For a moment it felt like ancient Greece...

Churchill would have told you that democratic rule is not only messy and inconvenient but a very poor form of government.  The problem, he would have continued, is that it is better than any other. 

Hence we found ourselves in Vancouver, Washington, in a high school gymnasium planting our ample posteriors on hard, narrow stadium benches along with thousands of other Democrats.  Blue paper badges tied with white yarn hung from our necks and proclaimed our status, "Obama Delegates". 

We had arrived an hour early but still needed to walk a half mile to park, our first clue that we would be in for a long day.  The initial commitment made a month and a half ago had been to attend the Clark County Democratic Convention as delegates for our precinct.  That certificate said the convention would be from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.   Then we got the mailers which suggested that the doors opened at 7:30 a.m. and the convention would go on until the delegates were selected, recorded, each of them had paid their $50.00 state fee and the party's resolutions were voted upon.

Even if the dog had to stay home alone, we decided we were willing to give up a few hours for Obama and, more importantly, the country.  After all,  things are worse now, but they looked pretty bleak in February too.  As delegates selected through the caucuses are only committed through the first vote at the conventions, we were not taking any chances with our hard won two-to-one victory over Hillary.

My daughter, a seasoned political strategist, laughed when I encouraged her to visit us this afternoon.

"Come on over anytime after 1:30," I naively suggested, "and I'll make ribs."

"Mom, plan to spend the day.  You'll be lucky if you get to leave before 4:00 o'clock."  

"Oh, no," I argued.  "The paper said register by 9:00, but finish by 1:00."

My, my, my, how some people just love to be right.

Anyway, my first impression of caucus politics was disorganization and amazement that my fellow Democrats had a seeming inability to comprehend the geometric term 'line' or the adjective 'single-file'. 

Think volunteers, I told myself.  Think twice as many people participating as in previous years.  Think I need to be patient and, finally, think 'enjoy the process'. 

Okay, so it was new and exciting in February and we were both the picture of health.  We left knowing that our candidate had creamed Hillary two to one, which was shocking as we live in the most conservative part of our county.  Our feet barely touching the ground, my husband and I found ourselves reluctant to leave that first caucus.  There were still Hillary-pals to convert for the next event and, neighbors to befriend who,  as suddenly as Obama's candidacy, seemed worthy of pursuing as we admired each others' Obama stickers with excitement.

However, one of the reasons I don't like to commit too far in advance is related to my immune system.  I am an asthmatic and when I live life with my usual gusto, I come in contact with germ-carrying children, tango partners, adult children, friends, nurses, teachers and the public.   Unfortunately, if one of these carriers shares their two-day cold, I can be sick for two or three weeks.  Having been raised by parents in very poor health, I am also quite uncomfortable being around others when I am contagious.  To say I feel sharing illness is a felony would probably be an understatement.

Then again, this year I hadn't been sick at all, which I attributed to the pomegranate extract and ultra fortified supplements I had been forcing myself to consume daily.  Oh, I knew if I asked my son-in-law to carry me into the Convention hall on his back, he would do it.  (He's a really big guy around 6'6".)  So how could I complain when eight days ago I developed a cough?

But I was so careful, I thought.  Then my five-year-old granddaughter called. 

"You know what, Grandma?  Something terrible happened."

"Oh, my, really?" I cooed back at her.  "What was that?"

"My cough.  It was terrible." 

She's also still getting the hang of how to respond "Fine"  to the "How are you?" salutation.

Anyway, something terrible also happened at my house.  I got the virus that turns into pneumonia in infants, kills the elderly by gluing their lungs together and takes down unsuspecting asthmatics who are fervent Obama delegates.

For two days I whined, "What if I'm too sick to go?" 

Finally my husband said, "Why don't you go to the doctor, see what you're going to give me and ask him for a refill on all your prescriptions?"

Wow, I could really, really feel the love that day.

Regardless, I made a bee-line for the asthma specialist, who kindly treated me like a recovering hypochondriac.  He couldn't hear anything in my chest, see anything in my ears or find anything yet reddening my throat.  After the stethoscope didn't either, his eyes narrowed as he asked, "Have you noticed any fever?"  Of course, I answered no, which seemed to further disappoint him. 

Anyway, he gave me, literally, seven prescription medicines to combat the viral bronchitis I would soon fully develop.   My sister kindly pointed out that one of them she had seen on a television commercial. 

"Oh, Elizabeth, that's a two part medicine in one dose, isn't it?  So why do asthmatics die more often when they take that medicine, anyway?"

Hey, it was a legitimate question, but I hadn't read that far down in the disclaimers on that foot long, small-print insert inside the box.  My eyes were so bleary and itchy and my nose was running so much I didn't have enough time to put down the kleenex box long enough to read anything in between my hacking, sleep-disrupting wheezing and seal-like barking all night.  I was too sick to lie down and ended up having to sleep sitting up.  Really.  Awe, thanks for the support, guys.

Along with this lovely virus would come a severe case of tonsilitus, but it seems I did avoid developing either an ear or sinus infection and I may yet recover by Monday.  At least I am hopeful as I am almost out of tissues. 

