American Dreamer: Opening night
Clay Doherty, Laura Spanjian, and Mirian Saez are Clinton delegates from San Francisco.
By Steven T. Jones
The massive Pepsi Center was less than half full a couple hours after the gavel fell to open the Democratic National Convention, but the city of Denver is bustling and eventually so was the hall.
I rode my bike along the beautiful and efficient Cherry Creek Bike Trail to get here and it was a smart move because most of the streets around the convention are closed off and patroled by police in riot gear riding trucks with extended running boards, with military helicopters circling overhead. Many here say it took them a long time to get from their hotels into hall. Even riding a bike here involved a long walk because of the huge perimeter they've set up around the hall.
But the broadcast media have it good, with prime floor space that makes it all the more congested for the delegates and others with floor passes. Most journalists are tucked behind the stage or up in the cheap seats, and we can't even get free internet acces in the hall to tell y'all about what's happening.
CNN also has a great looking patio restaurant set up across from the entrance advertising, “CNN Bar: Burgers, Beer, Politics.” But by the “must have credentials” sign on the door, they actually meant CNN personnel only, not their media colleagues in general. Jesus, how many of them could there be?
The convention is mostly a big infomercial for the Democratic Party and way to rally the faithful, but there is some lingering business to take care of.
Despite the fact that Hillary Clinton announced that she was releasing her delegates to vote for Obama, those I spoke to in San Francisco's delegation – Laura Spanjian, Mirian Saez, and Clay Doherty -- were still planning to vote for Clinton on Wednesday, although all said they would enthusiastically support Obama thereafter.
“It's important for me to respect all the people who voted for her and to honor the historic nature of her candidacy,” Spanjian said. “And most of all, to respect her.”
But didn't Clinton urge her supporters to back Obama? Actually, Doherty said, she said that she will release her delegates on Wednesday, which he takes to mean after the initial vote. “I will do what my candidate tells me,” Doherty said. “This is a partisan convention.”
Indeed it is, and those here are mostly focused on beating the Republicans.
“This morning, Hillary showed up at the Latino caucus and gave a great speech,” Saez said. “She said it's not about her or about him, it's about taking back the country.”
“It's about the Republicans and we can beat them this time,” added Spanjian, who said Clinton paved the way from politically active women like herself. “We will have a woman president for the first time in my lifetime because of Hillary.”
Doherty also noted something unusal about his own role here: he's the only gay man in the San Francisco delegation. That was why he rallied her friends to vote for him as a delegate: “It means that I'm proud to represent my community.”
Saez is serving as a delegate for her third presidential convention in a row. I asked her what value she sees to conventions like this, which seem to be mostly about preaching to the choir. Yet she said the string of speakers at the podium are valuable in reaching undecided voters.
“One of those people are going to resonate with someone who's undecided,” Saez said. “And for us here, we gain energy so we can get the job done in November.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tried to rally the faithful for the “historic choice between two paths for our country.” She belittled the view that John McCain is the most experienced presidential candidate. “John McCain has the experience of being wrong,” she said, emphasizing his economic views and his instigation of the “catastrophic” Iraq War.
The emotional highlight of the evening was the speech by Ted Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer and was reportedly not certain to speak.
“It's wonderful to be here and nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight,” Kennedy said to an enthusiatic response by a crowd, almost all of whom held blue and white “Kennedy” in anticipation of the moment.
Kennedy's support for Obama back in January helped legitimize the campaign and give it the Kennedy family stamp of approval, and the whole clan was waiting in the wings to help reinforce the conference of the Kennedy legacy.
“Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race and gender and group against group and straights against gays,” Kennedy said, adding, “This November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans.”
Funniest moment so far: Rep. Joe Baca calling Barack Obama “Barack O Rama” during his floor speech – twice. The weirdest: a video honoring Jimmy Carter, who then gave a wave from the stage but no speech.
The big closer for the evening was the speech by Michelle Obama, who tried to introduce her family to the party and America in highly personal, human terms, humanizing with stories of struggle and triumph (and was also honored with the passing out of blue and white signs featuring her first name).
“Isn't that a great American story?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
But most of the real action seems to be in the streets outside the hall. Tomorrow I'll make my way over to the Big Tent, which is blogger central, to cover an afternoon of great seminar with top political names. Yesterday, the big anti-war protest organized by Recreate 68 (really, is that such a good idea for anyone, inside power or out?) reportedly drew only about a thousand souls, far less than billed, but I'll stop by the Code Pink HQ to see what else they have planned.
Today, there were only a smattering of protesters that I encountered on the way in, the most disturbing being a half-dozen anti-abortion activists bearing signs that read, “God hates Obama,” “God is your enemy,” “The Seige is Here,” and one, wielded by a boy who was maybe 12 years old reading, “God hates fags.” Family values indeed. Jesus, who would want to worship such a hateful supreme being?
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Comments (1)
It's cool reading about this, though I wish I could be there to see it... I'm actually talking to a Stanford friend right now who lives in Denver. Thought it would be funny if the two of you met. Good luck on the trail, and I'll talk to you soon!
Posted by Breanna | August 27, 2008 03:04 AM