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Jamie Dupree

Barack Obama's Week

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Jamie Dupree
@ August 25, 2008 12:22 AM
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A tour of the city of Denver made it very clear that this is going to be Barack Obama's week at the Democratic Convention. Whether it turns out to be as lucky as William Jennings Bryan when he was nominated here in 1908, we'll get that answer in November.

My travels took me to a number of delegation hotels, rallies, news conferences and more over the past two days. And I think it's pretty clear what the story line will be.

History is being made. A person of color is going to be nominated by a major party for President of the United States.

And by the way, most of the delegates seem excited - even the ones who are pledged for Hillary.

"There's a great level of enthusiasm for Barack Obama," said delegate and former Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Jim Ruvolo, who continues his streak of being interviewed by me to four straight Democratic conventions.

"You know, you've got two kinds of Clinton people. You've got the professionals like me, and we're here," said Ruvolo. As for the others, the die-hards, "They're going to be tougher."

But Ruvolo and others all predicted that just like the Republicans, most Democrats will "come home" and vote for the party nominee in November.

Meanwhile, the choice of Sen. Joe Biden seemed to be doing well with Democrats of all stripes.

"I think Joe Biden is a great pick for Obama," Gov. Brad Henry of Oklahoma told me. "It makes a strong ticket even stronger."

That line was echoed in every corner of Denver, save for a few Hillary Clinton supporters who said a woman should have been picked. But they are clearly in the minority.

Like I said, this is Barack Obama's Week.

Tonight, the big speech will be given by Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, as we count down the days until her husband is nominated.

The whole idea that a black man is about to be the nominee almost seemed to be too much for Civil Rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-GA.)

"It is unreal, it is unbelievable," Lewis said to me in an interview. The man who first attended a Democratic Convention in 1964 when many black Americans didn't have a real right to vote was clearly stunned by the thought of Obama's impending achievement.

"If somebody told me a few short years ago that this would be happening, I would have said, 'You are crazy. You are out of your mind,'" Lewis added.

A lot of people will try to convince you that this week is all about the Clintons and all about Hillary trying to undermine Barack Obama.

Don't get fooled by that. It will be a story, but more of a sidebar.

That's going to be drowned out, by the sheer number of people here who are talking about one person, Barack Obama.



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