Democratic National Convention Blog

For four days, we’ve watched the Democratic Party celebrate their presidential candidate, heard speeches from the party’s biggest of big-shots and heard the call for unity between supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

There really wasn’t much from the grand stage that couldn’t be predicted at the start of this week.

Now comes the unexpected. There are questions abound in the next weeks and months leading up to the Nov. 4 election. Here are a few questions, based on time, up for debate that will be answered now that the final gavel at the Democratic National Convention has been pounded:

Questions for the next week:

How much will the Democratic Party stay in the spotlight during the next couple of weeks?

John McCain took some airtime from the Democrats during Obama’s night Thursday with the news that he had chosen his vice presidential running mate. Once the announcement is made and the spotlight turns to the Republicans in Minneapolis, the Democratic Party could fade from attention if it doesn’t make news of its own. And for Democrats’ sake, it better be good news.

What role will the Democrats play at the Republican National Convention?

Republicans have somewhat stayed away from Denver – but haven’t been light on negative ads, from what I’ve seen on CNN – and there has been a strong rally for change in the Rocky Mountains by Democrats.

Each party will, or has already, tried to hammer home a singular point: Democrats saying McCain is an extension of the Bush administration, and Republicans saying Obama is too inexperienced to lead the nation. But it remains to be seen how successful either party will be in proving their points next week.

Questions for the next few months:

What role will Clinton and her supporters play in the field and at the polls?

Clinton hasn’t shied away from making her presence known at the DNC – and some might say she stole a little of Obama’s thunder Tuesday and Wednesday.

It’s hard to believe that Clinton will be absent from the political scene in the next few months, and her supporters probably don’t want her to. Clinton’s vast amount of supporters are being told by their candidate to support Obama, but how much will Clinton continue to push that message among the public post-Denver?

Can Obama hold his own during three presidential debates?

Voters know what they’re getting with McCain for the most part, because he has a track record. Obama is greener and struggles in debates when compared to McCain, who speaks more matter-of-factly.

Many votes can be won or lost in those three debates, so Obama needs to keep up with McCain.

Thursday’s final delegate breakfast drew the most marquee names of the week, sending off the party on a note of unity (the week’s buzz word) and intensity. From local legislators to national figureheads, the stars came out before Michigan’s 157 delegates ship out in the next few days. Highlights from Thursday’s sendoff:

— Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean stopped by to address the audience. He called on the delegates to start a “Pay It Forward”-type campaign of knocking on 40 doors for four weeks leading up to the November election. Dean’s appearance on the day of Obama’s speech demonstrated the state’s importance in the general election. About a third of the way through Dean’s remarks, his microphone gave out on him, prompting Dean to wonder aloud if “Karl Rove’s running the microphone here.”

— One day after Hillary Clinton ended a roll-call vote that officially made Barack Obama the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, an adviser for the New York senator thanked the Michigan delegation who supported Clinton’s run. Ann Lewis, Clinton’s senior campaign adviser, urged Democrats to not be divided by Republicans. “We have now got to work together and work hard to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden,” Lewis said. “You know why it’s so important. I don’t need to go through the list. This is about our children and my grandchildren and families and their futures.”

— Gov. Jennifer Granholm downplayed any boost that the Republican Party might gain in Michigan if former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney becomes John McCain’s vice presidential nominee. McCain is expected to announce his choice tomorrow and Romney is said to be on McCain’s short list of candidates. Granholm questioned whether Romney would be able to relate to the average citizen given his well-off background. Romney’s father, George, was Michigan’s governor for several years during the 1960s.

Although some huge decisions are made at national political conventions — electing a president and vice president, for example — the four-day event is really just one drawn-out party.

The week is filled with luncheons, receptions and afterglows hosted by party bigwigs, companies and labor groups like the UAW. For delegates, this means a week of free food and drinks and the opportunity to network with fellow politicos.

