Friday, July 30, 2004

And the crowd goes wild
Posted by tzannos@bostonworks.com">Svetlana Husseini at 9:27 AM -

I spent Thursday afternoon at the Park Plaza answering questions of "honored guests of the New York Delegation" ( I am not being sarcastic.  Our pins actually say that. )  I mostly gave out directions - directions to the hospitality suite, directions to the restroom, directions to other ballrooms. 

What I am saying is that there wasn't much for a beantown buddy to do on the last day of the convention.  I chatted with the State Committee staff to see how their week went and was sad to hear that they hadn't been able to see any of the city. They worked non-stop to manage the delegate parties, bussing, credentials, etc.  They were all exhausted and very excited to be packing it up.  There was, however, one last piece of business.

Every afternoon at 4:00 there is a lottery held to give out any remaining DNC credentials for that evening.  Yesterday, there were 15 credentials to give out and 153 names on the lottery list.  You had to be present to win.  Names were called once, twice, gone.  Names were called and people cheered for the lucky democrat that was there to pick up the coveted credential. 

Apparently, things were a little more heated at Wednesday's lottery.  People were doing anything to get a credential.  Names were called once, twice and "Oh, wait a minute, that's me!"  Sure.  Let me get this right, miss.  Your name is Jonathan?  Since the extra credentials were given away on the honor system, you could claim to be almost anyone.  I heard that it wasn't a pretty scene.   People were jeering and driving the credential caper out of the room.  I am sure in the end, they didn't care what we all of thought of their underhandedness, they were on the convention floor.

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