OHIO DEMOCRATS Delegates prepare for events at party's national convention

The convention includes 11 Valley delegates.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- "It's really just a big pep rally."
That's how Craig Brown of Salem, a state Democratic Party central committeeman, describes his party's national convention. The convention in Boston starts Monday and runs through Thursday.
But there is more to the convention than the pep rally part, Brown said.
"I'm hoping for a lot of informative discussion on issues," he said. "It's a historic event. Also, it will help energize Democratic supporters about the November election."
Brown, a Columbiana County recorder candidate, is among the 11 Mahoning Valley delegates selected to represent Ohio at the national convention at Boston's Fleet Center. Of the 4,352 delegates nationwide, 159 come from Ohio. There are also 611 alternates of which 24 are from Ohio, and one from the Valley.
First convention
Like several of the Valley delegates, this is Brown's first time to the party's convention, held every four years to pick presidential and vice presidential nominees and to develop the party's platform. The nominees are set -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts as the presidential nominee, and U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina as the VP nominee -- and the platforms are finished.
"The conventions are used as a political bump for the parties, and the event hopefully gets the rank and file in line with a very coherent message," said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and a convention delegate from the Valley. "We need to come out of the convention with the message that John Kerry is a better leader than the president, and that John Kerry has a real economic program."
Ryan, attending his first Democratic convention, says the message that needs to come across is that there is a clear difference between Kerry and President Bush.
"Bush has had 31/2 years to move this country forward, and he hasn't done it," Ryan said. "The key isn't just to talk about Bush, but to explain why he didn't succeed ... and show why John Kerry is a better choice."
First-time delegate
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, is going to the party's convention for the first time as a delegate. He was an observer at the 1988 convention.
"I hope Sen. Kerry talks about the bread-and-butter issues of jobs, trade, health care and education," he said. "Kerry has to talk about what he'll do if he's elected, and what decisions he'll make to turn around the country. The senator emerges with a strong message with what he hopes to do if he's elected."
This isn't the first Democratic convention for Renee Cafaro of Liberty. But this is her first time as a delegate. Cafaro attended the conventions of 1996 and 2000. Her sister, Capri, was a delegate at the 2000 convention, and is now running as the Democratic nominee for the 14th Congressional District seat.
"The focus I hope would be on jobs and the economy," Cafaro said. "We also need to concentrate on education and health care."
Unions' support
Jim Kaster of Youngstown, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1714 at the Lordstown General Motors fabrication plant, said organized labor is firmly behind the Kerry-Edwards ticket.
Kaster is pledged as an Edwards delegate, meaning he is obligated to vote for Edwards as president on the first ballot. He can change his vote, and plans to do so, on the second ballot, if one is needed.
"There won't be a big floor fight; everyone's going to be on the same page," said Kaster, who is attending his first convention. His daughter, Whitney, who isn't a delegate, will attend with him.
Kaster said the Democratic Party's top priority should be jobs and the economy.
The convention's four main platforms are homeland security, the economy, health care and education, according to the Democratic National Committee.
State Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, D-65th, is also pledged to Edwards, and like Kaster, it is her first Democratic convention.
"The convention will be energizing and invigorating," she said. "I'm really excited to get together with fellow Democrats, and discuss health care and the economy. It will be an incredible experience."
This is the third convention as a delegate for state Rep. Sylvester D. Patton Jr. of Youngstown, D-60th. He was a delegate to the 1996 and 2000 conventions.
Casting the vote
"It's one party after another, but the most significant part of the convention is being on the floor casting the vote for the next president," said Patton, an Edwards delegate.
While in Boston, most of the Ohio delegation will stay at the Sheraton Hotel near the Fleet Center.
Being a delegate takes a financial commitment. Rooms at the Sheraton for the convention range from $200 to $300 a night. Taking into account air fare and meals -- though many politicians, political action committees and organizations offer free food at parties -- the cost of being a delegate typically runs between $1,200 and $2,000, local delegates say.
Brown, a newlywed, wanted to stay at the Sheraton, but it was too expensive. Instead, he is staying with a friend who lives in the Boston area.
Mahoning Commissioner Ed Reese of Boardman isn't a delegate, but he'll be at the convention as a member of Kerry's national finance committee. The finance committee members will stay at the Charles Hotel, about 20 minutes from the Fleet Center. This is Reese's second Democratic convention. He attended the 1996 convention in Chicago, also not as a delegate.
Bill Luoma of Warren, who retired in 2000 after 31 years working at area steel mills, is attending the convention as an official with the Alliance for Retired Americans, a national retired persons organization. Attending his first party convention, Luoma wants Democrats to focus on improving the nation's health care system.
Ken Mehlman, Bush-Cheney's campaign manager, called the Democratic get-together a "cosmetic makeover. We should expect ... the convention to take a far-left duckling, and make him a centralist swan," Mehlman said in regard to Kerry.
skolnick@vindy.com