While chatting with a Virginia delegate Tuesday in the hall of Pepsi Center, he told me his main reason for attending wasn’t to take part in official convention business. He had come for the freebies and the “party crashing,” he said.

But Denver residents who are the unofficial hosts of the party’s celebrations have mixed feelings about the whole thing. For the most part, they are happy for the revenue and excitement the convention brings to town, but many of them say they could do without the all-night parties.

Parties have a tendency to last long into the night, as I witnessed firsthand Monday evening when the UAW hosted a soiree at my hotel. I had a difficult time drifting to sleep against the muffled thumping of the music downstairs.

One woman who lives in an area downtown near three senior citizen housing complexes said the noise of a nearby party, which lasted until 4 a.m., sounded similar to fireworks bouncing of the area’s high-rise buildings.

Another told me the number of drunken convention-goers wandering the streets at night is almost as intolerable as the bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by the event. She said her friends who work in the downtown area have taken the week off rather than battling the crowds.

But the nuisances of the event may be outweighed by the financial benefits of having the convention in town. Denver is expected to see increased revenues of at least $160 million, according to the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee.

That’s quite a big payoff for a few nights of restless sleep.

After all the Democratic National Convention Committee’s hype about involving delegates in the community with Wednesday’s Delegate Service Day, the extent of Michigan delegates’ contribution was a few signatures on a piece of dinnerware.

Many state delegations participated in hands-on volunteering around the Denver area Wednesday morning as a way of giving back to the community. Michigan’s delegates never even left the state party’s hotels in the Denver suburb of Broomfield.

Instead, the state’s community service contribution was to autograph a commemorative plate to be auctioned for charity. The signing took place Wednesday morning in the lobby of the Michigan delegation’s Omni Interlocken Resort.

Ohio’s delegates spent the morning playing bingo with and serving lunch to senior citizens at the Sunset Park Senior Center. Indiana’s sorted and packed food for the local Meals on Wheels. And Wisconsin’s participated in a neighborhood block party sponsored by a haven for homeless youth.

Originally, Michigan’s delegates were scheduled to help sort food and clothing for Volunteers of America. The event was changed to the plate-signing earlier this week. DNCC officials did not reveal why the switch was made.

After all the Democratic National Convention Committee’s hype about involving delegates in the community with Wednesday’s Delegate Service Day, the extent of Michigan delegates’ contribution was a few signatures on a piece of dinnerware.

Many state delegations participated in hands-on volunteering around the Denver area Wednesday morning as a way of giving back to the community, but Michigan’s delegates never left the state party’s hotels in the Denver suburb of Broomfield.

Instead, the state’s community service contribution was to autograph a commemorative plate to be auctioned for charity. The signing took place Wednesday morning in the lobby of the Michigan delegation’s Omni Interlochen hotel.

Ohio’s delegates spent the morning playing bingo with and serving lunch to senior citizens at the Sunset Park Senior Center. Indiana’s sorted and packed food for the local Meals on Wheels. And Wisconsin’s participated in a neighborhood block party sponsored by a haven for homeless youth.

Originally, Michigan’s delegates were scheduled to help sort food and clothing for Volunteers of America. But the event was changed to the plate-signing earlier this week. DNCC officials did not reveal why the switch was made.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama officially received the nomination of the
Democratic Party on Wednesday when New York Sen. Hillary Clinton ended
an hour-long roll call vote.

During the vote, in which about half of
the U.S. states and territories announced their delegates’ decisions,
some states listed what was born in their location and what makes each
state great. While most recognized their political leaders, others
highlighted some of their more peculiar aspects. Here’s some of what
we learned when state representatives chose their presidential nominee
Wednesday afternoon (nobody ever said you couldn’t find some humor at
the DNC):

