At 9 am, the TCDP decided to let everyone in and gather inside, according to precinct number. I found my precinct 2307 (which wasn’t that easy as the posted precinct numbers didn’t seem to appear in any numerical order) and we waited until around noon, when it was decided that every precinct could go to the registration tables to sign in and register. Our precinct district is rather large, I’ve been told it’s the 9th largest district, so there was 21 Obama delegates and 12 Clinton delegates and alternates, which is why I believe our convention ranrather smoothly campared to others there. The Clinton delegates challeged 6 delegates (Obama) so we signed and they reviewed our challenges. It was around 1:30 pm when we got back to our seating.

I tried to listen to the resolutions as we reviewed our voting strategy. We had lost a delegate from the credenials committee because some of the caucus attendees that were Obama supporters had mistaken our caucus for theirs and attended the wrong caucus by mistake.

Another seeming crises arose while waiting for the packets with the voting material in it. Our five alternates, filling in for delegates who couldn’t attend, were called back to the upstairs “administrative area” where our signing in and credentials room was held. They had be “certified” as delegates or something. I kept hearing announcements from the podium area saying that many delegates were over credited to one campaign or the other and I was stricken with a fear that our delegation would cut again to only 15. I found and hugged our Obama field organizer who said the TCDP had decided the alternates should be credentialed as delegates as an additional step and said our alternates should be allowed to vote for a delegate to the state convention. We returned to our seats to continue the wait for the packets.

Around resolution…, I can’t remember, but it about 3:30 pm, we were told to send one member from our precincts to the registration tables to retreive the packets. Our runner, a 18 year old high school student named Jared, waited in line there for a half hour, before returning with news that packets were going to be delivered to each precinct as they were prepared. I’m not sure what actually hapened; one of the Clinton delegates managed to get our packet about 4:00.

At 6:00 pm, we were done voting and were packing up to leave. we were taking pictures and thanking each other for all the hard work everyone put in. A middle-aged woman with grayish-blond short hair, a blue Obama t-shirt and stickers and her arm walked up to our group.

“You can’t leave,” she said. “There are Clinton lawyers who are here. I’m not an Obama supporter. I’ve met them. They arew downstairs right now. One of them was at the election office last night. They are planning to challenge the convention if the Obama people leave. You need to stay, they are aggressive.”

I didn’t know what to think. I wanted to leave and I knew several people from the Fort Worth campaign office and I didn’t know her. I also didn’t know what to think about a woman who says she’s not an Obama supporter, but is wearing his t-shirt. I went to find someone I knew that would know what the story was.

I tracked down well-known and well-connected Obama supporter in the crendentials office. There were police officers standing at the door and a lot of people in line at the packats table. This is what I remember him saying. “I don’t want any Obama suppoters leaving. I would say it like this: We have been waiting a long time for this moment. They need to wait a little longer. Pass the word.”

I did and we waited. And ordered pizza. And listened at least 55 or 56 resolutions. And to a lot of tired and upset people. We finally left at around 8:00 pm. The convention wasn’t over, but we were too tired to stay. We did our best and I hope that the thousands of people who spent 12 or hours will get their vote and their voices heard. AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERRS!

“I belong to no organized political party, I’m a Democrat”