Roars for the Clintons, but Boston remains calm

Editor's note: Nate Hinchey, 18, of Jackson is the youngest member of the Missouri delegation at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. This is the second of his daily reports from the convention. Hinchey soon will begin his freshman year at Boston College.

By Nate Hinchey ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian

9 p.m. Monday: We came to our feet and the FleetCenter rumbled. Al Gore and former President Jimmy Carter shook the crowds with their powerful and stirring endorsements. Both pleaded for change and heralded the Kerry-Edwards ticket as the means to that end. In the Missouri delegation, placed not far from the stage as a means of wooing a battleground state, we cheered and clapped at the presence of these Democratic heavyweights and were in turn excited by their support of John Kerry. But as excited as the crowd was, the best was yet to come.

10:15 p.m.: The rest rooms at the Fleet Center are equipped with machines specifically tasked to distribute aspirin and ear plugs. I was sorry I didn't invest in any as the delegates roared to welcome U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton to the stage. Though she received one of the larger welcomes of the night, she was in fact merely introducing the next speaker, a man who needed no introduction and outshone all of the other speakers both in audience response and content.

10:30 p.m.: Former President Bill Clinton was the keynote and last speaker at the podium. Rather than take the route so many of the other individuals did, Clinton did not attempt to bash or demean President Bush. Instead, he called for a unified America, one where we stand together. When he echoed the words, "that which unites us is stronger than that which divides us," the conventioneers nodded in agreement and respect. He has done the best job so far of showing this election not as a clash of partisanship but as a testament to our democracy.

10:30 a.m. Tuesday: I arrived at the hotel and made my way to the hospitality room. This is a small corner room that was outfitted by the Missouri Democratic Party and is our home base. I picked up my paperwork and signed it once again into my custody. The hotel itself is brimming with press and delegates, but the city is relatively calm. Most downtown residents have taken vacations or simply left the city to avoid the traffic and mayhem of security. The roads are manageable, and only the "T," the Boston metro train system, has felt the brunt of the convention traffic.

2 p.m.: A rather light afternoon is capped by a seminar with James Carville. "The Ragin' Cajun" delivered a stirring speech on the boldness needed in the party. He riveted the crowd and pledged his support to "not a good candidate but a great candidate: John Kerry."

4 p.m.: Rushing from the Carville seminar, I headed for the convention. I am eager to hear from two of the night's speakers, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and Gov. Howard Dean. The Missouri delegation as a whole is excited to witness our own Nancy Farmer take the stage, and whispers continue to be heard about the young and prospective next senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, who has some very interesting things to say.