DNC Reception

Just got back from the DNC reception in downtown Charlotte.  I was ready for the bus, at the hotel lobby, at 4PM; I got home at 9:30, and spent only two hours during that time at the reception.  If you do the math, you will realize how far the organizers are from having a functioning transportation system.  Lots of time waiting (and getting to know fellow NY delegates), lots of time crawling toward Charlotte in a non-air-conditioned bus, and finally a 13 block walk to the reception, because the bus driver couldn't figure out how to get to the site.  In his defense, much of downtown Charlotte is closed to all traffic, and most of the ubiquitouos emergency services personnel he asked didn't know how to help.

But  we got there eventually, and the Democrats seem to be a very diverse group.  Lots of people of all colors (except, now that I think of it, Asians), a blind man, two in wheelchairs, and one person with dwarfism.  A large number of labor folks (to judge by the t-shirts), which is nice to see, given that the convention is being held in a right-to-work state and because of that, major labor groups are passing it up.

The reception was given in Discovery Place, the downtown science discovery center, two stories of colorful, mazelike, interesting science stuff.  If it were my place, I would have had a little more hands-on experiences, but it was great anyway.  Lots of us wandered around and played with the exhibits, but most talked in small groups and ate the Carolina specialty food (Carolina caviar on pimento dip was my favorite) and an open bar, which is apparently standard at conventions.  Lots of music; three stages on two floors - cool jazz, acoustic guitar/mandolin, Latin (but not ska, sorry Randall), and a group of black kids in colorful sweaters who sang and danced an energetic, athletic, irresistible set, including a sweet, touching version of "God Bless America" with everyone singing along.

There was nothing particularly political about the gathering (except for the Democrat/Obama sale table at one end), but there were a lot of conversations among people from all regions and backgrounds.  I met a lot of NYers - a State Assemblyman from LI, a bunch of retired teachers from upstate, the Mayor of Albany, an English teacher who is active in the teachers union statewide, and a recent college graduate from Manhattan who's a campaign volunteer.  Democrats took pictures of each other under the grizzly bear; they designed houses on computers in the design section; they laid on a metal bed where thousands of nails came up from thousands of holes to demonstrate the distribution of weight; they danced to Latin and some other kind of music that came from a DJ working a computer and that my sons would know the name of but I don't.

On the way home, we swapped stories with our bus driver, who is from Mississippi (highly skilled, but out-of-town bus drivers don't help the transport situation).  He lives near the home of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, which was damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969 - and was restored largely using donations from New Yorkers.  It's a strange world.