Gman's convention report

[Gman]

Mods, I also posted this in the Texas forum so I guess it is a dupe. However, I wanted to share it with the rest of the group too in a forum that gets more traffic. But if you want to delete it, no problem.

I had planned on making daily posts from the convention, but a crashed laptop prevented that from happening. So here's some tidbits from the convention. I don't have anything earth shattering or any secret rumors or inside information. Just a little report here on what it was like being there and maybe some things no one has already touched on this week. And, I'm guessing here since I haven't looked at DU since last Sunday.

Since I had been to a DNC before, I knew what to expect. But, what I did not expect was the level of security. I knew security would be tight but only discovered the definition of "tight" when I got there. The Fleet Center had become a fortified compound. There was a steel fence all around the FC with what appeared to be one way in and one way out. The gates were opened when a bus carrying delegates approached the gate. The gate was opened, the bus went through and the gate was closed behind it. The police/troopers/Military Police then took their positions again with their arms crossed standing in front of the gate. Military troops with rifles and side arms were also stationed on bridges over looking the FC.

Once inside the gate you went through a metal detector that is no different and no less strict than what you get at any airport these days. But once you were inside, you were pretty much home free.



For those that liked watching out for the celebrities and/or important politicians, the smoking area outside the West entrance to the FC was the place to hang out. (Smoking areas are always were you find out what's going on and see lots of things!) Many, if not most of the people that addressed the convention were taken in and out through that entrance. I met and talked with Howard Dean back there. Even Biff Henderson was out there for a couple of nights. I never caught Letterman during the convention so I can just imagine what Biff was up to.



But the West entrance wasn't the only place to find important people. Often all you had to do was just look for a crowd and camera lights and you'd find someone being interviewed. I saw Gray Davis giving an interview. I also saw Michael Moore surrounded by a huge mob (maybe 100 people) of people after he had just come in through that West entrance. Just as I walked up to that crowd, Maxine Waters saw Moore and went up to him. Moore and Waters began a conversation that I couldn't hear from where I was at. But the sound guy holding the boom for the microphone that was plugged into one of the TV cameras told me that Maxine Waters was telling Moore thank you for making Fahrenheit 911. I know there was a lot of talk about whether or not Michael Moore should have been given a floor pass. I think it was the right decision to give him at least a guest pass, which he had, but not a floor pass because he would have created such a commotion on the floor just by his presence that the TV cameras would have been focusing on him rather than the speakers. If you had seen the size of the throng around him in the hall you'd understand what I'm saying.



You could see politicians walking through the state delegations. Joe Lieberman walked through Texas as did Howard Dean. There could have been other presidential candidates that went through Texas but I don't sit still for very long at these things and probably missed them. I'm up and walking around a lot. Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas were leaning on the rail right above the Texas delegation on Monday night. I was at the Wyndham hotel Monday afternoon where the Georgia delegation was staying when I saw Secret Service standing out on the sidewalk. Before we knew it, Jimmy Carter had been whisked into the hotel and we missed him.

And speaking of Jimmy Carter, here's what it looked and sounded like from the Texas delegation (.mov file so you need the Quicktime plugin.) after Carter spoke. (You may want to turn down the speakers on your PC before clicking.)



The hallways also had table after table after table of radio talk show hosts broadcasting live from the FC. I didn't count how many but there were dozens of them including Air America.



CNN was broadcasting direct from the convention floor, as I'm sure everyone saw. After the convention, this dillweed was there:



doing Larry King Live





Make no mistake. Mary Landrieu is a babe! We made eye contact after I took this pic and she smiled real big. I think I'm in love!!

I would be less than candid in this report if I didn't report to you that, yes, I was also one of those idiots waving at my wife while I talked to her on my cell phone and standing behind Tucker Carlson!

There were several informational displays about Kerry and his family throughout the halls. I especially liked this pic.



I did spend time in the convention despite what it may seem from this write up. There were many exciting moments and many touching moments. The 9/11 memorial was very touching and I think it was done in a very appropriate manner rather than dancing on the bodies of the dead as the GOP will do next month.



As you can see, Texas has been banished far from the podium. It was like this in 1992 the last time I went to a DNC and I was told it was like this in '96 and '00. Why? Some say its because they wanted to put the battle ground states on the floor. Some insist its because Texas hasn't voted for a Republican president since 1976. But if that were true, California would have been much closer that it was.

But if you got there early enough, you could make your way up to the podium and take pics like this:




You cannot imagine how absolutely packed the FC was Wednesday and Thursday nights. It was so bad that if you left the convention floor you were not allowed back in, period. A fire marshall I talked to said the FC seats 19,000 for a Celtics game. He said there were like 32,000 in there on Wednesday night and probably 35,000+ on Thursday night so they had to shut it down. Fortunately, if you had a "medical condition" (and as I told one fellow delegate that had to go to the bathroom really bad, "...and you do have a medical condition, don't you?", the fire marshalls could be persuaded to let you back in.



Nevertheless, to a Texas delegate, much of the convention looked like this:



Finally on Thursday Kerry made his acceptance speech:



and then came the balloons and confetti:



The larger looking balloons in the pic above were BIG. Like probably over 6' around. I say that because I'm 6'1" and I couldn't get my arms completely around one.

I really, really wanted to go to the DU happy hour but it was damn near impossible to get out of the convention, get on the bus, get back to the hotel and then over to the happy hour before 1 a.m. I'm very sorry I wasn't able to attend as I had hoped to meet Skinner et al in person.

Overall this was an experience to remember. I really thought my political days were behind me. That is, until Bush got elected. Now I'm mad and I will make a difference in November. I will help avenge Florida and 2000!

If I've forgotten something I wanted to say, hopefully I'll remember in the next hour so I can edit this post.

[petersjo]

1. Thanks from an Iowan...

for this on-the-scene report and the great pics. Gives those of us who wish we'd been there a flavor of it all. What a powerful convention! I watched Kerry's speech curled up on my couch, and towards the end found myself getting up and sitting--literally--on the edge of my seat. It was just spellbinding. News about crowds this weekend is exciting. Thanks again!

[Gman]

5. I wanted to try to give a taste of what it was like to be there

for political junkies like me attending a DNC is the ultimate mainline! But it can be real expensive. The rooms at the Hilton ran something over $200 a night. Fortunately I stayed with someone that could voucher off the room. But I paid my own airfare. And, every morning each state feeds its delegates breakfast so all you have to worry about is dinner if you eat a big breakfast. Now, you could eat the $4.50 hot dogs or the $4.75 Italian sausage hot dogs plus a large $5.00 coke for dinner. Or, you could go to the McDonalds there at the FC and get a double quarter pounder, fries and a coke for $6.50 (#2 on the menu!).

Getting around town is easy on the T (the subway). And its $1.25 to get to where ever you want to go. Boston has a fabulous subway system.

[mandyky]

2. Thanks from this Kentuckian!

What a wonderful report and great photos!!

[livetohike]

3. Thanks for the great report!

Great pictures too. Wish I was there :-) .

[pacalo]

4. How thoughtful of you to share your experience...

Thanks so much for the interesting details & great pictures. It was a successful convention, & I haven't been this hopeful since Clinton ran in '92.