August 21, 2008

The 2008 Democratic National Convention will be a first-rate, technologically savvy Convention that will celebrate the strength of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, the diversity we embrace, the values we share and our vision for America. 

In May 2007, we laid down the marker in calling this a “transitional Convention” -- one that is more accessible to the American people and begins to change the way Conventions are organized, funded and implemented.  In keeping with this and the values of the 50-state strategy, this Convention highlights the importance of the West to the future of the Democratic Party. In fact, this is the first Democratic Convention to be held in the Mountain West in 100 years. A sampling of efforts to open this Convention to more Americans than ever before include:

• First Convention since 1960, when President John F. Kennedy moved his acceptance speech to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, to open its doors to more than 75,000 people from across the country, as Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for President of the United States at INVESCO Field at Mile High. In the first 48 hours after the invitation was issued, more than 80,000 Coloradans requested community credentials for Senator Obama’s speech at INVESCO Field at Mile High on Thursday, August 28, 2008.
• First Interfaith Gathering to kick off Convention week.  The event will include national and local clergy of different faiths, Party leaders, elected officials and local community leaders, symbolic of the Party’s desire to bring multiple communities together under its “big tent.”  The gathering will also feature readings from diverse religious texts, prayers and musical selections.
• First Delegate Service Day, chaired by Michelle Obama and Colorado’s First Lady Jeannie Ritter, at sites throughout the Denver area allowing delegates to join together to both contribute to and celebrate the people and organizations effecting positive change and strengthening communities in the city hosting this historic Convention.
• First Live High-Definition Streaming of Gavel-to-Gavel Convention Proceedings via DemConvention.com providing viewers worldwide with an all-access pass to the Convention.  Our online efforts will be supplemented by more than 120 credentialed blogs, a record for a national political convention, and more than three times the number of blogs at the 2004 Convention.
• First Complete Spanish Language Simulcast available at DemConvention.com and via broadcast networks making the Convention accessible to the more than 35 million Americans whose primary language is Spanish.  All primetime Convention activities at the Pepsi Center will be simulcast.
• First Daily Convention Webcast, “Countdown to America’s Future,” previewing the 2008 Democratic National Convention’s evening program each day of Convention week. Hosted by rising political stars and key campaign officials, “Countdown” will be broadcast on DemConvention.com, Comcast’s Video On-Demand (VOD) and via satellite. The series of daily webcasts will feature special appearances by campaign and Convention insiders with each show providing behind the scenes information not available anywhere else.
• First “Community Open House” and sneak peek of Convention hall for Denver area residents and students – invited to be among the first to tour the Convention hall and get a glimpse of its innovative design before the thousands of Convention delegates and guests arrive in Denver. More than 5,000 free tickets for the event were snapped up in less than 24 hours.