The basics: Temple is managing director of European operations for Aidmatrix, a nonprofit that provides software for humanitarian aid groups. She has stepchildren in Boulder and Austin, Texas. Her stepson in Boulder is a musician who plays with The Motet.
Party background: Temple grew up a Democrat and at age 10 she knocked on neighborhood doors campaigning for her father for City Council in Muskogee, Okla. But this is her first convention. After watching the first four years of Bush administration from afar, she says, she was compelled to participate in Democratic Party politics.
“My goal is to make sure we reverse the damage of the present administration,” she says.
What do Germans think when they hear about Denver or Colorado? “They think of the Rocky Mountains. Most people know Denver for the Rockies. They think it’s like the Alps, but the ranges are not that similar.”
What are you anticipating from this convention? “I don’t know quite what to expect with the convention, but the whole thing is very exciting. And getting to see my 5-year-old granddaughter is pretty exciting.”
How was Obama received in Germany? “I saw him in Berlin and it was truly ‘Obamamania.’ Berlin loved John F. Kennedy and Obama is seen as the black Kennedy. They see him pushing for the same change that Kennedy was doing. I’ve been interviewed by German press and they always ask, ‘Why do Germans love Obama?’ I tell them: ‘You tell me.’ They see him as such a positive change.”
What do you know now that you didn’t know then? “Living overseas, my political thinking has become much more open minded. I realize now the impact the U.S. president has overseas, especially seeing the negative impact Bush has had. The war in Iraq, the U.S. economy’s impact on the world economy. It’s very interesting to see how other countries have such an interest in who is running for U.S. president. The German papers are flooded with U.S. presidential campaign news.”