Democrats abroad — Home of 16 million American Democrats
without a home in the U.S.
Idaho — Home of the highest density of Obama voters in a single state
Illinois — Home of passiveness
Kansas — Home of Barack Obama’s grandparents
Kentucky — Future home of the world’s equestrian championship
Louisiana — Home of shrimp, gumbo and jambalaya
Michigan — Home of what’s unfair in the U.S.
Minnesota — Home of the women’s NCAA hockey champions from the
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Montana — Home of Norman McClain, whoever that is
New Hampshire — Home of Unity, which is more than just a town
(especially considering it cast 100 percent of its 30 votes for Obama)
New Jersey — Home of the Boss and Bon Jovi
New Mexico — Home of red and green chilis

The states alphabetically listed after New York (as well as the state
of Illinois, which passed twice on their vote) might not have been
able to state their case, but they surely were the birthplaces and
homes of great things. Yet, we will not be able to see if anyone can
rival Minnesota’s championship women’s hockey team or New Mexico’s
famous chilis. Maybe in four years, we’ll know what makes the states
of Wisconsin and Wyoming great.

At the next to last delegation breakfast before the convention’s close, a slow arriving crowd heard from familiar faces,including Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon and MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson. Some highlights from Wednesday’s gathering:

— Two mornings had passed and there didn’t appear to be many outward
signs of the partying atmosphere among delegates in the morning.
Wednesday morning, however, was different. Michigan Sen. Buzz Thomas,
D-Detroit, commented on a few delegates who had “a little too much
fun” Tuesday night and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow attributed the
late-arriving crowd to more than a few hangovers. I have yet to
venture out to downtown during the late night (sleep is already at a
premium), but politicians don’t seem to shy away from the alcohol in
Denver.

— Ferguson, wearing a green shirt with the “State” logo, told the audience
about how Stabenow got her start in politics as the person in charge of carrying his yard signs during a run for Lansing mayor. He proceeded to thank workers who
united the Clinton and Obama camps once it became clear that Obama
would garner the presidential nominee. “We’re certainly not sore
losers, and they certainly have not been sore winners.”

— The only person to receive a standing ovation Wednesday, AFL-CIO
Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, became the first morning speaker
this week to take on the race issue. He recounted a conversation with
a laborer about her decision not to vote for Obama because she
wouldn’t vote for a black man. Trumka used the experience as a
springboard for talking about educating laborers and others about
Obama’s experience and the lack of relevance that race plays in voting
for a candidate. “A lot of white voters think he’s of the wrong race,”
Trumka said. “Racism is a tool that’s used as a tool to divide working
people.”

For the first time since she married East Lansing City Councilmember Nathan Triplett, Sarah Gonzales-Triplett is in the political forefront while her husband stands on the side.

Gonzales-Triplett is an alternate delegate to this year’s Democratic National Convention. Although she’s not able to get onto the Pepsi Center floor for convention activities, Gonzales-Triplett said she’s excited to be a part of “something that is so historic.”

“I’m really excited just to be there and be a part of it all,” she said.

Gonzales-Triplett’s husband, Nathan, is an Ingham County Commissioner and a representative for the Ingham County Democratic Party, among other political positions. He is with her in Denver, but this time, he is only along for the ride.

“It’s a strange role reversal,” she said.

Gonzales-Triplett said she was surprised to discover she had been selected as an alternate. To be considered, she had to submit an application months ago.

“My application was among hundreds of other people,” she said. “Somehow my name came out of that list. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of it all.”

Gonzales-Triplett has seen Barack Obama speak twice and got to meet him briefly during his May visit to Grand Rapids, but she said she is still just as excited about his speech tomorrow at Invesco Field — even if she can’t get into the arena to see it.

“It’s only getting better,” she said. “With all those people who are there for the same reason, it’s just gonna be insane.”

The only downside: Footing the bill for the plane, hotel and spending money for the week.

“It’s a misconception that people think the party (pays for expenses),” she said. “Those are all paid out of pocket.”

As an alternate, Gonzales-Triplett isn’t able to vote to nominate Obama unless one of the other delegates is unable to be present, but she is able to participate in all other convention related activities, including party caucuses, state delegation meetings and, of course, lots of parties.

