For the most part, I wasn’t all that prolific during the convention. There are better livebloggers than me, so a special thanks to those who did so here.  What I did accomplish was talking to a lot of people, which really was quite a thrill. It’s always fun to see old friends and meet new ones. So, if nothing else, it was worth the trip for that alone, even with the fact that we still have a few wedding details to wrap up.

Yet, of course, there was more.  Because we had the California “state blogger pool” pass, the four members of our editorial board had the opportunity to sit on the floor with the delegation.  So, for that, thank you to the DNC and the CDP. From a personal perspective, being at Mile High for Barack Obama’s acceptance of the nomination was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I will treasure the memory. Of course, now it is even more incumbent upon us to make sure Obama wins, because it would sure stink to have that memory tainted with electoral defeat.

Follow me over the flip…

The entire week was a great experience. From the parties to the Big Tent to the Pepsi Center it was a blast.  As Dave has pointed out once or twice, it’s a well managed message that emerges, with little news coming out of the event itself.  However, the message of an energized Democratic Party ready to take back the White House is an important one.  The Big Tent was pulled off exceedingly well, with everything but the air-conditioning and power systems working fantastically.  It was nice to have something of a “home base” to work from. So, thanks to all the groups who helped out with that. (Including California’s own Courage Campaign.)

The parties were, at times lavish, at times trying, but always hopping.  Being at the convention is a lesson in horse-trading.  Negotiation is a valuable skill as you do your best to get into the hot events.  Of course, knowing people works wonders as well.

I hope by now everybody that didn’t watch the ceremonies live, has had the opportunity to watch it. If not, what’s wrong with you? Get to it! No point describing the actual events of the day, because you saw those just as well as me. However, being on the floor you saw the little things, felt the emotion, and yes, saw more than a few people crying.

Last Thursday was historic for obvious reasons.  This was the first non-white major party nomination ever.  That’s a big deal, and coming 45 years after the “I Have a Dream” Speech, we see just how prescient MLK truly was, and just how wrong John McCain is for this country.  After all, it was McCain who prominently and repeatedly opposed honoring MLK, this Titan of the 20th Century who had the foresight and the hope to dream at a time when not everybody had the courage to dream.  After all, hope itself often takes great amounts of courage. From Sen. Obama’s speech on Thursday:

But what the people heard instead – people of every creed and color, from every walk of life – is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one. “We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

Yet it is surely backward that McCain-Palin plan to take us.  To the days before Roe v Wade, to the past eight years of a reckless foreign policy and a domestic policy that turns Robin Hood on his head.  I was fortunate enough to be able to say that I was there when Barack Obama plunged head-long into general campaign.  

So, check out the pictures. Sorry they’re not A+ primo photos, but you do what you can do.  After all, I have to be sly when trying to capture pictures of celebrities.  Next time I’ll get Oprah…

I’ll put a link to this on the top of the site so that it doesn’t get pushed off the front page. Post your parties in the comments, and I’ll update this diary

So, over the flip are some fun watching parties for Thursday’s Obama speech.

AMADOR & CALAVERAS

At the Hotel Leger on Main Street in Historic Mokelumne Hill  Off Highway 49 munchies No-host bar

5:30pm -?  rsvp to [email protected] or Judy Hotchkiss@jhotchkiss2!yahoo.com

CHULA VISTA / SAN DIEGO

Join Marty Block and others for this historic event. Good food, good music and good friends.

Marty Block for Assembly Chula Vista office

380 Third Ave., Chula Vista (between F and G streets)

Thursday, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

FREE

FRESNO

Democrats In Action Office

255 N. Fulton Suite #104

Between Belmont and Divisadero

Beginning at 6:00PM

Light Refreshments will be served

RSVP to [email protected]

ORANGE COUNTY

Latinos for Obama

Thursday, August 28, 2008; 6:30 PM to 8:30PM

At the Home of Ray Verches, 13661 Belle Rive, Santa Ana, CA 92705

626-862-5369 / 714-360-0661

Please let us know you’ll join us by sending an RSVP to [email protected]

SAN FRANCISCO

California Democratic Party

Doors open at 5:30pm

Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel: Embarcadero Center

RSVP: Get tickets ActBlue page.

