I'm a delegate from California, sitting in the Convention Center, reporting from the Democratic Convention.
I thought you'd like to know how things were going in Denver at the Democratic Convention.
I arrived on Saturday. The characters from central casting preceded me. There is every kind of street vendor imaginable here, Tee-shirts, buttons, banners, flags. Obama's name or face, or both are printed on every imaginable item and all of them for sale. It looks like a flea market convention rather than the Democratic Convention.
We have every variety and ken of organization here -- from peaceniks and radicals to hard core labor and environmental Democrats.
The city has rolled out the welcome mat. Even the SWAT teams who constantly patrol the streets in full riot gear, are friendly and smiling. I don't understand though why everyone of them has ten to fifteen cinch bands on their belts. Do each of them really expect to make that many arrests? Does it seem inconsistent to have a paramilitary presence at a convention of Democrats?
The name of the game in Denver is "party." If I did not know better, I would say the sole purpose of the convention is to give the city something to do until the parties start. Every elected official, every organization, every cause group is passing out flyers and invitations to attract people to their event. It almost seems like there are more events than delegates.
As I write, it is Monday eventing. I'm sitting with the California Delegation in the Convention Hall. Our area is right behind CNN's CNN broadcast platform. Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper are talking, backs to the podium, oblivious to any thing going on in the arena. They can't be listening because they haven't stopped talking.
John Legend is singing "Be the Change You Want to See." Everyone is carrying a camera trying to get pictures of all the celebrities, politicians and news people walking around. The press carries their cameras and every time they turn on the lights seemingly calm, rational people become anything but that. I guess you could say this is a convention, lots of noise, lots of hub-bub, little happening, and everyone happy to be here, but waiting for this evening's round of parties.