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Two Roseburg Democrats watched history unfold Wednesday as their party nominated Barack Obama as its nominee during an interesting day at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Delegates first waited for more than an hour Wednesday to file into a convention center room to hear New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Clinton called a special caucus meeting to tell delegates committed to her that she had cast her presidential delegate ballot for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and that she was releasing her delegates.
“There was a huge ‘noooo’ that went through the room when she said that,” said Dean Byers, a Roseburg resident serving as a delegate at the convention.
As she did in her convention speech on Tuesday, Clinton told her delegates that it was more important that their values be represented in the White House than to support Republican Sen. John McCain and have four more years of George Bush-style politics running the country.
Byers, an Obama delegate, said he continues to be impressed by the efforts Clinton has taken in publicly supporting the man who defeated her after a long and sometimes bitter primary campaign.
“She said the election was about more than just personalities,” he said.
Later in the day, Clinton stepped to the New York delegation microphone on the convention floor and halted the traditional roll call of delegation votes. Instead, she called for unanimous consent to nominate Obama as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
“That was really classy of her,” said Sara Byers, Dean Byers’ wife and an alternate delegate.
The Byers said they were also impressed with Wednesday’s speech from Sen. Joe Biden, Obama’s running mate.
The Delaware senator came from humble beginnings and persevered despite the death of his first wife and one of his children in a car accident after he was elected to Congress in 1972 but before he was sworn in.
“It’s a story all of us can identify with,” Sara Byers said. “It’s the same with the story of Michelle Obama and the story of Barack Obama.”
They said they were glad Biden hit hard at areas where he thought McCain was wrong, as in the war in Iraq and on universal health care, even though he described McCain as a close friend.
The Byerses said they were caught off guard when Obama walked out onto the stage at the end of Biden’s speech. They were unaware that he had sneaked into the building.
“It was a complete surprise. We had no idea,” she said.
The Byerses said they weren’t worried by calls by the Focus on the Family group led by James Dobson calling for a deluge to spoil tonight’s acceptance speech by Obama outside at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Sara Byers said, chuckling.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
Delegates first waited for more than an hour Wednesday to file into a convention center room to hear New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Clinton called a special caucus meeting to tell delegates committed to her that she had cast her presidential delegate ballot for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and that she was releasing her delegates.
“There was a huge ‘noooo’ that went through the room when she said that,” said Dean Byers, a Roseburg resident serving as a delegate at the convention.
As she did in her convention speech on Tuesday, Clinton told her delegates that it was more important that their values be represented in the White House than to support Republican Sen. John McCain and have four more years of George Bush-style politics running the country.
Byers, an Obama delegate, said he continues to be impressed by the efforts Clinton has taken in publicly supporting the man who defeated her after a long and sometimes bitter primary campaign.
“She said the election was about more than just personalities,” he said.
Later in the day, Clinton stepped to the New York delegation microphone on the convention floor and halted the traditional roll call of delegation votes. Instead, she called for unanimous consent to nominate Obama as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
“That was really classy of her,” said Sara Byers, Dean Byers’ wife and an alternate delegate.
The Byers said they were also impressed with Wednesday’s speech from Sen. Joe Biden, Obama’s running mate.
The Delaware senator came from humble beginnings and persevered despite the death of his first wife and one of his children in a car accident after he was elected to Congress in 1972 but before he was sworn in.
“It’s a story all of us can identify with,” Sara Byers said. “It’s the same with the story of Michelle Obama and the story of Barack Obama.”
They said they were glad Biden hit hard at areas where he thought McCain was wrong, as in the war in Iraq and on universal health care, even though he described McCain as a close friend.
The Byerses said they were caught off guard when Obama walked out onto the stage at the end of Biden’s speech. They were unaware that he had sneaked into the building.
“It was a complete surprise. We had no idea,” she said.
The Byerses said they weren’t worried by calls by the Focus on the Family group led by James Dobson calling for a deluge to spoil tonight’s acceptance speech by Obama outside at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Sara Byers said, chuckling.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
