Local resident visits
Democratic National
Convention in Colorado

On the cover: The scene of the Democratic National Convention prior to Stevie
Wonder’s performance.                                                                                                       
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following text was provided by Jane Kruse, a Silver City
resident and pharmacist, who attended the Democratic National Convention, held
Aug. 25-28 in Denver, Colo. The Daily Press invites submissions for consideration
from other political party conventions.
By JANE KRUSE
Special to the Scene

    Last week, I was a close observer and a participant of the Democratic National
Convention. This was an exciting historical adventure, not only due to my connections
in Denver, but also because the renewed energy surrounding the political process was
invigorating.
    I arrived in Denver from Silver City as a volunteer as I find volunteering more fun
than working and often more rewarding. I acquired the position via the Internet for the
Democratic National Convention several months ago and received my assignment for
three days at the American Presidential Experience.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The APE is a delightful collection of traveling exhibits with historical memorabilia of previous presidents. This non-partisan event, staffed mainly with DNC volunteers, was in a parking lot of Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver during the week of the Democratic Convention. Each volunteer was trained on-site by rotating through various areas of the exhibits and in the surrounding parking or receiving areas. 

    My first day on the job included time in the “Oval Office” as well as in an area where pictures could be taken at the Oval Office desk. I also learned about the tour path at the real White House and some of the more famous rooms: East Room, Blue Room, Red Room and Lincoln’s Bedroom. 

    During the four days that I volunteered, I also got to “guard” John-John’s riding jacket, and one of Caroline’s little girl embroidered dresses, and the dress (replica) that Jackie wore the day Kennedy was killed — that took me back in time. 

    I spent some time explaining the famous Florida “voto-matic” voting machine with the confusing butterfly design and hanging chads. 

    I was fascinated with the Lincoln exhibit, especially the part that dramatically showed the deaths by geography and time during the Civil War. 

    I studied an original Declaration of Independence and walked through the “Air Force One” of Nancy and Ronald Reagan.
    There were clothing items and furniture of five or six presidents and their wives, and
information about every U.S. president.
    One display showed the political buttons of previous elections, including some from
the last Democratic Convention in Denver, held 100 years ago.
    One of my more difficult jobs was the parking lot job.
    It was very satisfying to work (volunteer) in the non-partisan American Presidential
Experience. For me it was a lot of discovery and I did “get more than I gave.”
    I learned more than I could provide and I often had to say I didn’t know the answer to
their questions.

                                       HISTORY OF THE WRITER

I grew up in Littleton, a suburb of Denver, in the 1950s and 1960s. During my high
school years, I traveled all over the city with my friends.
    Sometimes we went to concerts, sometimes to political events, and sometimes to the
beautiful parks or mountains of Colorado.
    Because of these experiences, I knew I could feel comfortable even in the middle of a
big national convention in my hometown. I knew I wanted to return to my old stomping
grounds for this historical event, and I knew that I wanted to walk the ground that I had
covered as an 18-year-old to revisit some favorite spots.
    Forty years ago, the environment and women’s issues, including health care, were
problems to discuss. I knew these would be covered again at the DNC. I participated in
two events during the DNC that recalled my earlier days in Denver.
    After volunteering for two days, I received, to my surprise, a free ticket to an event at
Red Rocks Amphitheater from my volunteer team captain. This phenomenal 9,450-seat
amphitheater is surrounded by 300-foot red sandstone rock formations.
    My volunteer partner that day was a woman from Harlem, N.Y. Together we made our
way to see Sheryl Crow, Sugarloaf, Yonder Mountain String Band, Stevie Wonder, Dave
Matthews and the incredible guitar player Tim Reynolds.
    From our seats we could see the city of Denver and the downtown convention area on
the horizon. The clouds changed colors during the sunset and the beautiful lightning show
in the distance did not frighten us. In addition to the bands, several speakers, including
the governor of Colorado, the producer of “An Inconvenient Truth,” and Robert Kennedy
Jr. took the stage. 

    Their message was concern for our environment and they each described the plans by
the city of Denver to keep the DNC as environmentally friendly as possible. To reduce
waste and save energy, the city set up stations with 1,000 loaner bicycles; they had water
bottle refill stations and encouraged the use of the light rail and other public transportation
during the event. 

    “Green Sunday at Red Rocks” was the best birthday present for me, a woman who
grew up in Denver and worries about our environment. 

    I can’t say how special I felt.

    My second most memorable “take me back in history” event of last week was also
unplanned when my sister and I received an invite to the Women’s Caucus with the
promise of a good program. 

    There were several speakers who discussed women’s issues, and, after some
uncomfortable moments with anti-abortion protesters, the headline speaker turned out to
be Michelle Obama; this woman has at least as much grace and charisma as her husband.
We were in awe at this amazing woman and her priorities of strengthening family, health care and                                                               taking care of one another. She spoke directly to me: I felt like I know her and I would be able to discuss these issues with her.
    Finally, my third most memorable moment of the week was all day Thursday. I am sure
most New Mexico residents at least saw a glimpse of that day on TV. Everyone I spoke to
commented on the importance of this historical week. I talked to a variety of folks from
Colorado and from many other areas around the country; I talked to Democrats and to
Republicans. 

    There was an intensity of emotion building toward Thursday.
    It began Tuesday when Hillary Clinton called upon Democrats to support Obama on
an anniversary for the suffragettes’ campaign for women’s voting rights. It continued
Wednesday with Bill Clinton’s well-received speech. Then, on Thursday, the night of the
big Obama speech coincided with the 45th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech by
Martin Luther King Jr.
    The three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was Friday and another horrible
hurricane, Gustav, was making its way toward the New Orleans area again.
    The underlying concern for many of the volunteers working at the Presidential
Experience was for “the ticket” into the Thursday night acceptance speech by Barack
Obama.

    This was “the” hot ticket.
    Many volunteers traveled over the country, at their own expense, in the hopes they
would get a ticket into the event.
    When I left Silver for the DNC, I did not have my ticket but did receive word on my
arrival that I would be able to pick up the community credential. The community credential
was “the ticket” and it was released through each state to those who had applied by calling
a phone number given on a specific day provided through an e-mail. The Obama campaign
had laid out a plan for this ticketing and, true to most other events of their campaign, the
Internet was the best source for information about how to participate.
    The point of this discussion: I was there and it was everything I wanted. I will
remember the DNC event forever and I am so proud and thrilled to have been a part of
the Denver event.

Each part of Thursday — morning, afternoon and evening — was like opening
another present on Christmas. Waving our American flags or holding up a “Change” sign,
standing up to clap for the speakers — it all felt like a fun roller-coaster ride complete
with laughter and screams. It was everything that every one of the 84,000 folks in the
stadium wanted to be a part of; we all left fulfilled and we all felt like we are part of the
process and part of this historical election.