Go, Governor Bolo Tie!

The Democrats found the electrical socket last night. After Monday’s well orchestrated, but restrained opening event, convention delegates and guests began to make a little noise. Organizers gave delegates a chance to whoop it up in small doses between some early dry speeches with a little dancing and music as the evening built toward Senator Hillary Clinton’s speech. Resplendent in a tangerine pantsuit, she brought the house down, but I am getting ahead of myself.

A parade of governors, former governors, and others spoke on topics economic and energy related, as delegates worked hard to keep in a festive mood. Organizers wisely chose Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer as the night’s final speaker before Clinton’s tangerine dream speech. One of the benefits of being the governor of Montana is that you are allowed to wear the hard to pull off men’s accessory, the bolo tie. The bolo tie is a long leather shoestring secured around your neck with one of your grandmother’s brooches. It is a fashion statement that says, “I spend a lot of time on the range with cattle. You have a problem with that?”

Governor Schweitzer gave the speech delegates had long awaited. He spoke to the audience as opposed to reciting policy. He lifted the mood by bouncing and dancing a little and waving his hands as he joked about the Republicans and engaged Democrats to work toward hard until November. He was the cheerleader the hall had lacked the previous day. Had a vendor been selling Schweitzer bolo ties on the convention floor, he would have sold at least 100, which is probably more than have been sold in this country in the last 25 years combined.

Organizers sensing the frenzy Schweitzer created immediately threw cold water on the moment by turning the lights off and letting the somber tones of the Clinton introduction video waft over the crowd as he exited stage left. President Bill Clinton had entered the hall a few moments into the Schweitzer speech and was sitting a little more than a hundred feet from me. He reveled in the moment as his wife recovered the festive move and brought the hall to its feet with calls for unity behind Barack Obama, self deprecating humor and a few well-placed jabs at Senator John McCain.

Tuesday evening was what modern conventions have become, a little policy, a little politics and a whole lot of showmanship.