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| Democratic Convention diary | Democratic Convention diary |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Meet our convention reporters | Meet our convention reporters |
| Democratic Party super-delegate Connie Borde joins BBC reporters to give an insider's view of the drama, tension and razzmatazz of this week's Democratic Convention in Denver. | Democratic Party super-delegate Connie Borde joins BBC reporters to give an insider's view of the drama, tension and razzmatazz of this week's Democratic Convention in Denver. |
| CONNIE BORDE: 25 August, 0100 MT, 0300 ET, 0700 GMT | CONNIE BORDE: 25 August, 0100 MT, 0300 ET, 0700 GMT |
| Denver is a hub of Democratic activity. The grand reception for the delegates was held tonight, a festive affair with 6,000 fired-up attendees, delegates, super-delegates, Congress folks and other such afficionados, hosted by Louisiana with delicious food stations (shrimp gumbo, rice and black beans... mmm) every few meters, great live music and general upbeat atmosphere. | Denver is a hub of Democratic activity. The grand reception for the delegates was held tonight, a festive affair with 6,000 fired-up attendees, delegates, super-delegates, Congress folks and other such afficionados, hosted by Louisiana with delicious food stations (shrimp gumbo, rice and black beans... mmm) every few meters, great live music and general upbeat atmosphere. |
| Do you have any questions you would like to put to our convention diarists? If so, send them to us using the link below. class="" href="#bottom">Send us your questions Earlier in the day, serious business took place in the Credentials Committee, where both Florida and Michigan were reinstated as full-vote delegations. | |
| To refresh your memories, both states had been sanctioned for holding their primaries outside the calendar that had been set by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). A DNC decision in June gave each state half-vote representation, but today the full vote was reinstated. | To refresh your memories, both states had been sanctioned for holding their primaries outside the calendar that had been set by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). A DNC decision in June gave each state half-vote representation, but today the full vote was reinstated. |
| Florida and Michigan are happy delegations tonight. This makes for opening the convention with a feeling of unity among the delegates, and that, after all, is what the theme of this week is all about. | Florida and Michigan are happy delegations tonight. This makes for opening the convention with a feeling of unity among the delegates, and that, after all, is what the theme of this week is all about. |
| Another reason for cheer: Joe Biden as Barack's vice-presidential choice wins unanimous support with every person I've crossed so far. | Another reason for cheer: Joe Biden as Barack's vice-presidential choice wins unanimous support with every person I've crossed so far. |
| MAX DEVESON: 25 August 0120 GMT | MAX DEVESON: 25 August 0120 GMT |
| This is my first time in Denver, and the city seems to have put on its best clothes for the convention. | This is my first time in Denver, and the city seems to have put on its best clothes for the convention. |
| On the way into the city from the airport, it's impossible to miss a field of solar panels stretching into the distance. They were laid down very recently - an attempt to impress the many environmentally-conscious delegates coming to Denver for the convention, perhaps? | On the way into the city from the airport, it's impossible to miss a field of solar panels stretching into the distance. They were laid down very recently - an attempt to impress the many environmentally-conscious delegates coming to Denver for the convention, perhaps? |
| Denver is an impressive city, with its clutch of skyscrapers spiking out of the Colorado plains, the foothills of the Rockies looming in the middle distance. | Denver is an impressive city, with its clutch of skyscrapers spiking out of the Colorado plains, the foothills of the Rockies looming in the middle distance. |
| Everywhere you turn, you get the feeling that Something Is About To Happen. | Everywhere you turn, you get the feeling that Something Is About To Happen. |
| Downtown, on my way to the Pepsi Center, where the convention is being held, I came upon a group of anti-war demonstrators marching down the city's main drag, accompanied by plenty of armed police. | Downtown, on my way to the Pepsi Center, where the convention is being held, I came upon a group of anti-war demonstrators marching down the city's main drag, accompanied by plenty of armed police. |
| One of the marchers was wearing a George W Bush mask, topped off with devil's horns. Another, dressed a little impractically for the summer heat, was clad in an ostrich costume - apparently John McCain is burying his head in the sand on economic policy. He was definitely a hit with all the children, who wanted to get their picture taken with him. | One of the marchers was wearing a George W Bush mask, topped off with devil's horns. Another, dressed a little impractically for the summer heat, was clad in an ostrich costume - apparently John McCain is burying his head in the sand on economic policy. He was definitely a hit with all the children, who wanted to get their picture taken with him. |
| We're all of us - marchers, police, journalists, delegates and ostriches - waiting with baited breath for tomorrow, when the show kicks off in earnest (possibly with a rumoured, and no doubt emotional, appearance from party legend Ted Kennedy, who is still recovering from his recent surgery for brain cancer). | We're all of us - marchers, police, journalists, delegates and ostriches - waiting with baited breath for tomorrow, when the show kicks off in earnest (possibly with a rumoured, and no doubt emotional, appearance from party legend Ted Kennedy, who is still recovering from his recent surgery for brain cancer). |
| CONNIE BORDE: 24 August, early morning | CONNIE BORDE: 24 August, early morning |
