Thursday at the Democratic National Convention
A spectacular evening ends a spectacular week in Denver with Senator Barack Obama delivering a landmark speech challenging Senator McCain while giving far greater focus to his vision of change. Musical guests Cheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder added to the celebratory atmosphere, and former Vice President Al Gore was the applause champion of the under card with a speech that many remarked was better than any that he delivered eight years ago.
Cavernous INVESCO field was packed. Delegates following Allegheny County Executive and Delegate Dan Onorato’s direction of “hey, let’s try over here” waited less than 10 minutes from stepping off of the bus to stepping onto the field. We rode busses to a point just outside the Stadium and saw a line of probably a thousand people waiting for screening. The sharp eyed County Executive spotted an alternative place a few hundred yards away with no waiting – that’s the kind of leadership that Pennsylvania needs. Inside, I heard stories about a three mile and three hour wait, even from some persons with delegate credentials who never found the proper lines,
The security screening itself was the same as earlier in the week: a walk through a magnometer similar to the airport and then a wanding and pat down. I wonder from where the Uniform Division of the Secret Service finds so much personnel and equipment.
The mood inside the stadium was celebratory. Lines were long, and the internal security restrictions were at times onerous but no one seemed too upset by it. For instance, at several times during the evening, the field was sealed. Thus delegates could not leave the floor to use the restroom or get drinks. At one point, Governor Rendell challenged former State Senator and Alternate Delegate Bob Rovner to get him a soda. The resourceful Rovner returned about twenty minutes latter with two drinks, having paid a kid on the other side of the barrier $50 to get the drinks and hand them over.
There was a big cheer from the Pennsylvania Delegation for Congressman Joe Sestak’s appearance on the podium during the segment featuring former generals and admirals. The Congressman’s thirty-six hours in Denver (he left the stadium for the airport and the red-eye back to work) were incredibly busy with media interviews and party obligations while simultaneously talking on the cell phone to Washington and back home. The Congressman even found time to meet with the foreign minister (or some official) of a country whose name I can’t recall – which brings me to a necessary and fitting end to my week supplementing the work of the Daily Times. From now on I shall leave the journalism to Alex Rose and the other professionals; it’s much too hard for me to get all details accurate, and to do so with proper spelling and grammar.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Cavernous INVESCO field was packed. Delegates following Allegheny County Executive and Delegate Dan Onorato’s direction of “hey, let’s try over here” waited less than 10 minutes from stepping off of the bus to stepping onto the field. We rode busses to a point just outside the Stadium and saw a line of probably a thousand people waiting for screening. The sharp eyed County Executive spotted an alternative place a few hundred yards away with no waiting – that’s the kind of leadership that Pennsylvania needs. Inside, I heard stories about a three mile and three hour wait, even from some persons with delegate credentials who never found the proper lines,
The security screening itself was the same as earlier in the week: a walk through a magnometer similar to the airport and then a wanding and pat down. I wonder from where the Uniform Division of the Secret Service finds so much personnel and equipment.
The mood inside the stadium was celebratory. Lines were long, and the internal security restrictions were at times onerous but no one seemed too upset by it. For instance, at several times during the evening, the field was sealed. Thus delegates could not leave the floor to use the restroom or get drinks. At one point, Governor Rendell challenged former State Senator and Alternate Delegate Bob Rovner to get him a soda. The resourceful Rovner returned about twenty minutes latter with two drinks, having paid a kid on the other side of the barrier $50 to get the drinks and hand them over.
There was a big cheer from the Pennsylvania Delegation for Congressman Joe Sestak’s appearance on the podium during the segment featuring former generals and admirals. The Congressman’s thirty-six hours in Denver (he left the stadium for the airport and the red-eye back to work) were incredibly busy with media interviews and party obligations while simultaneously talking on the cell phone to Washington and back home. The Congressman even found time to meet with the foreign minister (or some official) of a country whose name I can’t recall – which brings me to a necessary and fitting end to my week supplementing the work of the Daily Times. From now on I shall leave the journalism to Alex Rose and the other professionals; it’s much too hard for me to get all details accurate, and to do so with proper spelling and grammar.
Thanks for the opportunity.
posted by Gerald Lawrence at
9:22 AM
3 Comments:
We think you did a great job and we really enjoyed reading your blog every day. Congratulations on the gammer and spelling--much improved. Of course we are a bit biased in our opinion of you and we mean it when we say we are proud of you!
Your mom and dad were right. I enjoyed your blog more than many others. Thanks for your voice in this!
This is the Daily Times...Who said your grammar and facts had to be correct all the time. Ha ha just kidding. I'd like to thank the Times for having the insight to selecting a person as knowledgable as yourself to be their "insider".
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