As more than a dozen presidential contenders spend the weekend selling themselves at the state Democratic Party’s annual confab in San Francisco, most of their speeches have been stump classics—with little mention of California or its uniquely influential role in the coming primary election.
But for Golden State voters looking for some California-specific attention, here’s a shortlist of what they did say in and around Moscone Center this weekend, and some of their chief selling points and obstacles to overcome with Democratic delegates. We’ll update it as the convention unfolds.
And if you wonder why Joe Biden, former vice president and current frontrunner, didn’t make the cut, it’s because he didn’t show up. Sure, he outpolls other Democrats statewide—but as a moderate from the establishment wing of the party, he would have had to brace for a tougher crowd among the progressive activists who invigorate this convention. (His backer Sen. Dianne Feinstein historically has been booed and most recently denied an endorsement by delegates.)