The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

August 29, 2008

Young Greenbrier County Democrat sees his future in politics

By Mannix Porterfield

Beau Bryan stood in awe inside the convention hall in Denver and let his mind fast forward a few presidential campaigns from now.

Making an acceptance speech as the Democratic standard bearer?

“I would love to do that,” the 18-year-old Union resident reflected as the Democratic National Convention wound to a close.

“That would be wonderful. I think I would hopefully love to strive for that some day. We’ll see.”

For now, Bryan is a student at Greenbrier East High School and active in the Young Democrats of West Virginia, attending the convention with a friend, Ben Love, grandson of state Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette.

Bryan got his first taste of politics by running for a slot among the West Virginia delegation, losing by a mere handful of votes, but still outpolling a big name in state politics — Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo.

“This has been the best experience of my life,” he said of the Denver gathering.

“Sixty years from now, I’ll get to say that I was part of the process. I’m very excited. I’ve been on the floor every day, even though I don’t have voting credentials. It really doesn’t hit you until you walk into the convention hall, meeting the most powerful people in the world. Until you see it, it’s hard to believe.”

Bryan has rubbed shoulders with some of the luminaries in Democratic politics — George McGovern and Bill Clinton.

“It’s really amazing,” he said. “I’m so proud to say that I’m a Young Democrat representing West Virginia. I would love to get into politics some day. That’s really my dream. I don’t want to make a career out it. I want my own career first. I’d really like to be up there some day giving a speech, like Gov. (Joe) Manchin did or Harry Reid did.”

Besides his activism in the state on behalf of Manchin and Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, the young observer has another item to provide some encouragement.

Vice presidential hopeful Joe Biden has a son named Beau.

“And he spells his name just like I do mine,” Bryan said. “I thought that was awesome.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com

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