Convention 2007: The First Post is the Deepest

Dateline San Diego: Day One
 
Dear Diary: This is my 12th convention.  To quote David Byrne, "how did I get here," and how will this year’s convention compare with the previous 11? 

There are always little standout moments that stick in your mind . . . like 2003, when I consumed huge amounts of honeydew melon to sustain me through 20-hour days; 1998 when I brought my husband and then 5-month old son with me and discovered the true meaning of the term multi-tasking; and that one year when I labeled 40 receipt envelopes as “reciepts” and then tried to convince everyone that really was how it was spelled.

Much has changed since my first convention.  First of all, I’m a much better speller. 

In 1996, I had only been at the party for about a month and suddenly I was thrust into this strange land called the Bonaventure Hotel, where I spent most of my time in what seemed like a huge concrete underground bunker, working registration.  I don't think I saw the sun for four days, and I was quite perplexed by the enormous volume of yarn -- were Democrats actually the "knitting" party? 

Of course, now we have fancy lanyards.  This year's, courtesy of Bill Lockyer, gets my vote for best ever.  It's really smooth around the neck and is in my signature color: lime green.  Before working at the Party, I didn't even know what a lanyard was.  And a hospitality suite sounded like something written about in a "penthouse letter."

But there is one thing that hasn’t changed – and I don’t mean that ever-present odd smell that emanates from the longest escalators on earth, although that does seem to follow us from convention center to convention center. 

For me, the real commonality in each of these 12 conventions is the amazing people who gather year-in and year-out, election year and off year.  The delegates and volunteers, the interested observers, the little kids who accompany mom or dad, the high school and college students learning about civic responsibility, the veteran grassroots organizers, and the newbies who bring moxie and attitude and a resolve to make a difference.   

When it’s midnight and it seems like there is no end to the work that still needs to get done before I leave and then have to be back here at 6am, I remember these people and why they are here. 
I am a Democrat, and I want this world to be a better, kinder place.  I want that, not just for me and my family, my neighbors and my community – but for all people.

Those gathering here this weekend from all walks of life -- they also want the world to be a better place.  During this convention, they will organize and strategize and share ideas (and perhaps drop by one of the suites to be hospitable and enjoy delicious brownies) and they will come together to make a difference.

This year’s theme is California Democrats Leading the Way.  In 2008, we’ll be leading the way to the White House.  This weekend is all about the first steps down that road.