We later scooted over to an upper scale Hotel for lunch with the Virginia Delegation.  Once again, I enjoyed good food and conversation.  The conversation centered on Sarah Palin and the media.  I could only speak about the little I had learned in the small period of time, as Senator McCain had selected her during my travel preparations.  In addition to her being a Mayor and Governor of Alaska, I heard her make some pretty positive comments in a MTV interview.  I shared my experience with PBS’s distasteful questions about Palin’s daughter.  I explained to PBS that I didn’t know about the story in which they referred and that I wouldn’t comment anyway.  I think I handled the media well!       

Later we heard that the Paul delegates wanted to take group pictures at the RNC so we headed over there.  This was frightening…

There must have been a little over a 100 of us who took pictures together when a security person confiscated a banner with delegate signatures used in the photo.  I think this experience along with all of the protesting and police state security outside of the building was disturbing.  The banner was a small piece of cloth that only contained signatures of all of those who were in the picture.  Fortunately, we did get one picture taken with this banner.  I decided not to return to the RNC that night.  I instead observed some of Senator McCain’s acceptance speech from outside of a peaceful Ralph Nader rally venue on a large television screen.  The night fresh air did me some good. 

I got to talk to Minnesotans on the street and get a feel for what they were thinking.  All I can say is that people were all over the place; some preferred McCain, some Obama and others preferred third parties as a protest to the options.  But most seemed to agree that pressing issues were barely addressed and specifics were out of the question.   

Soon it would be time to head back to Virginia.  Although I didn’t get to vote as a delegate, I learned a lot about the delegation process.  The vote for Senator McCain was a vote by acclimation.  The RNC is more like a huge well choreographed pep rally for the likely presidential nominee.  It’s also a time to reinforce the themes of the future President’s administration, and is more symbolic than anything else.  Substance isn’t found here; it’s all fluff and glitter.  Here everyone who is on board feels good regardless of the critical issues nagging the country.

In retrospect, I observed two themes in the twin cities:  The themes of the RNC appeared to be 1) national pride, 2) continued fight against Muslim Extremism throughout the world, 3) drilling in Alaska as one form of energy independence and 4) cutting government waste.  This is what I got out of the speeches.  The Campaign for Liberty themes for its state leaders were 1) promotion and defense of individual liberty, 2) constitutional government, 3) sound money, 4) free markets and 5) noninterventionist foreign policy by means of educational and political activity.   

If Senator McCain or Obama is elected President of these United States, they will need the assistance of citizens working at the congressional level to keep them in line with the Constitution.  The Virginian members of the Campaign for Liberty can use this opportunity to get more conservative and liberty minded candidates elected to congress.  This would make it difficult for unconstitutional legislation to be passed.  The members can also stop any unconstitutional legislation such as Dangerous IDs (i.e Real ID) and write legislation that assures that the sovereignty of the United States is never compromised when elected officials are tempted to sell major infrastructure to countries who don’t share our philosophy.  But people with these concerns must get elected, even if it’s one at a time.

One thing that I have learned in politics is that it is easy to be swayed from your principles once the peer pressure of the political machine, lobbyists, big corporations and other organizations pressure you.  Just even at the delegation level, I had to catch myself when I almost began agreeing with things in which I didn’t agree.  It’s a rare person that won’t forsake their principles.  I did this in previous elections where I voted for whom I thought was the lesser of two evils.  Well, I realize now that this is one reason why we are in the current state.  I got so caught up in the commentary of the media, symbols and political slogans.  This coupled with my apathy and ignorance of the issues is why I supported elected officials who have been complicit in selling out our job industry and some main infrastructure, increasing our debt and keeping us bogged down in wars and conflicts all over the world that we can’t afford.  I must say though that I never fell in the category of party loyalty as this year is my first year to be a member of a political party.  I at least could keep an open mind but even now that I am a registered Republican, it is even more important that I vote in the following order:  1) Principles, 2) Country and then 3) Party.  The bells and whistles are personality, religious affiliation, political slogans, gender, race, media popularity, etc.  Media personalities like Dobbs, Matthews, Hannity, Limbaugh and O’Reilly offer bias reporting of the candidates.  They are just as influenced by the right/left paradigm which dominates the majority of thinking in my opinion.

Later at the RNC, some of us delegates pondered over how we would vote but we would later learn that the vote would be by acclimation.  Yes, you probably noticed how the vote was taken.  After debating amongst ourselves how we would vote, we didn’t get to vote.  I had made up my mind that I would represent the people in my district and vote the way they voted overwhelmingly for McCain.  But this never happened.  I think I still have much to learn about this process. 