As my doctor reassured me on Monday (it is now Saturday), "Don't worry.  Your own immune system will begin to fight off this virus in a day or so and you'll feel great in two or three days."   Oh, that man should be a Democrat, as he is such an optimist.:)  Of course, I do have a prescription for antibiotics if his predictions are off the mark.  On the eighth day I am allowed to start antibiotics if I am not substantially better. 

Not only was I still sick today, but as predicted I contaminated my husband.  In other words, we have a doozie of a bronchial flu.  Still, we went to the convention anyway.  Armed with anti-bacterial handwash and hyped up on cough suppressants for the benefit of those around us, we showed up to protect our delegate counts.  From the cacophony of choking, sneezing and coughing participants all around us, we were not alone. 

If Hillary had not started a few weeks ago touting the right of any Democractic party delegate, elected or otherwise, to 'switch' in the later conventions, I might have been less conscientious about my appearance.  On the other hand, perhaps I should thank her for sending up the hairs on the back of my neck.  Remember, I had told myself as I dragged my sick body out of bed at 6:30 a.m., Hillary says this is how one's voice gets heard.

What was the convention like?  It was both awful and magnificent and if you think 'Ancient Greece'  but with African Americans, Asians, Whites, Native Americans, Latinos and those of mixed race in the crowd you'll have a taste.  Then visualize People in Wheelchairs, the Elderly with Canes, exuberant Youthful Faces, a predominance of Boomers and the generally Middle-aged all trying to participate simultaneously and find a padded chair cushion or a handrail. 

It was invigorating to think that even if I might disagree on personality, or more specifically the actual nominee, this huge number of people was as  committed as my husband and I were to taking our country back this November. 

I would guess from the show of hands that 70% of the participants were 'newbies' to the convention like the two of us.  Whether Obama or Hillary gets the nomination, the only time I remember this kind of participation and excitement was when we wanted to stop that other endless war, Vietnam.

Yes, today there were bodies on campus filled with the democratic ideals I admire the most and though insufficient volunteers attempted to corral us into compliance and not enough signs were held above the crowds, it worked.  Within two hours we all got registered, the politicians had taken over the microphone and they were asking for our votes in opening speeches. 

My U.S. Congressman, Brian Baird, semi-redeemed his reputation for good judgment by endorsing Obama recently.  He had infuriated his anti-war Democratic base after it appeared he was duped into a ridiculous assessment of Iraq after Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus took him on the 'guided' tour.  His reception today was lukewarm, but one hopes he learned his lesson when real assessments of the 'surge is not-working' were recently confirmed by more objective parties.   Who knows, he may become one of those who leads the charge to bring our troops home.  Everybody makes mistakes.  The important thing is to learn from them.  Democrats want us to stop occupying Iraq and bring our troops home so that we can rebuild our military and protect our country.

My state senator, Craig Pridemore, is also supporting Obama, as is one of my County Commissioners, Steve Stuart. These gents were a pleasure to listen to, even if they were unable to directly endorse the candidate during their convention speeches.  I am professionally accustomed to being with lots of businessmen and women, most of whom I would identify as Republicans by their actions, so it felt fantastic yet peculiar to be with thousands of people who care about the poor, the disenfranchised, world peace, global warming and decent jobs for families.  Where at first I had felt daring by supporting Obama, today I felt validated, merely one of the crowd and still on the right path.  That was better than a warm fuzzie.

There are rules of decent behavior practiced among Democrats and those of us who are actively participating within the political system are sick to death of the mean boys and girls.  The convention was the most civil display of differing political opinions I have experienced in my life.  Oh, laugh if you will, but it felt like a huge extended family. (Confetti falls here.)

We got to walk around and were relaxed by the time the delegates were duly certified, the alternates selected to replace the delegates who flaked, the present delegate numbers recertified, and the new delegate candidates wanting to go on to the next conventions were giving their one-minute 'vote for me' speeches.  We didn't yet care that we hadn't eaten since last night even though the coffee was wearing off, our mouths were parched, we were over-heated with all the bodies around us and there were long lines outside the restrooms.  My husband finally ate an orange and I drank a bottle of water.

All I cared about was that the people we voted for as new delegates would go on to the next three conventions and support Barack Hussein Obama for President of the United States of America. 

We rejected eight people for new delegates, because there were too many volunteers. (What a wonderful problem!)  The ones who didn't make the cut for me were the two Republicans who had crossed over, then one man who had been an 'undecided' until 10 minutes before, a well-meaning woman who pronounced Illinois with an 's' on the end, and a young kid who didn't seem strong enough to organize other delegates to switch to Obama or even stand his ground.  I could have been wrong on all of them, but a minute only allows one to judge on the superficial.  Does that make me an elitist?  I hope not, but judge I did.  Luckily I knew a few of the people personally and believed them to be sincere and unwaivering Obama supporters.

In summary, things today were a bit competitive, but once the conventions are over and we can fully concentrate on November... we will be unstoppable.  We have no other choice.  The future of our country, and the world, is in our hands.  America can no longer afford a government of, by and for the Corporations.  Obama, as a constitutional scholar and a national inspiration, could not be more needed than at this time.

It has been a privilege to do my small part.  Please register to vote if you haven't already and then do yours.