“I’m not going to sleep a lot,” she said.

This morning’s Michigan delegation breakfast was a rally cry to have Michigan’s most important issues heard by the national Democratic party. The breakfast featured speeches by Michigan’s most important political players. Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Carl Levin all took the stage to highlight Michigan’s challenges and successes before a cheering crowd of delegates.

-Granholm cheered the state’s efforts to bring new jobs into Michigan and outlined five “W’s” that make Michigan an attractive location for green businesses. They are: Wind, wood, water, workforce and waste.

“Our goal is … to diversify our economy,” she said. “One of the areas we are focussed on is alternative and renewable energy.”

Granholm highlighted Michigan’s potential to produce wind energy, saying Michigan is one of the most ideal locations in the nation for wind turbine manufacturing. In addition, she said, the state has the potential to convert municipal waste and wood pulp from paper production into energy sources. Michigan’s manufacturing workforce and infrastructure makes it an ideal place for alternative energy companies to set up shop, she said.

-Sen. Debbie Stabenow took to the podium to address what she said are John McCain’s shortcomings in addressing the state’s commitment to diversifying the economy.

“John McCain has opposed every one of our efforts to get there,” she said.

Stabenow said employment issues such as the one facing Michigan’s manufacturing sector are being felt nationwide, making Michigan a key player in national economic policy.

“We may be the first and hardest hit because we have been the heart and soul of manufacturing, but it is spreading throughout this country,” she said.

-Sen. Carl Levin spoke to the crowd for the second straight day and bashed the Bush administration for failing to invest in manufacturing.

“There’s one ‘W’ that Texas can have,” Levin said with a laugh, referring to President George W. Bush in a play on Granholm’s list of Michigan’s strengths.

Levin addressed the idea that Barack Obama would be a “partner in the White House” for the state of Michigan, a phrase that has been a recurring theme throughout Obama’s Michigan campaign.

“A partner that will fight for manufacturing in America, for jobs in America, for health care in America, for education in America,” he said.

-Tuesday marks the 88th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Following the breakfast, a panel of Michigan women’s advocates — including state Rep. Gilda Jacobs, D-Huntington Woods, Michigan Women for Obama Chairwoman Edna Bell and Michigan Stonewall Democrats Chairwoman Nan Melke — spoke about women’s issues in this election.
The panel members addressed pay equity, reproductive rights and class equality, among other issues. They also reaffirmed that Democratic women, many of whom supported Hillary Clinton, are committed to electing Barack Obama as president.

“In my experience, many, many of them have already made that switch,” Melke said.

-Also, rumor has it that Lt. Gov. John Cherry plans to run for governor in the 2010 election. It’s easy to believe, considering Cherry’s lengthy introduction proclaiming his admiration for Granholm, which was followed by a gushing Granholm praising Cherry as a leader on Michigan issues.

“I, as governor, just feel so fortunate to have a partner like John Cherry,” she said.

Hillary Clinton ended her speech Tuesday night promoting “the great
future of America.”

Now that Clinton has saluted her supporters and given her grand
send-off from the larger Democratic presidential picture, the greater
question becomes whether Clinton has a great future in the party.

The New York senator will never go away because of the Clinton name,
but it remains to be seen whether she will be able to recover from
this campaign, one in which she was a clear leader beaten out by a
one-term U.S. senator. She set the stage for continuing in national
politics with her speech Tuesday, delivering a thank-you, endorsement
and rallying cry all in one.

But four years, the time of the next presidential election, is far off
and politics is fleeting. Nobody could have predicted Sen. Barack
Obama would break from the pack in the presidential primaries back
when Clinton was a front-runner.

Clinton likely will maintain a similar base of supporters, but needs
to find a way to attract the voters she struggled to keep and lost to
Obama.

There’s no telling exactly how she would do that, or if she would even
want to make another run for president after a grueling year, but
Clinton probably will need to change without reinventing her political
wheel if she wants a shot in 2012.