Republican leaders wearing red and black caps monitored and controlled activities on the floor.  We were given strips of paper telling us when to chant, cheer and clap for a certain speaker.  I found this unusual after I had cheered and clapped at the Rally for the Republic without instruction.  I learned that the RNC is a very expensive choreographed pep rally.  I don’t think anyone had to be coached for the “Drill baby drill” cheer and when Governor Sarah Palin spoke.  Everything that I learned about her in a short period of time was impressive.  She appeared to be very down-to-earth and not a status quo type of person from what I learned in a couple of days.  I really had very little time to learn about her because Senator McCain selected her for VP as I was preparing for travels to Minnesota.  I recalled her saying in an interview that she really liked presidential candidate whom was independent of the party machine.  A kind veteran gave me a Sarah Palin button at this time.  I will add it to my political button collection.

The Sarah Palin speech was by far the highlight of the night. 

After breakfast, some of us inquired as to whether there would be a delegate vote at the convention, and were told that there wouldn’t be.  We really didn’t have any rule books or guidelines about the entire process so we continued to ask questions when appropriate.  With this information, we headed off to the event we had been waiting for… The Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis.

This venue would be huge, from 12,000 to 15,000 people.  Yet, no security checks were required, no protestors and the atmosphere was peaceful.  My friends and I were interviewed by various reporters.  One reporter with Vanity Fair explained that he was leaning toward voting for Obama but he agreed with the ideas of sticking to the Constitution and noninterventionist foreign policy.

There were many speakers.  My favorite speakers were Jesse Ventura, Lew Rockwell and a young Marine Veteran named Adam Kokesh.  This crowd was energetic beyond control.  In between speakers, we would watch some of the old YouTube campaign commercials that many of us enjoyed so much.  This was a warm way to end Paul’s campaign on a good note and to introduce the Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty organization.  This is the first time in my life that I have ever seen a presidential candidate convert a losing presidential campaign into a grassroots organization.  There is nothing that immediately stands out about this man’s appearance.  He isn’t the best at speech delivery, very humble, doesn’t wear his religion on his sleeves, appears to be the odd man out in Congress, is soft spoken and has the appearance of a grandfather.  Why would people even bother to listen to him?  He doesn’t have the charm of Obama, toughness of Ventura, popularity of many other politicians and he isn’t media savvy.  He won’t make personal attacks on other politicians but yet he is respected by so many people for simply doing the same old thing he has done for 30 years—- Vote only for constitutional policies and apply moral standards to his work. He isn’t perfect but he is extremely sharp and principled and it’s admirable.

MSNBC, CSPAN and many other media outlets covered this event. 

This was a night to remember!  I believe that the next generation of this group, along with other open minded and patriotic citizens, will be waiting to pick up the pieces if the two major parties continue to make bad choices that further drive our country into third world status in a new world order.

A friend picked me up from the airport, where we immediately headed out to the Campaign for Liberty Leadership Summit in Minneapolis.  Thousands participated in refreshing and democratic debate and discussion.  Most leaders had their notebook computers available for note taking.  This political meeting was a typical meeting of liberty and freedom minded folk.  There was no conformance here and everyone expressed themselves freely.  The theme was about changing the direction of our government at the state level and just about every state was represented. Some leaders gave testimonies of how they were challenged at every step to become delegates at the RNC.  My friend and I headed to our hotel so that I could pick up my credentials… 

Can somebody please give me my credentials?  This is what I asked anyone and everyone.  This is what happens when you miss your flight, register late and a major hurricane has subdued the RNC.  This inconvenience lasted shortly and then I was off to the RNC delegation bus with credentials in hands.  When I arrived at the RNC in St. Paul, I felt like I was back at the airport security gate.  I was checked, patted and observed Secret Service standing on the roof of the Excel building with black clothing, boots and weapons.  Then I noticed that we were almost caged in by these huge black gates outside of the convention center.  I suppose this was to protect those entering the building from protestors or maybe   “terroris”.  I suppose we were at a red level at this event.  Then I spotted a huge Fox News television screen outside, you know, the fair and balanced news program.  I chuckled to myself when my friend referred to them as the Ministry of Truth.  You have to read Orwell’s 1984 to catch the humor in that one.  Once in the building, I observed a few speakers I didn’t know and left as the schedule was shortened due to Hurricane Gustav in the gulf.  President Bush was admirable to standby in case the people of the gulf needed guidance instead of making an appearance at the RNC.  Even when a president can’t do anything financially, it shows compassion.         

