ABERNATHY GETS SEND-OFF FROM FELLOW DEMOCRATS

The Democratic party of Cape Girardeau County gave Vicki Abernathy a special send off party at Bent Creek Golf Course on Thursday.

Abernathy was selected as an at-large delegate from Missouri to attend the Democratic Party National Convention in Chicago.

How she got to be the at-large delegate was quite a story.

Abernathy was elected on the local level at the Jackson Courthouse. She went from there to the 8th Congressional District Caucus in Poplar Bluff.

Susan Estes, Democratic party president for Cape Girardeau County, said that Abernathy really won over the crowd with her charisma.

But no one knew who she was because the paperwork wasn't turned in on time for the caucus. But her charisma carried the crowd and she was elected.

Her charisma also struck Sherla Howard, Susan Estes and Emily Firebaugh and they helped get her elected.

Abernathy had to sign whether or not she wished to go to the national convention before she could be considered.

From that point she was to go onto the state caucus in Columbia. She couldn't go, but the others that were in Poplar Bluff spread the word about Abernathy at the state level and she was selected as one of the 17 at-large delegates from Missouri to go to the national convention in Chicago.

"It's something that has interested me since I was a little girl," Abernathy said.

"The due process is what makes this country great," Abernathy added.

She said that after someone gets elected as a delegate the party really checks their background out for safety reasons.

They also survey delegates and ask questions to determine the average age of the delegates and what issues are the most important to the delegates.

Also, she said they ask what her second choice for president would be.

Abernathy will join 90 other delegates from Missouri at the convention to be held Aug. 26-s29.

The Missouri delegation will stay with the delegates from Tennessee and South Carolina.

While at the convention there will be no deliberation as to who they will nominate for president so the delegates job will be to discuss issues and voice their concerns to the nominee.

"I think the issues of the election are going to be very important," Abernathy said.

Abernathy said that when she goes to the convention she is going to be honest with the other delegates and tell them how she feels on the issues.

"You don't have to be around Vicki long to see that this is the kind of person you want to personify the Democratic party," Estes said.

"She has a lot of energy, a lot of charisma, and she believes in the Democratic ideals," Estes added.

Abernathy said she will go to as many meetings as she can at the convention.

Abernathy's uncle Jack Litzelfelner and her father Jim Litzelfelner both made unsuccessful bids for state representative. She is married to John Abernathy and they live in Jackson.