner Office 1401 Curtis Street Denver’s hippest hotel bar is putting on an Oscar-worthy performance in its role as a West Hollywood hot spot.
Most Californian Restaurant: Frasca 1738 Pearl Street Boulder The freshest locally grown food with French Laundry influences found in flyover country.
Best Day Trip: Boulder View larger image.
California delegates will be amazed at the hospitality of Denver citizens. Outside the city limits, Coloradans aren’t quite as friendly, but they’re still accepting — of other people’s credit cards, at least. “Don’t Californicate Colorado” bumperstickers proliferate from Greeley to Grand Junction — but not in Boulder. This university town is a little bit of Santa Barbara, Berkeley and Venice Beach all rolled into one. It sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains’ Front Range against the backdrop of the Flatirons, those dynamic sedimentary rock formations arched up like the edges of a shuffled deck of cards. Within this astounding landscape, residents are hungry to share their progressive thoughts. Boulderites will welcome Californians with open arms and wild didgeridoo solos all along the Pearl Street Mall. Delegates can cool their heels in street fountains and frolic with footbaggers in front of the beautiful art deco Boulder County Courthouse. The adulation and support from comrades will be exactly what the Californians need before their final push to a Democratic landslide in the November elections.
— Kenny Be