Again, I attended another liberty event in Minneapolis.  This time it was the Ron Paul Celebration, which provided for a warm, joyous and patriotic atmosphere.  No security checks were required.  No men in black uniforms and boots with big guns and no body searches.  Musicians performed and several leaders spoke about the Constitution, the condition of our economy and the true definition of Patriotism.  I felt like I was amongst old friends that I had known all my life.  Everyone got along very well.  We all shared our stories about state fights and other political stories. This was a memorable evening and it put my mind at ease after the experience of a Police State atmosphere at the RNC.  But again, I’m sure it was for our protection.

Although a chaotic start to the day, I was accompanied by two members of my local Campaign for Liberty for Virginia Meetup.  We joined forces to hold the airline company accountable for their mistake, which they kindly corrected.  After good food and drink to ease our frustration, we stayed at a nice hotel in Atlanta and had a ball talking about the Campaign for Liberty event we planned to attend.  We also could not stop raving about Senator McCain’s pick for Vice President.  We all were impressed and agreed that he definitely, from all we could tell, hit a home run!

I’m still looking forward to fulfilling my duties as a delegate as the plot thickens…

We had our usual Thursday morning breakfast although it seemed everyone had somewhere to go at some point during the meeting so there was a constant flow of delegates in and out. Many of us were eager to get to the Women’s Caucus because we had heard that both Michelle Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton were speaking.

As you can imagine, that huge ballroom was packed as the Women’s Caucus convened. We listened to a variety of speakers and I was, once again, impressed by the eloquence of many Congressional representatives. Sometimes, I think we don’t appreciate the talent and commitment of our elected officials, on both sides of the aisle. By the time Michelle arrived, we had been listening and cheering for over an hour, but that did not diminish our enthusiasm at her arrival. She was very eloquent and very personal. She talked about her daughters and she talked abut the difficulties of being a wife, mother and working woman. She reminded us that this will be a very close, hard fought election and how she and Barack really need our help. (Of course, here in Virginia we are incredibly aware of how close and difficult this race will be. Democrats have not won a presidential race in Virginia for over forty years and the polls show it to be extremely close.)

After her speech, we waited to hear Senator Clinton, but eventually we had to leave because we had been told it was imperative that we arrive at Mile High Stadium no later than midafternoon. They had impressed on us that we could not bring anything in so we knew we at least had to get something to drink before we left. Although I never had any problems with the altitude, several Virginians have been sick at various times and one that I know of was in the emergency room. We had been trying to take their admonitions about drinking fluids very seriously. After all, we were now heading for a very long stretch in the warm sun in the higher altitude and none of us wanted to miss Senator Obama’s speech because we got sick.

We were the fortunate ones because, as delegates, we didn’t have to arrive until mid afternoon. Community pass participants were told to get there at 1 pm to get through security and rumors on the street were that some folks had camped out overnight at Mile High. Delegates and alternates also had the usual (if slow) shuttle buses to get us there while the other 76,000 were contending with public transit or on foot. I know the Broncos play there so obviously Denver is used to handling that number of people, but, somehow, it seemed overwhelming.

Actually, in a weird state of affairs, our bus got there faster than it had any other day of the convention. (Mile High Stadium is just across the parking lot from the Pepsi Center so were, more or less, going to the same place.) We unloaded and entered a very long line to go through security. I have to say, and I really don’t want to be critical of how wonderful our Denver hosts were, but the event Thursday evening really did seem to overwhelm them. While there were numerous security lines, there were no instructions about which one to enter and no communication. We were forced to play “supermarket roulette” where you change lines, hoping for a shorter one. Not until the next day did I find out that the lines on the other side of the building were much quicker than where I was. However, we met some fascinating people and the 90 minutes to pass through security went more quickly than I anticipated.

Seating was like it had been in the Pepsi Center so were just behind Illinois with a good view of the stage. However, it was more crowded in the Stadium and folks were almost sitting on top of each other. Of course, we had all gotten to know each other pretty well by this time and everybody was in good spirits so it just seemed to add to the fun. Unfortunately ,the stage was just a wee bit lower than it had been so our line of sight was more obstructed by folks sitting in front of us and we were definitely straining to see much of the time. We had been spoiled by our incredible seats Monday through Wednesday.

At just a few minutes after 6 pm, Rocky Mountain Time, Governor Kaine took the stage and the Virginia delegation went wild. We must have been quite a sight because we were wearing our Kaine tee shirts for the occasion. We had shirts with a large orange smiley face, except that one eyebrow was askew. While it may have been an inside Virginia joke about Governor Kaine’s wandering eyebrow, it certainly got us a lot of attention in Denver when people stopped us on the street to ask us about our shirts or orange buttons.

Governor Kaine did not disappoint, giving a rousing speech that was a call to arms. He spoke of his faith and of our need to have faith to move mountains and to get Senator Obama elected. I know the Latino delegates were so excited and surprised when he addressed them in fluent Spanish. We were so very proud of him and very proud to be Virginians. It was a very satisfying moment and perfect run up to Senator Obama’s speech.

