Dem
51
GOP
49
Reader A.S. in Fairfax, VA, has endured something like a marathon this week, but still found the energy to send us some comments on the final day of the Convention:
If you have never participated in a balloon drop of 100,000 balloons, add it to your bucket list. Day Four started with remarks from Paul Begala at our delegation breakfast. Hearing him talk, you get the impression that he could write a perfect speech in minutes.
A few of us then went over to Dempalooza to pick up some swag and see what advocacy groups we could support. This part of the convention was open to the public, so maybe some Chicago residents were able to have some fun and meet some well-known activists while allowing the DNC to take over a part of their city.
I brought out the all-white outfit for the evening celebration at the United Center, and even though word didn't reach everyone to wear white, I thought it was a great effort and everyone had fun with it. Night four on the convention floor was madness! Everyone wanted to be as close as possible, so everyone not already a delegate did everything they could for a chance to sit with the delegation. The delegation whips were outstanding, making sure every delegate had a seat—even if a guest, dignitary, or elected official had to move. At one point, the floor and lower bowl areas were declared to be at max capacity and to comply with fire regulations, people who got up and went to the concourse would not be allowed back in until another space opened up. Delegates were exempt from this as the delegates must be allowed to participate, per the convention rules.
The anticipation was high for us to hear from our nominee, but there were also rumors of a few surprise guests that never, ever, ever materialized. I guess we all bought into the hype and had expectations, but there was no disappointment after our celebrations of freedom throughout the night. The DNC dance party was a great touch, though I do worry that if footage of me trying to dance reached the cameras, we might lose every state. Kamala Harris looked and sounded to me like the prosecutor presenting this case for the people. She presented the facts of the case and previewed the evidence that I'm sure we will see over these next two months.
The hotel bar was full until it closed around 3:00 a.m. CT, with everyone trying to get one last party in before we return to our home states and continue the work of navigating a path to 270. We'll get our canvasses and calls going when we get home and we hope that the 20+ hours of DNC programming inspires others to join us. Early voting in Virginia starts in just about a month.
Participating in this convention has left memories and relationships that may last forever and it has certainly inspired me to try to dig a little deeper up through November. My path to being a delegate was simply asking the 200+ people at my congressional district convention to allow me to represent them in Chicago and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity.
Thanks again for your time and your insight, A.S.! (Z)