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| Democratic Convention diary | Democratic Convention diary |
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| Meet our convention reporters | Meet our convention reporters |
| Democratic Party super-delegate Connie Borde joins Max Deveson and Jennifer Copestake to report on the drama, tension and razzmatazz of this week's Democratic Convention. | Democratic Party super-delegate Connie Borde joins Max Deveson and Jennifer Copestake to report on the drama, tension and razzmatazz of this week's Democratic Convention. |
| Day one: Monday 25 August | Day one: Monday 25 August |
| CONNIE BORDE: THE MOST POPULAR FOLKS IN TOWN | CONNIE BORDE: THE MOST POPULAR FOLKS IN TOWN |
| 26 August: 0940 local time (1540 GMT) | 26 August: 0940 local time (1540 GMT) |
| Remember the days when "liberal" was a dirty word, referred to as the "L-word", and the worst slur a Republican could throw out at a Democrat was to call her or him one? | Remember the days when "liberal" was a dirty word, referred to as the "L-word", and the worst slur a Republican could throw out at a Democrat was to call her or him one? |
| Well, it might be all in a name, but the new Liberals are Progressives, and this week in Denver, they're among the most popular folks in town. The last Democratic Congress took on a more lib... I mean, progressive agenda and fought for bills protecting working families, minimum wage, and medical care benefits (remember Ted Kennedy leaving his hospital to vote on a bill that would prevent a 10.6% cut to physicians who treat Medicare patients?) | Well, it might be all in a name, but the new Liberals are Progressives, and this week in Denver, they're among the most popular folks in town. The last Democratic Congress took on a more lib... I mean, progressive agenda and fought for bills protecting working families, minimum wage, and medical care benefits (remember Ted Kennedy leaving his hospital to vote on a bill that would prevent a 10.6% cut to physicians who treat Medicare patients?) |
| Do you have any questions you would like to put to our convention diarists? If so, send them to us using the link below. Send us your questions | Do you have any questions you would like to put to our convention diarists? If so, send them to us using the link below. Send us your questions |
| The Progressive Caucus is the biggest one in the House of Representatives today, and their ideas are not only catching on, but winning big approval ratings with the public. Names like Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, Barbara Lee, Denis Kucinich (who's run for president a couple of times) are no longer associated with way-out left-wing crazy ideas. Eight years of Bush/Republican politics have helped change attitudes. | The Progressive Caucus is the biggest one in the House of Representatives today, and their ideas are not only catching on, but winning big approval ratings with the public. Names like Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, Barbara Lee, Denis Kucinich (who's run for president a couple of times) are no longer associated with way-out left-wing crazy ideas. Eight years of Bush/Republican politics have helped change attitudes. |
| Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, addressed the ADA here and warned that progs better get ready for a return to majority power, and know what they want when they get there. (ADA stands for American's for Democratic Action, a think tank and lobby group for liberal causes.) | Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, addressed the ADA here and warned that progs better get ready for a return to majority power, and know what they want when they get there. (ADA stands for American's for Democratic Action, a think tank and lobby group for liberal causes.) |
| Here are the four points he laid out for a progressive agenda: universal healthcare (cf Senator Kennedy's rousing speech on the Convention floor); employee free choice; reform of the tax code; and get out of Iraq. Who could disagree? | Here are the four points he laid out for a progressive agenda: universal healthcare (cf Senator Kennedy's rousing speech on the Convention floor); employee free choice; reform of the tax code; and get out of Iraq. Who could disagree? |
| JENNIFER COPESTAKE: CLINTONS FOR MCCAIN | JENNIFER COPESTAKE: CLINTONS FOR MCCAIN |
| 27 August: 0030 | 27 August: 0030 |
| A few hours ago, as I was walking through the baking hot streets of Denver, I ran into a very noisy group of protesters. Who could they be? Anarchists? An anti-immigration pressure group? | |
| When they got closer, I noticed the group was smaller than it had first appeared - its ranks swelled by a large police bicycle escort. And they weren't anarchists. | When they got closer, I noticed the group was smaller than it had first appeared - its ranks swelled by a large police bicycle escort. And they weren't anarchists. |
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| Clinton supporters explain their opposition to Barack Obama | Clinton supporters explain their opposition to Barack Obama |
| After meeting these people, I did wonder about how the Obama message is being disseminated around town and how keenly it will stick once the delegates are gone. | After meeting these people, I did wonder about how the Obama message is being disseminated around town and how keenly it will stick once the delegates are gone. |
| The same thoughts returned later, in the day, when I picked up some food at the Lone Star Steakhouse. Sitting at an empty bar were two men, talking about the minimum wage and the value of hard work. A baseball game played on five TV screens over the bar and country music blared from a speaker somewhere. I could imagine the scene repeated across the US. | The same thoughts returned later, in the day, when I picked up some food at the Lone Star Steakhouse. Sitting at an empty bar were two men, talking about the minimum wage and the value of hard work. A baseball game played on five TV screens over the bar and country music blared from a speaker somewhere. I could imagine the scene repeated across the US. |
| The men were talking about how as children they had spoken to their fathers - how everything was "Yes Sir!" - and how they never expected any handouts. They were not excited by Obama. Far from it, they were shouting their support to the empty room for the Republicans and John McCain. | The men were talking about how as children they had spoken to their fathers - how everything was "Yes Sir!" - and how they never expected any handouts. They were not excited by Obama. Far from it, they were shouting their support to the empty room for the Republicans and John McCain. |
| JENNIFER COPESTAKE: MEETING CONNIE | JENNIFER COPESTAKE: MEETING CONNIE |
| Another meeting I had yesterday, after walking through a maze of blocked-off streets near the convention centre, was with our super-delegate diarist, Connie. She told me about the group she represents at the convention, Democrats Abroad, and the growing of numbers of registered Democrats outside the US. | Another meeting I had yesterday, after walking through a maze of blocked-off streets near the convention centre, was with our super-delegate diarist, Connie. She told me about the group she represents at the convention, Democrats Abroad, and the growing of numbers of registered Democrats outside the US. |
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| Connie Board, super-delegate, on the importance of overseas voters | Connie Board, super-delegate, on the importance of overseas voters |
| 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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What do you want to ask about the convention? What about the state of the Democratic Party? Or the Obama-Biden ticket? Send us your questions now using the form below: | What do you want to ask about the convention? What about the state of the Democratic Party? Or the Obama-Biden ticket? Send us your questions now using the form below: |
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