I am not going to detail the speakers because I am confident most everyone watched on television. The ratings were certainly high, bigger than the Beijing Opening Ceremonies. I just want to say that I really was proud to be a Democrat, to hear such eloquent statements of our values and principles. Anyone listening may not agree with us (and that is certainly his or her prerogative), but I think most people would have to admit that our ideals were well articulated and expressed.

I am eager to go back and watch the evening on tv because I am sure it gives a different impression. The place was so full that it was almost impossible to take it all in. But, the electricity in the air was palpable and the eagerness of everyone to appreciate and participate in this moment was almost overwhelming. With over 80,000 spectators, when Senator Obama spoke, you could have heard a pin drop. People were leaning forward in their seats, drinking in his words. Then, without warning, the place would explode into cheers as people burst out of their seats, clapping and cheering. Then ,it would be silent again, no one wanting to miss a single syllable.

When he finished and the fireworks started, I could see tears reflected on many faces. Laughing, crying, yelling, hugging, expressions of joy and excitement were many and varied. No one left their seats during the entire celebration and people reached out to gather the confetti pieces, if only to hold and collect a small piece of this occasion.

I can attest to how happy and thrilled folks were because, unfortunately, the bus situation back to town was a nightmare. Yet, it did not seem to dampen anyone’ spirits. As I said earlier, Denver struggled with the buses and Thursday night was the worst. We were left in a huge parking lot with people and buses milling around, nothing to designate lines or bus numbers. After the first group of buses finally left (almost an hour after the speech ended), the rest of us were left in the parking lot with no idea when the next set of buses would arrive. I saw folks straggling into our hotel after midnight, having just made it back. But, even then ,they would smile when recalling the evening and the speeches. Nothing could dampen our enthusiasm.

I want to take this moment to thank everyone who helped me have this wonderful opportunity and I want to express my appreciation for all the wonderful people in Denver who were helpful, cheerful and friendly at all times, even when we asked the same directional questions three days in a row.

I also want to thank all the volunteers, Democratic Party activists, elected officials and Democratic operatives who helped us get to this moment when we truly have a unique opportunity to change history and to make this country a better place for our children and grandchildren. I will be working hard to elect Obama/ Biden and Senator Mark Warner this fall and I hope to see you all at many volunteer opportunities.

Yesterday was very different and very busy. After breakfast, which was accompanied by a rousing speech given by Terry McAuliffe, former National Democratic Party chair, we barely had time to purchase some Obama/Biden paraphernalia before we had to leave for the Pepsi Center. The roll call was expected early in the afternoon and I didn’t want to miss it.

However, thanks to the ever crawling bus system, we didn’t arrive until 4 pm Denver time, over an hour after we left downtown. As we entered the hall, we heard them call “Georgia” so we knew we had missed some of the roll.

It was worth it nonetheless. Although (obviously) we knew the outcome, we waited breathlessly for Senator Obama go over the top. We had expected Illinois to do the honors so when they yielded to New York, the place went wild.

I cannot possibly describe the emotion in the room! I found myself tearing up, the culmination of nineteen months of work. And we were certainly one Convention, no lingering divisions. Clinton folks were also adorned in Obama Biden paraphernalia.

But, as you can imagine, everyone was waiting for President Clinton to speak. You know, as Obama supporters we have been a little frustrated with him, but if anyone can salvage their reputation in one speech, President Clinton did it! 

Then the big moment! Senator Biden did not disappoint. We have waited all week for someone to talk about the sanctity of the Constitution which has been ignored, scorned during this administration. We have been eager to hear that torture has no role in the beacon of democracy. Perhaps it can best be summed up by the quote from last night, “America needs to lead by the power of its example, not the example of its power.“

I have to cut it short. Time to head over and hear Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton…each day gets better and better.

Yesterday morning, Senator Webb spoke at breakfast. He is a hero to many of us, for stepping to the plate, sacrificing his life in the private sector and always standing up for principle. I know he does Virginia proud in the Senate.

After breakfast, it was the usual routine of reception/speech/reception through the mid-afternoon. We were very fortunate to attend a panel discussion about the culture wars, hosted by the Hispanic Institute. Panel members included Senator Klobuchar, Richard Wolffe of Newsweek, Congresswoman Maloney (D-NY), Bill Richardson and Tucker Carlson. Needless to say, with Tucker there, it was an animated discussion. I may not agree very often with Tucker, but he is thought-provoking and enthusiastic. He walked right into the lion’s den at that event and didn’t hold back. It made for a fascinating discussion!