| Fired-up and ready to go to Denver, in Boston Logan Airport waiting to board, my computer inbox flooded with invitations to talkfests and parties, my anticipations are high for what promises to be a very different kind of Convention: technologically savvy with live streaming and daily webcasts, a partnership with YouTube, 120 credentialed blogs, a Spanish simulcast... more people will be able to see it than ever before in history. | Fired-up and ready to go to Denver, in Boston Logan Airport waiting to board, my computer inbox flooded with invitations to talkfests and parties, my anticipations are high for what promises to be a very different kind of Convention: technologically savvy with live streaming and daily webcasts, a partnership with YouTube, 120 credentialed blogs, a Spanish simulcast... more people will be able to see it than ever before in history. |
| And more people want to see it. Barack Obama's personal story, his roller-coaster-riding nomination and the suspenseful nomination of Joe Biden as Vice-President have captured the attention of the whole country and the whole world. | And more people want to see it. Barack Obama's personal story, his roller-coaster-riding nomination and the suspenseful nomination of Joe Biden as Vice-President have captured the attention of the whole country and the whole world. |
| No-one knows this more than a Democratic super-delegate coming from abroad, where Barack Obama swept 68% in a global primary and where the potential to register hundreds of thousands of new voters is becoming a reality. (Take a look at this YouTube video made with Gwyneth Paltrow, who will be voting in London.) | No-one knows this more than a Democratic super-delegate coming from abroad, where Barack Obama swept 68% in a global primary and where the potential to register hundreds of thousands of new voters is becoming a reality. (Take a look at this YouTube video made with Gwyneth Paltrow, who will be voting in London.) |
| The next few days promise more emotions, significant speakers (but short speeches), a heart-thumping roll call for Senator Clinton, the much-awaited Bill Clinton address to his Party and the lovefest that we expect will follow. | The next few days promise more emotions, significant speakers (but short speeches), a heart-thumping roll call for Senator Clinton, the much-awaited Bill Clinton address to his Party and the lovefest that we expect will follow. |
| All eyes on Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Mark Warner, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Hillary and... Barack. Time to fasten seatbelts. Time to go West. | All eyes on Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Mark Warner, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Hillary and... Barack. Time to fasten seatbelts. Time to go West. |
| OUR DIARISTS | OUR DIARISTS |
| Connie Borde is a super-delegate representing Democrats Abroad. She has lived in France for some 40 years, and lectured for half of this period at the prestigious Sciences Po institute in Paris. She has authored or co-authored books on American cooking, American politics, and English grammar - and is currently translating Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex. "I always supported Barack Obama," she says. "But I waited to give my super-delegate vote until February 2008 when Democrats Abroad France (my constituency) voted in his favour by 71%." She has a French husband, and six children. | Connie Borde is a super-delegate representing Democrats Abroad. She has lived in France for some 40 years, and lectured for half of this period at the prestigious Sciences Po institute in Paris. She has authored or co-authored books on American cooking, American politics, and English grammar - and is currently translating Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex. "I always supported Barack Obama," she says. "But I waited to give my super-delegate vote until February 2008 when Democrats Abroad France (my constituency) voted in his favour by 71%." She has a French husband, and six children. |
| Max Deveson, 30, is the BBC News website's Washington reporter. He joined the BBC in 2001 to work as a political analyst in Westminster, later moving to the online world news team. He has an obsessive interest in the US and its politics and was particularly excited to land an interview with Ted Kennedy on his first assignment in Washington this year. When not obsessing about US politics, Max enjoys attempting to play Iron and Wine songs on the guitar. | Max Deveson, 30, is the BBC News website's Washington reporter. He joined the BBC in 2001 to work as a political analyst in Westminster, later moving to the online world news team. He has an obsessive interest in the US and its politics and was particularly excited to land an interview with Ted Kennedy on his first assignment in Washington this year. When not obsessing about US politics, Max enjoys attempting to play Iron and Wine songs on the guitar. |
| Jennifer Copestake, 25, is an online video producer for World News America. She's been with the programme since its first broadcast in October 2007. After the conventions she'll be video-blogging from a BBC election bus on a 38-day road trip across the country. Jennifer was born in Canada and has reported for the CBC, the Hill Times, the Observer and More 4 News. She's been in Washington since early summer, but will return one day to London, where she lives with her fiance and two cats. | Jennifer Copestake, 25, is an online video producer for World News America. She's been with the programme since its first broadcast in October 2007. After the conventions she'll be video-blogging from a BBC election bus on a 38-day road trip across the country. Jennifer was born in Canada and has reported for the CBC, the Hill Times, the Observer and More 4 News. She's been in Washington since early summer, but will return one day to London, where she lives with her fiance and two cats. |
| The BBC News website will also publish a diary of the Republican Convention, featuring Louisiana delegate Mike Bayham. | The BBC News website will also publish a diary of the Republican Convention, featuring Louisiana delegate Mike Bayham. |
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