Guest blogging the DNC: Joel McNally
In more than four decades as a journalist, often writing about politics, I was never assigned to cover a national political convention. Editors liked my column with its provocative, liberal point of view, but for serious political coverage, it might bother many conservative readers.
That’s not a problem blogging for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the legions of Wisconsinites who care more about working people than Scott Walker and are more honest than Paul Ryan.
So it was a joy to arrive in Charlotte to be serenaded by a rock band fronted by actor and honorary “dude” Jeff Bridges with flowing hair and beard. Right-wing Republican morality czar William Bennett hurried through the crowd to escape the taint of Bridges’ radical rock cause of fighting childhood hunger.
When the rain hit, the restaurant I took shelter with a friend from (naturally) NPR. We were surrounded by national journalists and once or future political leaders such as Gen. Wesley Clark.
Every table seemed to filled with laughing people in high spirits and most of them weren’t even drunk. Then I got back to the hotel in time to welcome Congresswoman Gwen Moore and the state’s next great Democratic Senator, CongresswomanTammy Baldwin to Charlotte.