Then we crossed town to an event in honor of former Governor, soon to be Senator Warner. The place was packed—I thought for sure we would see the fire marshal before it was over. We just really wanted the opportunity to wish the Governor him good luck and let him know how excited we were for him.

Finally, before going to the Pepsi Center, we stopped by a law firm meet and greet. Not only was it a different experience in that it wasn’t wall to wall people, but it was at the top of a skyscraper, so we had a wonderful view of Denver and the Rocky Mountains. I could have stayed all day, but, as usual, we are always in a hurry at Convention, so we quickly downed our drinks and snacks and went in search of a bus.

We had noticed the Illinois delegation hotel and bus stop en route to this event so we thought we would try to hitch a ride with them. After all, Illinois – of all people – should be feeling magnanimous, especially toward Virginia where Governor Kaine was such an early and enthusiastic supporter of Senator Obama.

Of course, nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Illinois was going to a pre-Convention reception so we had to walk a few more blocks to find another bus. Then, the bus took forever. I remember reading somewhere about struggles some past Olympics have had with transportation and I have to say that has certainly been the case at this Convention. I hate to see Denver marred by this, but the busses have been problematic. They never seem to show up when and where you expect them, but, even worse, they take forever. I know the Pepsi Center is not half as far as that bus trip. We have not arrived there in less than half an hour. However, one interesting note, they take us on a different route each time. We never go the same route twice. At first I thought it was because they were trying to negotiate traffic but now I suspect it is because of security issues.

On arrival, the excitement in the air was almost tangible in the Virginia delegation. It was Mark Warner’s big night and we were all there, in our seats, prepared to give him all the support we possibly could. We kept checking our watches, waiting for Governor Warner. Finally, when he was introduced, every Virginian was on his or her feet, yelling their hearts out. We chanted, “Warner, Warner,” as the Convention settled so everyone would know how proud and pleased we are to see Mark Warner in front of everyone.

And he did not disappoint, it was a wonderful reminder of why Virginians elected him and will elect him again overwhelmingly this fall. Virginians want common sense, non- partisan, solution-oriented government, where ideas don’t have a political label, and Governor Warner was able to share that critical concept with the entire country. He also laid out just how Senator Obama will also move past partisanship and find real solutions for American families. It was a great moment to be a Virginian, a Democrat and a longtime supporter and friend of Governor Warner.
Governor Schweitzer and the rest of the speakers were excellent, but, honestly, we Virginians had had our highlight for the early evening.

Then, Senator Clinton was introduced. I have to confess that I am, and have been, a diehard Obama supporter and have been a little frustrated with Senator Clinton’s seeming struggles to leave this race and strongly support Senator Obama. But she outdid herself and everyone and anyone’s expectations. She hit the ball out of the park. At the beginning of the speech, many of the Clinton delegates were in tears, by the end of the evening we were all in tears. She spoke to our principles and values in such an eloquent passionate way! I have no doubt that we are truly united heading into the fall. There were many tearful hugs all around.

The evening ended with a wonderful party back at our hotel, thanks to the generosity of Delegate Brian Moran, the Democratic Caucus chair!

I had not one minute to write yesterday, and it is quickly all becoming a blur already. What an incredible day! First day of Convention – time to actually “work” and remember why we are here. We reported to breakfast bright and early before 8 am. Daily delegation breakfasts are an important part of the convention experience. Not only is it a bonding experience for all of us, but we get last minute instructions and suggestions. Yesterday was full of questions and answers about shuttle buses to the Pepsi Center and security perimeters. They recommended we get there as early as possible, but as an experienced convention attendee, I see through that ploy. The first day of Convention the back ups are huge, lots of folks unfamiliar with the restrictions and the security personnel themselves not accustomed to the always enormous outpouring of people coming through lines. Additionally, former Governor Warner came and previewed bits of his speech tonight for us. He is like family, having helped to lead the Party out of the wilderness at the beginning of this decade.

Although we had not yet set our schedule for the day, during breakfast someone offered us two tickets to “Unconventional Women,” a non partisan discussion of women in politics. Nancy Pelosi was just being introduced as we arrived, and her introduction was met with overwhelming cheers and scattered protests from anti-war demonstrators. I was very impressed with how adeptly she handled them, letting them speak, hearing them and giving them their due. But then she reminded the audience that if you want a change in foreign policy, if you want our sons and daughters home from Iraq, then we need a change in leadership in the White House. The room exploded in applause.

After her speech, we walked the ten blocks to the Colorado History Museum for another event. We had been warned to remove our credentials on this walk because we would be passing all the protesters in the park. Of course, never one to exactly follow instructions, I did not. However, I found these protesters to be pretty toothless. Primarily anarchists – based on their signs – with a few Nader folks scattered among them, they seemed more like cheesy vendors at a boring flea market. We crossed with no incident and made it to the museum.