And Castro for All

Jillian’s @ The Metreon

101 Mission Street, Corner of 4th

San Francisco, CA

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Free

* Parking available across the street.

SACRAMENTO

Lounge on 20

1050 20th Street, Suite 100

Sacramento, CA

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Free

SAN MATEO

Denver by the Bay

ActBlue Page: $100

6PM-9PM

Tom Lantos Memorial San Mateo County Democratic Headquarters: 628 El Camino Real, San Carlos

SAN BERNADINO

5pm-8:30pm at the Roosevelt Bowl at Perris Hill Park in San Bernardino.

More details at Blue County.

Suggested donation $5 per person $20 for a family of 5

MONTEREY

5:30-8pm at the Golden State Theater – SOLD OUT

Overflow available at:

Britannia Arms, 444 Alvarado Street

Round Table Pizza, 375 Alvarado Street

Ol Factory Cafe, Sand City, 1725 Contra Costa

All events in Monterey free

SALINAS

4-8 pm at Pizza Factory, 926 Main Street

Click to register

Also free

Once again, I’m back in the California Delegation’s Breakfast. Today is “Senator Day” here, beginning with our own Sen. Barbara Boxer.  She had the crowd rocking when she told them about who proud she is of this nation and its ability to allow anybody from a skinny kid in Hawaii to a daughter of a woman who didn’t even graduate high school to succeed to the highest positions of power.

John Kerry spoke of the devastation caused by eight years, and Claire McCaskill spoke of the need for every Democrat to speak of the importance of this election.  Enjoy the photos, and yeah, I snuck a picture of Sean Penn.

Well, yesterday was uneventful for me.  Just getting in and getting my bearings around the city.  The first thing I saw was a parade of four pickup trucks full of cops riding toward downtown.  

Later, a friend of ours took us down by the Platte River to a spot near the enormous REI store, where fire spinners congregate every Sunday night.  Afterwards, we stopped in on some vegetarian restaurant holding a poetry slam, and Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich were in there having dinner.  While most people in from out of town were eating their corporate-funded cocktail weenies, I stumbled upon some actual leftists for a change.  

While George Bush won Colorado by 4 points in 2004, John Kerry took Denver by 40.  This city grows more and more Democratic with each passing year, and raising turnout here – and keeping them in the Democratic fold – would be a key to victory in the state, I gather.

This morning, I’m sitting at the breakfast for the California delegation.  Hillary Clinton apparently cancelled today (she’ll be at the New York breakfast), but Speaker Pelosi will be on hand.  The big buzz of the convention (for today) is that Ted Kennedy has arrived in Denver and will be speaking tonight.  That should be pretty crazy.

UPDATE: While Lucas and I were sitting here bullshitting, Nancy Pelosi was apparently holding a press avail.  We’re good journalists.  Todd Beeton was there and he’s going to stop by and write it up.  I guess it was a litany of wanker traditional media scribes asking “Is there unity?  UNITY?  UNITY!!!1!????”

UPDATE: Speaker Pelosi has just taken the stage at the breakfast.  Lots of Congresscritters are here as well.  I may lose power here in a second.  Pelosi: “California will give Barack Obama and Joe Biden the biggest victory in the history of our country… the most votes ever for a Presidential candidate… are you ready to come together in unity and support Barack Obama and Joe Biden?… I bring this up because reporters ask me all day about this… but as we gather here… remember, it’s not just about us and what our feelings are about the campaigns.  It’s about the hopes, aspirations and challenges of the American people.  And they are looking to us to come out of this convention with unity, organized and focused to take this country in a new direction.  We owe them that… this is about our country.”

UPDATE: Pelosi: “If people want to talk about drilling offshore, don’t come around California with that kind of talk.  Let’s talk about the connection between oil, which belongs to the people, and the record profits from the oil companies, and how they take it out of the ground with no royalties (in California).”  Pelosi is talking about green jobs and renewables.

“If you’re a senior, and you care about Medicare, Obama is right and John McCain is wrong.  If you care about children’s health care, where George Bush said we can’t afford covering 10 million children for one year, which costs 40 days in Iraq, Obama is right and McCain is wrong… McCain supports George Bush’s failed economic policies… and on the most important foreign policy issue of our time, Iraq, Barack Obama is right and John McCain is wrong.”

What’s happening around the state?

• The SacBee has some suggestions to make algebra in 8th grade possible.

