Who We Are

by John Adams

Dateline Denver…first night of the DNC.  Tonight was all about who we are as Democrats, and about who we nominate to lead this country out of the night of the past eight years.  We were treated to numerous moving, powerful, evocative speeches and images.

Not least of which was the beautifully planned marriage proposal — on the Convention floor — by Arizona Delegate Ruben Gallego to his now-fiancee, Kate Widman.  Perfectly timed to correspond with the other events of the evening, Ruben (who also serves as our Delegation whip — he who orchestrates Delegation floor activities, including cheering and sign-waving) did us all proud — and touched us — in sharing this hugely important event!  Kate said yes…congratulations by all followed!

There were other wonderful, more public, moments…my favorite was when Ted Kennedy made his appearance, to the joy and universal respect of the Convention Hall.  And that after a beautiful speech by Caroline Kennedy…all of us shared the privilege just to witness this beautiful and touching moment in the history of the Kennedy family, and in the history of modern American politics.

And Michelle Obama’s speech was magnificent…powerfully delivered, eloquent, and convincing.  We’ll be fortunate to have a First Lady who understands and inspires the American people…as well as the President.

A few other Delegates’ perceptions during the evening:

John Rayson, Florida:  "The Convention is our preparation for taking on the Republicans this Fall, and one of our challenges is to more fully introduce Barack Obama to the American people.  That’s what tonight is about.  The Convention is also about building teamwork among the party leadership, harnessing the efforts toward the goal of winning the election."

David Hageman, North Carolina:  "My father’s a US Navy officer, and used to be a strong supporter of John McCain.  He’s still a Republican.  I’m not sure whether he’ll vote for Obama this Fall, but he’s thinking a lot about it, and he seems to understand why I’m so committed to Obama and to the change he represents."

Carolyn Wagner, Arizona:  "One of Obama’s strengths will be that he’ll encourage cooperation with our international partners, particularly the European Union, on a wide range of global issues."

As an aside, several of our concerned Delegates have created a website, http://www.FreeCindyMcCain.com to address the need to bring relief to the long-suffering wife of our senior Senator…visit if you get a chance before the Republicans trot the unfortunate pair out next week at the Republican Convention.

This first evening of our Convention was about telling the story of our heritage as a Party — and about passing the torch to a new generation, as Ted Kennedy said, to Barack Obama and the movement for change he has ignited.  Tonight was both educational and inspirational…a great start for what promises to be an excellent staging ground for our battle to take our country back this Fall.

Now we need to take the offensive, to get on to Who They Are — to provide the stark contrast between our Party’s leadership and the destructive prospects of four more years of Republican disaster.