The ADA (Americans for Democratic Action) was much better than I anticipated. Congressman Barney Frank, a longtime Hillary supporter, spoke and assured the crowd that the divisions were an obsession of the media, more their invention than anything else. He was so clear that the principles and values that we want to see enacted in Washington will come only with a Democratic administration and that the policy differences between Hillary and Barack are miniscule. He brought the house down by reminding Democrats that, if they are ever unsure about what to do, to just think, “What would Cheney do—-not.” In other words, if it would make Dick Cheney happy, we Democrats probably don’t want to be doing it. What a great mantra and I am going to use it with any wavering Democrats I know, not to mention a lot of disgruntled Independents.

Mid-afternoon (the hour we should have been going to the Pepsi Center), we went back over to the MSNBC filming area for another hour of Hardball. I was interested in how much that crew had learned about working with and using a live audience. On Monday we were primarily spectators, by yesterday, they had us interacting and involved. Chris Matthews came out to interview some McCain supporters and some women with a Clinton for McCain banner. The McCain folks were very respectful.  They said they were here from Salt Lake City because Colorado is a battleground and they don’t intend to just cede it to the Democrats. I agree with that – maybe the first time I have agreed with McCain (obviously not exactly true).  I think it is better for the country if they and we fight for every state. There should be a thorough discussion of the issues, and every American should have the opportunity to hear from the candidates and their surrogates. However, the Clinton-McCain people were so unreasonable; they just made fools of themselves. As they repeated scurrilous rumors about Barack, the crowd chanted, “Obama, Obama” but they didn’t need to; Chris was doing a good job taking care of them. He asked them to verify their statements and reiterated firmly that they were on national television making unsubstantiated claims. Their responses were rude and absurd. Actually, they don’t reflect well on Hillary or McCain and I couldn’t help but think that. I also wonder if the entire movement hurts Hillary Clinton. If she is such a strong leader, why can’t she get her followers to do what she asks…?

During a Hardball commercial, Chris came out and recited the last paragraph of Ted Kennedy’s concession speech to Jimmy Cater in 1980. “The dream will never die.” What a preamble for the Kennedy tribute coming later in the evening, not to mention that it is a speech that always brings me to tears.  I also realized it dated me quite a bit and I think Chris realized that many in the crowd had no idea what he was quoting.

After the show, Chris walked the line and was incredibly gracious to everyone. It made my day because I got his autograph and he spoke to me. All right, I confess, totally a Hardball, Chris Matthews groupie.

We returned to the hotel to get ready for the trip to the Pepsi Center. True confessions, the one thing that has not been wonderful here in Denver is transportation and the buses. Traffic seems terrible or at least every ride is interminable. We waited and waited for the bus and finally they reallocated another route to us so we boarded and left. Once again, what should have been a ten minutes ride took thirty. I don’t understand. Denver is not that big a city, where is all the traffic coming from?

And we were right – security was a breeze, no lines and we got through the magnetometers quickly. One new trend, because everyone wants to bring water because of altitude and dryness, they make you taste your water as you go through security.

On the floor, we were totally amazed – the seats were better than we could have ever imagined. Truly, we are just behind Illinois, which sits right in front because that is the home state of the nominee. We are in front of the press risers, maybe twenty-five feet back from the podium. We could see their faces and even the expressions of the speakers.

Senator Kennedy’s appearance on the rostrum was more than we could have ever imagined. The crowd came to its feet, thunderous applause and glistening eyes all around. The empathy between the audience and the Senator was palpable. There is no doubt in my mind that we could have cheered for him for twenty minutes but we recognized that he needed us to sit down. His effort to come there and speak and give us “our marching orders” is something I and many other Democrats will never forget. It was like we never wanted the moment to end.

Governor Kaine and his family came and sat on the floor with the delegation. As is the governor’s way, he just talked to the delegation, passed signs, cheered and clapped with the crowd. We know how lucky we are, not only to have his leadership and example, but his friendship.

Michelle Obama, the culmination of the evening, was everything I ever could have expected. The room was awash in Michelle signs. While the media does a great job of showing the crowd, it cannot describe the sense in the room when all around you, almost 360 degrees, Michelle signs are everywhere. You definitely feel part of something much bigger than yourself, part of really making a difference or, in this case, “Change we can believe in.” The appearance of Barack on the screen at the end and Sasha and Malia talking to daddy was the perfect culmination to a perfect evening. What a regular American family, what an epitome of the American dream! This is such an incredible country, where, with hard work and determination, Americans can achieve all their dreams.

