Denver: Day Five

Flying High.

This night redeemed the lackluster, scripted (and feeling like it) evening before.

The roll call vote was spellbinding. And the neat little New Mexico to Illinois to New York play worked like a charmed. Only slight disappointment that delegation chair Jerry Meek didn't get to do the "The Great State of North Carolina, Home of.... " thingee.

Bill reminded us of how much we used to (and still) admire him. The huge applause he received even before he spoke was genuine and spontaneous -- full of memories of his potential and hopes that he would do the right thing -- tinged with nervousness that he might fail us again. I sensed that the Obama delegates were surprised by how intense and how positive our emotions were about the former President. We were all much more enthusiastic than we expected of ourselves with our bitter taste of his missteps during the campaign.

He was magnificent.

As one commentator said "It wasn't self-indulgent. It wasn't self-pitying. It was a speech only he could give"

One of our African-American delegates enthused " The Prodigal Son has come home. And we gave him back his card."

And Kerry did himself proud as well --reminding us again of what a decent man he is, how close he came, how wronged by the Swift Boaters, and what a good President he would have been.

And all the veterans stories were moving --not stilted as in the previous nights. And the surprise appearance of Barack. And we came together as a delegation --as much as is possible after such a bitter battle.

A grand night!