Observations From The Democratic National Convention
By: Francine Busby, Hillary Delegate, California 50th

JUGGLING THE MIND-BOGGLING ACTIVITIES
Most people visualize a convention as a hall full of flag-waving, sign-hoisting activists cheering an endless stream of speakers.  What they don't see is the teeming activity and energy outside “the convention.” I was amazed at the mind-boggling number of events that were held morning, noon and night throughout the week.  A wide variety or organizations held events ranging from seminars and panel discussions to concerts, awards ceremonies and receptions in venues from tents to churches.

For me, each day began with showing my photo ID and picking up my new credential.  The credential was my pass onto the buses, into the Pepsi Center and other venues.  At the daily California Delegate's breakfasts that followed, I met Californians from all over the state and listened to a string of speakers beginning with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  During the week we heard big city mayors Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Mayor Hickenlooper of Denver.  Governors Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, David Patterson of New York, Ted Strickland of Ohio, and Bill Ritter of Colorado spoke of their challenges and hopes.  Senator Boxer and other leaders of the California Party also spoke, stressing the message of “Unity and Victory” in 2008.

As the week unfolded, the hardest decision was choosing where to go in my limited free time. I enjoyed a panel discussion featuring Tom Haydn and Congressman Jim McDermott in a church where Progressive Democrats of America and the Nation Magazine held their speaker series. At a union-sponsored luncheon I met Carol Evans, CEO & Founder of Working Mother Media after she took the seat beside me.  The highlight of the Civil Rights Awards ceremony hosted by Representative Maxine Waters, actor Danny Glover and entertainer Tavis Smiley was the blood-boiling rhetoric of Reverend Al Sharpton. At the California Delegate Reception at the Colorado History Museum, I compared notes with Ventura County Democrats on the progress our local parties are making. I was inspired by the personal conversation between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and political pundit Donna Brazile at a book signing.  I was even more thrilled to leave the hotel with Donna Brazile and chat with her as we walked a few blocks together.

My most moving experience was standing side-by-side with Hillary delegates as she released us to cast our votes. It was an emotional moment where we paid tribute to her, knowing that, in the interest of party unity, many of us would cast our votes for Senator Barack Obama.

For some of these events Delegates received tickets for two.  Many others were open to the public. Information about convention-related events was often available on the Internet.

ENERGY AND DRAMA ON THE STREETS

Denver offered a warm welcome and a convenient venue.  The charming downtown 16^th Street Mall became “Main Street” for delegates, VIP's, volunteers, journalists and protesters. Vendors selling every imaginable image of Barak Obama on shirts, button and hats were going gangbusters. Journalists from all over the world randomly interviewed people on the street.  Swarms of heavily armed, black-suited swat teams, bomb squads and mounted police were omnipresent amidst the crowds.  They stood in packs on street corners and clung like flies on carrion as they drove along the streets hanging on to their SUV's.  Activists lined the streets distributing literature, shouting their messages through bullhorns and occupying sidewalks with unavoidable life size posters. The anti-abortion crowd was out in force.  Instant audiences formed around Hollywood celebrities that mixed and mingled with the rest of us. I saw Chevy Chase drawing attention from the crowd. The street drama took on a life of its own.

BUSINESS ON THE BUSES

The only way in or out of the Pepsi Center or Invesco Mile High Stadium was by bus.  The organizers chartered 250 buses and brought in an army of volunteers to coordinate transportation to and from the venues.  Although my hotel was only about two miles from the Pepsi Center, the traffic and routing behind an amusement park stretched the ride to a minimum of 45 minutes each way.  But even that provided unexpected opportunities.  An elderly woman who was the Secretary of the Virginia State Democratic Party told me about the changing south.  A young woman, who was attending as a special guest of her father who is a Congressman from south Texas, spoke with dismay about the border fence that is dividing their communities.  A delegate from New York works with the New York City Attorney's office and is handling lawsuits from 9/11.  She told me of her personal experiences with 9/11 and explained the combination of toxic fumes that lingered for weeks. The youngest City Council Member ever elected in Orange County told me of the challenges she faces juggling children, a teaching career, and her responsibilities on the Huntington Beach City Council. All were committed to working for a more inclusive and democratic America.

My most memorable moment came when Dan Rather greeted me and shook my hand as he entered our bus and saw me in the first seat!

EVERYONE'S A VIP
Reporters from everywhere were everywhere.  Instantly we became “VIP's.”  As I walked down the street, a young woman asked if I'd make a comment for Italian television.  Although it was totally random, they were delighted to learn that I speak Italian and made my comments about would-be first lady Michelle Obama in both English and Italian.

After Senator Obama's big speech at Invesco field reporters swarmed the crowd. I was interviewed by a Japanese TV station who wanted to capture the moment.  After the Hillary Delegates meeting in the Convention Center, a FOX radio reporter caught me as I stepped off the escalator, asking if I was disappointed.  The spontaneity of the interviews added to the energy and urgency that I felt about the message that we were sending to our fellow Americans and the world.

Local San Diego reporters sought me out for interviews to broadcast at home. After running five blocks through the security maze surrounding Pepsi Center, I managed to arrive for my 7:30 a.m. appointment with San Diego Channel 6.  They may have thought that I removed my glasses during the interview for vanity reasons, but it was really because they were steaming up from my long run in the sun and last minute arrival!  I interviewed with Gloria Penner of KPBS radio on “Talk Show Row” which was nothing more than the teeming corridor of the Pepsi Center.  Broadcasters shared space with jostling crowds and vendors that rivaled the County Fair for fried food fantasies.

San Diego and Denver student journalists interviewed me for their blogs and student newspapers. Energetic, young journalists from the newly formed Campaign.Com in San Diego did an in-depth and professional interview covering a wide range of topics related to the candidates and the electoral process. In the shadow of the Great Bear that stood peering into the glass walls of the Convention Center, they asked me about becoming a delegate, my personal experiences as a candidate, and how I planned to translate my experiences at the convention into action.  These were my favorite interviews because the young reporters were so engaged and committed to a future as active participants in our democracy.

IT WAS MORE THAN A PARTY
Like many others, I shared some of the cynicism that conventions were all for show.  And of course, that is true to certain extent.  But taken as a whole, it was an energizing and empowering experience. Sharing our stories and our commitment to the shared values and goals of the Democratic Party served its purpose.  We left there fired up and ready to go!