Of course, the bus ride back to the hotel was another nightmare. We waited forty-five minutes and then almost had to hijack a bus to get one to go near our hotel. We crawled through traffic even though they had changed several one way streets to two ways to allow us to pass.

Finally, we arrived about two blocks from our hotel and we all just got off. I will say this, the weather has been perfect in Denver, which just encourages walking. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and walked over to the Governor’s party at a nearby restaurant.

What a wonderful event! We were so happy to have yet another opportunity to tell our Governor how much we love him, how grateful we are for his leadership and how we know he would have been a phenomenal vice-president. We could not be prouder of Governor Kaine if he were the presidential nominee. Everyone was there, many people who had worked on his campaign in 2005 and many other admirers. It was a great feeling to know how many folks, Virginians and non-Virginians, know how great our Governor is. 

We then attended the NEA luncheon at the Hyatt Regency. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was the featured speaker which was especially moving for me because my first campaign was as a volunteer for his dad when I was a young teenager. He brought his fourteen year old son and it was just another reminder that “the torch has passed.” I couldn’t help but think about all the young Kennedys that seem to be involved this year, and even more so, the youth vote. Although I know many people totally credit Barack Obama for this phenomenon, I have met many young people who supported Senator Clinton and some even for Senator McCain. I wonder if the war in Iraq is somehow responsible. Nothing like war to make people, even kids, wake up and realize the importance of civic involvement. Whatever the cause, I am glad to see the kids engaged and voting.

After the NEA lunch we walked all the way down the pedestrian mall to watch Hardball being filmed. We passed an anti-Iraq demonstration. I get very frustrated because, of course, the media was all over and I knew it would be a big story on the evening news. In reality, it was a few people, certainly not a significant group and, yet, it somehow relays the message that Democrats are disorderly and outside the system. If those demonstrators believe we should be out of Iraq and it is an “illegal war,” then they need to roll up their sleeves, get to work and create real change we can believe in with their votes.
“Hardball” was amazing. All right, truth be told, Chris Matthews is by far my favorite commentator. He isn’t straight down any Party line and he wears his heart on his sleeve. I always feel that if I met him anywhere else, I would be able to talk to him because he is who he is and you see that on his show. I also love that while I sometimes (ok, mostly) agree with him, he can make me mad and it forces me to keep listening. Well, the taping did not disappoint. If anything, I was even more impressed to see him interview reporters and politicians even with the distraction of cheering fans behind him. He even came down and talked to folks and was genuinely friendly, spontaneous and, as always, perceptive and bright. I might have to make that trek again this week.

We then walked all the way back to the Interfaith Caucus. It was held in a cavernous theatre that was filled virtually to capacity with a very diverse crowd. The experience was incredibly emotional as a wide variety of religious leaders preached and prayed with us. Sister Jean Prejean was especially moving as she spoke about the ills of the death penalty and its unfair application. I loved her quote about the poor and the justice system. “Capital punishment – well, those with less capital get more punishment.” She brought the crowd to its feet several times and we were reminded that politics should really be about doing good for people, not just about winning elections. I also was struck by the similarities in message between several of the preachers and Pastor Rick Warren who also speaks of economic injustice, poverty and other societal ills. We may all have different approaches but it is reassuring that Americans do take seriously the responsibility to make the world a better place for all.

We had to hurry back to the hotel to get on a bus for the Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a wonderful event for five delegations, sponsored by Dominion. As with most things Democratic, there was a wee bit of confusion and our 4 pm bus didn’t leave until after 4:30. As we left Denver, the driver informed us that he was from San Diego and he hoped we knew where we were going. We laughed, thinking he was joking, and replied that we were from Virginia. Well, the last laugh was on us. He was serious and arriving at Red Rocks after a circuitous route, we got lost and tried to drop us off on the wrong side of the mountain. After much confusion, we avoided a long hike (hadn’t we been on our feet and walking all day?) and we got back on the bus and drove around the mountain to the correct drop-off. The views were spectacular. I simply do not have the ability to put into words the huge jutting, yes, red rocks and mountain vistas that were all around us. We ate “Colorado fare” on balconies that allowed us to appreciate the surrounding views. I admit I am still tentative about bison burgers, but chicken and baked beans and other goodies more than made up for my pickiness. We had another event that ended at 8:30 so we made the difficult decision not to stay for the concert. This was a little more awkward after someone introduced me to Dave Matthews and, here I was, leaving before he even played. But we really want to take in as much as we can so we got back on the bus for Denver. However, the bus didn’t leave and just as were ready to carjack it, the last stragglers piled on. Imagine my surprise to know that we were delayed by none other than our erstwhile Party Chair! Unfortunately, this driver, a different one this time, got lost again and a twenty minute trip took one hour and fifteen minutes so we missed our subsequent event. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise because I heard that they are running late at Red Rocks and Dave Matthews isn’t even coming on until 10 pm. That would make it an after midnight evening and probably not a good idea when tomorrow is the beginning of real Convention business, or maybe I am just getting too old for this stuff! 

