Politics & Diversity – Pt III
Now this is the way for a non-delegate to attend a political convention!
First, let me confess that I am not a registered Democrat (or Republican). I identify as a (conservative leaning) Independent. But as a former Democrat, I could not pass up an invitation to attend the convention as a VIP Guest. Besides, it was being held in Denver, one of my favorite cities.
We arrived on Tuesday at noon. The first session we were to attend was that very evening. At the appointed time, we walked to the hotel of our hosts and friends, C.D. and Karla Moody. We gathered with other guests for a few minutes. Then, we were advised that the car had arrived.
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We were then loaded into a new Black Cadillac Escalade with a female driver (Deborah). Deborah is a native of Denver and knows a lot about local culture and geography. For instance, on our way back from the convention, she drove us pass the city park and the Denver Art Museum (at my request).
While others had to walk ten blocks or more to approach the Pepsi Center, for security reasons, we were transported through security in the car and after customary screening, were driven to the front door of the center.
I saw lots of celebrities going in and coming out. They included all the major news personalities (Tom Brokaw, Wolf Blitzer, Donna Brazile), politicians (Charlie Rangel, Michael Dukakis), and performers (Lynn Whitfield, Dorian Harewood, et al).
I also noted that the convention was a convenient occasion for some massive partying both during session and late into the night. Every hotel that we stayed in was home to several state caucuses and corporate sponsors who made sure they were comfortable.By the way, the convention lasted four days. The actual official business of the convention took about ten minutes (with the exception of the perfunctory roll call to honor Hillary’s historic candidacy). If both Presidential candidates want to change something about our political process, they might start by eliminating these hundred million dollar family reunions.