Democrats at their national convention in Chicago are feeling the energy, even at 7 a.m. state delegation breakfasts at downtown hotels. You know, there are speeches at these breakfasts. Party stars show up to stoke the spirits of the faithful.
"Hello everybody! Good morning, Illinois," said Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock. And the crowd chorused back "good morning."
Wednesday's roster of leaders getting facetime with the Illinois delegation included Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, union leaders, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
The high-profile speakers also try to make or reinforce connections with people in the delegations, because politicians are people-people and they want connections, and maybe because there might be a future candidacy in there somewhere. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reminded Illinois Democrats he got his first full-time job in Chicago. And then he met a cute DePaul University graduate student named Chasten and ended up marrying him.
"I actually proposed to him at gate B-5 at O'Hare, so don't let anybody tell you O'Hare is not romantic. (crowd laughs). It feels good to be in Chicago and it feels good to be with a winning Democratic party," said Buttigieg amid cheers.
That kind of cheerful blast of friendliness happens at every convention. Peoria area state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth has been to three of them. Yet Gordon-Booth said Chicago 2024 is a definite contrast from the others.
"This one without question has been the most electric and the one with the most joy," said Gordon-Booth.
One of the reasons for that, Peoria state Sen. Dave Koehler said, is that here there are conversations about how to involve groups that have been less involved recently.
"It has been very uplifting, very hopeful, which is very different than talking about fear and crisis and calamity and bloodbaths and all that. I think that the American people really want to feel hope because that's what drives us forward," said Koehler.
Koehler said this convention can also try to reassure people who may align with the other major party and who fear change. He said change is going to happen but when Democrats demonstrate a common purpose, that "we are all in this together," diversity becomes a strength and a building block for the nation, not something to be fought and feared.
Dewitt County Party Chair and 15th district state central committee member Terry Redman said he also hopes the message of inclusion will resonate with moderate Republicans and independents as well as the Democratic party faithful.
"Democrats are the party of 'we.' We're not the party of me. And I think the people have seen under Donald Trump what the party of me brings you to," said Redman.
Redman said it's also important to honor the past. He is happy at the sendoff given President Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s recognition of Biden’s significance in fighting to save democracy and more.
"I thought it was very important to recognize Joe for all the work he has done. He has probably had more legislation passed than anybody since FDR," said Redman.
Business
In addition to bridge building, outreach, and stoking the rank and file for the campaign, a lot of business gets done. There are sessions on data analytics and campaign techniques, crafting a winning message, any issue you'd care to mention, and the networking, oh the networking. State Rep. Sharon Chung of Bloomington said sometimes even chance-met connections bear fruit.
"Last night I met somebody in line who is from Texas. We were talking about how education looks in Texas versus education here in Illinois. Those are some things I always really care about," said Chung.
Chung said it is also nice getting to know other Asian American lawmakers from around the country.
"I don't get a chance to do that much in Central Illinois, I have to say. So, that's been really great," said Chung.
It's also not all naked politics. Sometimes there is constituent service. Koehler said the meetings let people connect in a little different way than one does in Springfield.
"There's not only the delegates here. There are a lot of other groups. I've connected with the Farm Bureau here. The Corn Growers had an event the other day. I've seen a lot of people that are engaged in the legislation that we're doing. It's a chance in this kind of setting to further refine relationships. And politics is 90% relationships," said Koehler.
Koehler said the issues may be the same, but the context is different.
There's always something stressful
Amid the previously mentioned joy of the grand gathering, Democrats say they feel there are some things that are kind of a bummer. Here are a couple.
"I've been having a little bit of anxiety over how I was going to get from one part of the city to the other, thinking I was probably going to spend most of my time trying to get somewhere and that has kind of been the case. That part has been a little frustrating," said Chung.
"The security perimeter right now is really, really intense. We saw a line, I bet it was a mile long, of folks just waiting to get into the United Center. Delegates were two hours late," said McLean County Party Chair Patrick Cortesi.
Rep. Gordon-Booth was one of those. She got into the building but was still blocked. And about that time the roll call of states started. She's a delegate. She was supposed to be there in the Illinois section. The young people gatekeeping were having none of it. A lot of people got stressed, she said. Gordon-Booth said she ended up trying to defuse the situation just through conversation, by asking people about themselves and where they were from. It worked.
And all's well that ends well for Gordon-Booth. She said she got to her spot just as Gov. JB Pritzker opened the speech pledging state delegates to Kamala Harris.
There's also simply too much to do. That's stressful.
"It's hard to keep up with all of it. We were out until 2 a.m. last night," said Terry Redman.
"It's exhausting. So, you've got to pace yourself, but it's all worth it," said Cortesi.
"I'm loving every second of it, said Redman.
Thursday night
Harris, the vice president and party presidential nominee, could be forgiven for feeling some stress too. Her big moment to address the nation comes Thursday night.
Central Illinois party members said they believe Harris needs to say certain things. Koehler of Peoria said he wants Harris to build on the "commonality" articulated by Michele and Barack Obama on Tuesday night
"She needs to reach out and say, we're not all perfect. We're not all going to agree on everything, but we do need to have that unity of purpose. Let's understand who we are. What's exciting about the convention audience is it looks like America. The diversity that exists in that room is phenomenal," said Koehler.
Gordon-Booth said sure, there's the survival of democracy, and energizing the party faithful points to make, but she thinks other themes have surfaced that moderates and uncommitted voters will embrace.
"The economic message that is emerging is something that I think quite frankly, I'm surprised that it took this long. But I am so happy that someone is talking about the housing crisis that many young people in our community are going to be grappling with," said Gordon-Booth.
What next
Reviews of the convention by Central Illinois Democrats have been good apart from the traffic and the security delays. As a technical exercise, McLean County Chair Patrick Cortesi said he thinks the rollout of communication strategy so far has been good.
"I don't know that we've had a down cycle in a media cycle yet. It feels like the national party and (Harris') campaign are pacing these events out," said Cortesi.
After the end of the convention there will be a couple days of enthusiasm.
"Then what's next, right? So, for us as a local party we're doing our candidate rollout announcement next week. And then it's going to be the Labor Day Parade. And then it's going to be doing some of these 'weekends of action' with celebrity walkers coming out and walking with us. So, you just have to pace it through and don't let up," said Cortesi.
And Sharon Chung said time's a wasting.
"We have about 11 weeks, which for some people, for me being in a campaign this year, seems to be a very short amount of time," said Chung.
And then on Nov. 5, they vote.
