Pride and progress

By Diane Denish

DENVER — Incredible! That is the only way to describe the 2008 Democratic National Convention. This makes the third convention I have attended, and while they all have their own unique flavor, at the end of a long heated battle between two outstanding and historical candidates this convention marked a true coming together.

Wednesday started with a presentation to the New Mexico delegation by T. Boone Pickens on his plan for diversifying energy. Unusual? Yes. Pickens acknowledged his Republican background, told a few jokes and then launched into a presentation about why he believes that now is the time to invest in wind and other sources of energy. He was warmly received by New Mexico Democrats including Congressman Tom Udall and Sen. Bingaman. He gave us a lot to think about.

Afterward I decided not to get on a bicycle but to continue tracking my walking progress on my pedometer. I headed to a lunch hosted by the Democratic Governors Association. Our own Gov. Richardson, along with Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Gov. Christine Gregoire, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Gov. Joe Manchin, Gov. David Fruedenthal and Gov. Bill Ritter were among the guests. The Western block of governors is very powerful and will be a force in turning states like New Mexico blue this fall.

Wednesday evening the atmosphere in the hall was electric as we awaited President Clinton’s address. When he appeared on the stage, he was greeted by the longest and loudest applause to date. We still love him, but more importantly, he reminded us of what it’s like to have a president who cares about America’s working families. He was stately as he spoke of the defining moment in our history. Yes, he was emotional when he spoke of his candidate for the presidency and the terrific race she ran. Yes, he was resolute when he called us to action to support and work for Sen. Obama. He also made it clear that he was most grateful for the opportunity he had to lead this country for eight years.

Because I wanted everyone to experience what I get to experience, I arranged for two of my young staffers to come down to the floor to hear Sen. Biden speak. Zach and Justin had been watching from the rafters the first two nights, but I knew it was nothing like the excitement of being with the delegation. I made room for them and accepted an invitation to watch Sen. Biden with the host, Gov. Bill Ritter, upstairs.

Biden delivered. His introduction by his son Beau set the stage for him: a man of integrity, understanding and most of all, a man committed to his family. Biden not only met, but exceeded our expectations. His depth in foreign policy is unmatched and his commitment to working Americans, firefighters, cops and families was clear. By the time he finished, we knew we had a strong, wonderful, winning ticket! Then, when we thought the evening couldn’t end any better, we received the unexpected visit by our nominee, Sen. Obama, that turned the place inside out!

Delegates were charged as the busses were loaded and the anticipation for Thursday began to build. I stopped by Johnny Rockets when I heard the jukebox playing and saw Gov. John Corzine of New Jersey healthy, healed and dancing to some rock and roll! As always, I ran into two New Mexicans: Theresa McBride, who now lives in NYC, and a young Obama worker, Troy, from NMSU. I then continued the walk to our hotel, where 7,383 steps later (thank goodness for this pedometer), I fell into bed. Stay tuned for some final thoughts on the convention and the final evening with Sen. Obama and so many others! Hasta Mañana.

Denish is New Mexico’s lieutenant governor. She has been blogging from the convention that ended Thursday. She has one more posting coming.