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Excitement builds for DNC bash
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State Rep. Thomas Letson of Warren, D-64th
Valley delegates see the convention as a chance to unite behind Obama.
Delegates from the Mahoning Valley expect to have a good time at the Democratic National Convention, but most importantly they are going to witness history.
The political party will formally make U.S. Sen. Barack Obama its 2008 presidential nominee — the first time a black has earned that honor.
“I’m almost, but not quite, bursting at the thought of this,” said state Rep. Tom Letson of Warren, D-64th. “It’s not something we’ll see many times. To be there when history is made is going to be exciting.”
The Democratic National Convention in Denver’s Pepsi Center starts Monday. The convention heads outdoors Thursday as Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president at INVESCO Field at Mile High. The football stadium can hold more than 75,000.
Letson, an early Obama supporter, is an alternate convention delegate and will be at the stadium for Obama’s acceptance speech. This is Letson’s first national convention.
For Timothy Callion of Champion, a convention delegate and Obama supporter, this is his second. The vice president of Plumber and Pipefitters Local 396 was a John Kerry delegate when the Massachusetts senator was the party’s 2004 nominee.
“I was wide-eyed in 2004,” he said. “I had to pinch myself to believe I was there.”
Callion said the address given by Obama, of Illinois, then a U.S. Senate candidate, was the highlight of the 2004 convention.
“Some people said at the time that one day this guy would be a legitimate presidential candidate,” he said. “I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”
Callion said he’s eager to see the party unite behind Obama after the Illinois senator defeated U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in a hard-fought battle for support of a majority of the Democratic delegates.
“I want to see how we come together,” he said. “That’s what’s driving me to be there. All of the bad feelings are supposed to be done. If we are to win, we need to be unified. If not, we won’t win. Once the Clintons [the senator and her husband, Bill, the former president] make those speeches to unite, the party will come together.”
Because Clinton won so convincingly in the Mahoning Valley during the March Democratic primary, most of the delegates from this area supported her. The delegates for each congressional district are determined by the percentage of votes a candidate receives in the primary.
Under DNC rules, delegates pledged to a certain candidate must vote for that person during the first round of voting for the Democratic nominee at the convention.
That means Austintown Trustee David Ditzler and Jaladah Aslam of Austintown, both Clinton supporters, will vote for her. But both said they are committed to working hard to get Obama elected president.
Because of business obligations, Ditzler, a 2004 Kerry delegate, will get to the convention Wednesday.
“A lot of people have mixed emotions,” he said of Clinton delegates supporting Obama. “But when it all shakes out, a majority of Clinton delegates will support Obama.”
This is the first convention for Aslam, a staff representative for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Ohio Council 8 union.
“I don’t know what to expect [but] I’m very excited,” she said. “Obama accepting the nomination is historic.”
Though Aslam’s heard some “grumblings” from fellow Clinton supporters about the convention, she doesn’t expect a floor fight.
The Mahoning Valley’s two Democratic U.S. House members — U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th — are superdelegates. They received that designation because they serve in Congress. As superdelegates, they can support anyone for president.
Ryan threw his support behind Clinton after she soundly defeated Obama in the primary in his congressional district. Wilson never endorsed either during the selection process even though Clinton easily won his district. When Obama received enough delegates to capture the nomination and Clinton withdrew, Ryan and Wilson endorsed Obama.
Wilson attended the 2000 and 2004 conventions, but this is his first as a delegate.
“The convention will really set the tone for our next administration,” he said. “It’s an administration that promises to embrace new ideas as we tackle the serious problems our nation is facing right now. So I’m excited to see that firsthand and be a part of history. I’m also really looking forward to hearing Gov. [Ted] Strickland speak.”
Strickland and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will deliver speeches Tuesday at the convention. That’s the same day Clinton will be the event’s prime-time speaker. Both governors had supported Clinton in the primary season and now back Obama.
Wilson said Clinton supporters will back Obama.
“I believe her supporters will follow her lead,” he said. “We vetted candidates for six months in a very long primary process. Now is the time for party unity. Sen. Obama is an awesome candidate who will help unite this country.”
This is Ryan’s second time as a delegate.
As a Kerry delegate in 2004, Ryan recalls that convention as “a lot of fun. You were around a lot of Democrats, and expectations of a Kerry win were strong. We thought we couldn’t lose this thing with a war hero. It was an exciting time.”
Things didn’t turn out the way Democrats thought, with Kerry losing to President Bush.
“This one’s going to be a lot more serious because of what happened in 2004,” Ryan said. “This is going to be a tough election. It will be a little more serious. The party will leave united. We’re going to have 75,000 people at a stadium. That’s the biggest moment. It’s going to be a hell of an event.”
Convention delegate veterans — state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd, and state Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th — say this one is historic and a can’t-miss event.
“It will be a very unique convention filled with surprises,” Cafaro said. “I don’t know what to expect. I’m interested in the process with Sen. Clinton’s name placed into nomination and Sen. Obama’s acceptance speech at a stadium.”
As a lifelong Democrat and “someone who breathes politics,” Hagan said he’s excited to attend.
“There’s a lot of work, but there’s still time to enjoy yourself,” he said. “It’s big-time for me. To participate in any way is a big honor. It’s something special.”
The two say the convention is an excellent opportunity to meet and talk with fellow Democrats.
Cafaro and Hagan aren’t delegates, but probably won’t have trouble getting on the convention floor at times. Cafaro’s sister, Renee, and Hagan’s brother, Tim, are both delegates, and can give their siblings their floor credentials when they’re not using them.
skolnick@vindy.com