Yesterday afternoon, after checking in at the hotel and hugging lots of Virginians we encountered, we walked to the pedestrian mall to get some lunch. After all, it was mid afternoon our time, even if only midday in Rocky Mountain time. We really wanted to see the vice-presidential roll out so we were looking for a restaurant with a TV. Of course, being the political junkies that we are, it didn’t occur to us that TVs would be tuned to sports and normal world activities. We finally went the restaurant, about two blocks from our hotel, where we will actually be attending a party in honor of Governor Kaine on Monday evening. We asked ever so sweetly, if we could change the channel to CNN and they acquiesced. Then we had to ask for the volume to be increased. They pondered and again agreed. With the TV turned up, by the conclusion of Senator Biden’s speech, the entire restaurant was cheering. As usual, we Virginians had taken over, in our polite and sweet way. It was a great way to start our trip to Denver, bonded with other delegates and with the Coloradans in the bistro.

The much heralded media party was last night at the local amusement park. The media event is always wonderful, I guess because the DNC figures it is worth keeping the media content and exhilarated. The tickets are much coveted and we did not think we would be able to go. We had asked numerous friends if they had extra tickets and talked to lots of media contacts. No luck, no tickets. Then, at the last minute someone totally unexpected came through and we were offered tickets. The classic Democratic Convention experience – things never go as planned, for better and for worse.

As I anticipated, the party was amazing. The amusement park was totally open, rides and games functioning at no cost for party goers. They also had tents with wonderful spreads of food (although if I am offered buffalo meatballs one more time…), open bars and all the Coors you could drink. However, perhaps most impressive, they had shows in park arena and I saw Native American dancing and music. Their regalia was very impressive, but the chanting and dancing even more so.

Now, having finished breakfast, read the morning papers and watched “Meet the Press,” we are heading for a memorial event for the late Tim Russert. Then, it’s over to an NEA lunch, an interfaith caucus and I am really eager to attend a live shooting of “Hardball with Chris Matthews.” All of that before an evening barbecue and concert at Red Rocks amphitheater. 

Atlanta was crowded, but when we reached our gate, there were numerous other people with various forms of political paraphernalia. We all exchanged shy smiles and knew we were heading for the same destination. Within minutes, we were talking about the vice-presidential selection. They were very interested in our reaction as Virginians, knowing that Governor Kaine has been so seriously considered. We were happy to brag on him and to make certain they knew that we felt that the country’s loss is Virginia’s gain. But, everyone seems universally excited about Senator Biden and eager to tune in to a tv this afternoon and listen to the Springfield rally. Ironic that we will arrive in Denver and crowd around tv’s rather than sightsee. Surely, Convention delegates, of either Party I am sure, are the most addicted political junkies.

Wearing hats and buttons, we stand out, recognizable to everyone. As we walked down the jetway, an airline official asked us if we thought Biden was a good choice. “Of course,” we replied, “Maybe he can figure out how many houses Senator McCain actually has.” I can tell we are getting into the spirit or as Senator Obama frequently chants with rally participants, “All fired up and ready to go.”

The plane is full to capacity and I would certainly surmise that most folks aboard are connected somehow to the Convention. This would not be the week to pick Denver as a summer vacation site! Two young men sitting in front of us, covered from head to toe in New York Mets regalia, explained that they are Young Democrats from New York. Although not delegates or with any official position with the delegation, they are eager to just be in Denver and take in the sight and sounds of so many eager Democrats in one location. We compared notes about our states and, once again, I was surprised to see Virginia so high on everyone’s list. Imagine – they knew the names of Mark Warner, Jim Webb and Tim Kaine. We Virginians have a host of celebrities for this Convention! I haven’t quite gotten up the nerve to ask them if they were Clinton supporters in case that is still a sensitive subject. I can’t help but note the irony that I, a middle aged woman, am an Obama delegate and, they, young men in their twenties, probably supported their home Senator, Hillary Clinton, for the nomination. But, I am confident that they are excited and eager, further putting to bed the media myth that the Party is divided and the Clinton folks are not supporting Senator Obama.

The DNC is providing travel vouchers to get us all to our hotels and I know the Denver airport wil be awash in arriving delegates, media and other Democrats. It will be great to just breathe in the atmosphere of being with thousands of Democrats. The captain has put on the seat belt sign in preparation for landing so here we go.