• Good thing the Governor found out 50 days past the fiscal year what even Pete Wilson knew far in advance in a similar situation: Sometimes a tax increase isn’t optional. Wilson knew he had to act as cover for his Republican allies in the Legislature by offering a tax increase and working down. Arnold never figured that part out.  It’s becoming clear that there is only one word for Arnold’s administration: Ineffective.

• The SF Supervisorial campaigns this year will use a mixed public/private financing scheme. Should be a good experiment.

• Oakland is in dire straits financially, and whoops, they lost track of $48 million.

After an all-day drive from Los Angeles to Grand Junction, CO yesterday, and then another 4 hours or so from Grand Junction to Denver, I am finally in Denver and ready for tomorrow’s festivities at the Big Tent.  I didn’t get a chance to examine too much of the setup at the BT–I only got as far as the check-in desk before I had to run to take care of some other errands.  Either way, given the packed schedule being offered by the organizers, I doubt I’ll have much reason to leave.

I was duly impressed by the security surrounding the Pepsi Center.  As this is my first time in a city hosting a Presidential Convention, I really have no way of knowing whether or not this is “normal”–but all the entrances to the arena are effectively closed off by a very visible police presence.  The LoDo area was quite lively today and filled with people with all sorts of passes and badges relating to the convention happenings.

More tomorrow…

From California you’ll need more than a half pack of cigarettes, but hit it:

DEMOCRATS THROW OPEN DOORS OF CONVENTION,

OBAMA TO ACCEPT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION ON

CLOSING NIGHT OF 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF MORE THAN 75,000

Final Day of Convention Program to Move to Denver’s INVESCO Field at Mile High

DENVER – Breaking the mold of traditional political Conventions, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced that Senator Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination for President of the United States at Denver’s INVESCO Field at Mile High. INVESCO Field can accommodate more than 75,000 people and will be the site of the 2008 Democratic Convention’s final day of programming on Thursday, August 28, 2008.

“The Democratic Party is nominating a true change candidate this August, and it is only fitting that we make some big changes in how we put on the Convention,” said Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “Senator Obama’s candidacy has generated an enormous amount of excitement and interest, not only in the Democratic Party but also in the 2008 Convention. By bringing the last night of the Convention out to the people, we will be able to showcase Barack Obama’s positive, people-centered vision for our country in a big way.”

Nice move! Good to see Democrats on offense and thinking huge.

(welcome Mayor Hickenlooper. – promoted by David Dayen)

By Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

Now that one of the most remarkable primaries in our nation’s history has concluded, attention is turning to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.  In less than three months, the Mile High City and the Rocky Mountain West will host this historic event for the first time since 1908.

The Convention also coincides with Denver’s 150th birthday – a century-and-a-half of progress and innovation since its birth at the height of the Colorado gold rush.  A hub of opportunity for people seeking new frontiers, people come to Colorado seeking much more than gold these days.  The spirit of visionary zeal and limitless possibility is as strong as ever in the New West.  So it’s fitting that as the Democratic Party marches toward its own new frontier, it will do so through Denver.

A message to all of you in California: you don’t have to be in Denver – or on the Convention floor – to get in on the action though.  The Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee has organized two interactive ways for people anywhere in America to get involved.  We’re convening a national conversation about democracy and community and invite everyone to participate.

The Cinemocracy short film competition encourages anyone and everyone to submit short films about what democracy means to them.  You can submit films – as well as view and judge the entries – online at www.cinemocracy.org.  The top 25 videos, as determined through public online voting, will be screened publicly during Convention week and the winning film will be featured at the 31st Starz Denver Film Festival.

America: Live and In Person is a like a multi-media open mic night, inviting people to share personal stories of what America means to them through art, dance, music, drama, writing, technology, service projects and more.  Submissions will be viewable online for the public to enjoy and judge…and winning entries will be part of an exhibit at the Convention that will also travel through the Rocky Mountain West.

Both America: Live & In Person and Cinemocracy present innovative and interactive ways to participate in the Convention festivities…as a contributor or a spectator.  We encourage people throughout America to contribute their voices and creativity to this national conversation.

Just remember: entries for both Cinemocracy and America: Live and In Person are due by July 15, 2008, so please – get those cameras and keyboards rolling.