CHARLOTTE — First signs this was political territory? T-shirts. NYC Council Candidate Andy King wore a giant Obama photo stretching from Andy’s Adam’s apple right down to his Garden of Eden. Another’s read: “25 years ago we had Ronald Reagan, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope. Now we got Obama, no cash and no hope.”
A fast sign you were leaving NYC? The stewardess wore spike platform heels plus a splint of bracelets. And lacking overhead space, hand luggage went cargo. Upon arrival, Diane Sawyer and I ID’d ours when it got tumbled onto the tarmac.
It was 84 degrees. Great-looking Diane, inside a wintry black down coat: “In Tampa, the air conditioning was so high that I was freezing.”
Now, the speakers: Second only to our VP Joe Burden is donkey Jimmy Carter, on whom voters played Pin the Tail. One delegate mumbled: “Lucky he’s not addressing the convention live. Can’t throw something at him.”
And Clinton? Here’s a story I couldn’t tell earlier. Hillary’s mother’s house. Just the immediate family and the trusted loyals. The loathing spewed about B.O. cannot be found on Valentine cards. So why’s the ex prez introducing the current prez? Partly, vindication. Now between Barack and a hard place, Obama needs Bill.
New York’s delegates were treated to bowling last night. Although all were in the free pizza-and-burger lines, none were in the lanes. I mean Rep. Jerry Nadler bowling? Despite lacking Calista Flockhart’s measurements, Nadler said: “With surgery, I lost 130 pounds. I had to give away all my clothes.” Then: “With this election we’ll not only win, we’ll take over the House.”
In a corner of “An LGBT posse” Lower East Side Councilwoman Rosie Mendez: “They call me the next council speaker after Christine Quinn. We lesbians have always been big. Now we’ll be bigger.”
Long Island Rep. Gary Ackerman: “After 30 years doing this, I’m done. This is my last. Print my phone number so maybe I’ll get a few calls for maybe consulting.”
The CNN Grill was action central. Andrea Mitchell in one booth, political pro Robert Zimmerman at another, CNN’s Donna Brazile with her sister, a reservation 10 p.m. for Rosario Dawson, Jeff Bridges not eating just doing an interview. The Davids — Cohn and Nurnberg, who run the operation — kept pushing: “Try our fried bologna. It’s for Charlotte. A testament to the South.” Fried bologna? Sounds more like a testament to the candidates.
Added one of the Davids: “This space is smaller than Tampa’s, but we’ll seat more people — 250 — because of outdoor seating.” Fine. Only rain was pouring as he said it.
After a chicken dinner, heading for bed 9:30ish — Charlie Rose. “I was born in North Carolina. In Henderson. In my 20s I’d say, metaphorically, a train heading east passed through my head, and I got on it. But I spend time here. I’ve since bought a home near where my mother’s buried.” An excited fan squealing “Charleeeee” shoved her cellphone at the nearest body and ordered, “Take our picture.” The stunned congressman took it.
At yesterday’s breakfast, Chuck Schumer, never at a loss for a paragraph although nursing a coffee container, said: “For ‘Morning Joe,’ I got up 5:30, in the car at 6. I love real city cities — New York, Boston, Philly, San Francisco — not these spread-out schlepperville places with no there there. But I love conventions. Because I love these people. I usually must travel 300 miles to see them. But they’re all here. They’re my people.”
We hugged. His suit was soft. “It’s reduced. Got it wholesale from a New York firm — Hickey Freeman.”
Everyone stood to applaud Speaker Sheldon Silver, who told me: “My suits come from Brooklyn’s Martin Greenfield. My ties from Century 21.”
Manhattan Beep Scott Stringer sat next to former Manhattan Beep C.Virginia Fields. She: “I gotta pick up some grub.” He: “I’m picking up some votes for mayor.” Another Gracie Mansion contender Bill Thompson: “I’ve got to pick up some sleep. I’m exhausted. I just flew in after doing that West Indian parade.”
Denny Farrell, who probably recalls Lincoln’s inaugural: “This convention’s different.” Why? “Because this breakfast is under a tent.” Wow, Denny, thanks so much for your wisdom.
Amid repeat shrieks of “On to victory” and “Let’s rumble,” Jerry Goldfeder, an attorney, nailed me to say in teaching election law he based some facet on my column and ended his dissertation with: “Only in Fordham, kids, only in Fordham.”
Unequipped for this zoo, Charlotte isn’t totally thrilled despite making money from it. But everyone’s loving. Drivers wear jackets and ties. Mine kindly toted my gear, my umbrella and late at night escorted me to my room. Just like a Manhattan cabbie, right?
Lacking enough hotel rooms, we’re mostly billeted a sleeper jump from the convention. My place has no room service, no minibar, no safe, a fridge but no ice and a microwave with nothing to put in it — but kind personnel offer to fetch takeout.
I do, however, have television. By some oddity, at this Democratic convention my room’s TV defaults automatically to Fox, an operation not wildly pro-Obama.