Day Three: Colorado Dems at the DNC
Wednesday
Colorado Dems woke up Wednesday running on Obama Energy!
Well, only a little energy for some of the group. Gov. Pritzker threw a delegate party Tuesday night that included food and a performance by John Legend. The Young Democrats in the group looked a little extra tired that morning. No amount of coffee would save them.
It was a daily ritual. An alarm alerted a sleep-deprived delegate to put in some eye drops and make it downstairs within a small window of time to get the valued credentials. There was a risk that if a delegate were late, the credentials would be given to a guest.
There's nothing like a bit of morning motivation.
To make the Credential Crunch more lucrative, the Colorado Delegation would gather to hear from their elected and other guest speakers every day. Now, the groups that usually included familiar friends or geography grew at mid-convention. Over a communal breakfast of bacon and eggs, a table could consist of a diverse group of individuals, including a former Governor, the founder of Celestial Seasonings, the son of a famous Colorado changemaker, his best friend, the state treasurer, a chemist, and two nurses. Rank and title rescinded — just changemakers coming together in a spirit of unity and shared purpose, all dedicated to the Democratic cause.
It was as if a simple meal reduced the boundaries and expectations and united the room as one: Democrats. A shared political group and ideology, but so much more. All the people in the room were deeply concerned about the people in their districts and the existential threat against democracy. This shared concern for democracy was a powerful unifying force, transcending individual differences and bringing everyone together. Delegates proved this transcendence by unifying for Harris in 48 hours.
So much for the circular firing squad.
Delegates concluded the breakfast session with a group picture in their Delegate Shirts.
As the convention continued, connecting with delegates from other states grew more manageable. While the ritual of exchanging State Pins took a back seat to friendship bracelets, interactions were more spontaneous, joyful, hopeful, and helpful.
As delegates shared their causes, a correlation emerged. The fight in rural areas in Colorado mimics rural regions of Pennsylvania. Concerns about education, clean water, racism, and voting rights are aligned regardless of boundary lines. The common element concerns the people, the planet, and our democracy.
No matter what area of the country they represented, all delegates shared a unified vision. Their priorities may have differed based on geography, but the overall mission was clear. They were there because they cared.
Michelle’s powerful words resonated: ‘Instead of complaining, do something.’ This call to action inspired many delegates to take a more proactive role in shaping their future for themselves and the communities they represented.
Wednesday was another training day, caucuses, meetings, and perhaps an elicit nap or two.
Delegates could learn about Project 2025 and how to educate the community about its dangers.
McCormick Place was the destination for learning, attending Dempalooza, and picking up coveted Harris buttons. Colorado delegates could embrace healthier food options at McCormick as well. Instead of paying $83.00 for three hamburgers at the United Center, a delegate could purchase three large salads to eat on the bus for $40.
The most popular place for delegates to gather was at the coffee station. One delegate related her experience in the coffee line, talking with a member of one of the wealthier delegations who boasted about being pampered with a Lake Michigan cruise. The conversation turned to another delegate sharing her story about being on call to deliver babies. She was late the first day since she was the only OB-GYN for the reservation she serviced.
It was a bonding destination that provided coffee and a chance to share information on shortcuts, bus hacks, and the love of comfortable shoes. It was a place to breathe and be human for a moment while awash in the excitement that something amazing was happening. It was a feeling that had been missing for the past nine years.
Hope.
Speaking of shoes, Dempaloozza offered a chance to see some famous ones — like Barrack Obama’s
And JFK’s.
The women’s bathroom at McCormick had words of encouragement on the mirror.
Later that day, the list dropped.
6:00 PMWelcome
Remarks
The Honorable Cory Booker
United States Senator, New JerseyJoint
Remarks
The Honorable Aftab Pureval
Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
The Honorable Cavalier Johnson
Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Joint Remarks
Rashawn Spivey and Deanna Branch
Lead pipe removal advocatesRemarks
The Honorable Lisa Blunt Rochester
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Delaware
Remarks
The Honorable Grace Meng
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New York
Remarks: “Project 2025 — Chapter Three: Freedoms”
The Honorable Jared Polis
Governor of Colorado
Remarks
The Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Florida
Remarks
The Honorable Suzan DelBene
Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Remarks
The Honorable Keith Ellison
Attorney General of Minnesota
Remarks
The Honorable Dana Nessel
Attorney General of MichiganJoint
Remarks
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg
Parents of Hersh Goldberg-PolinPerformance
Maren Morris
American singer-songwriter7:00 PM
Remarks
The Honorable Veronica Escobar
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas
Remarks
The Honorable Chris Murphy
United States Senator, Connecticut
Remarks
The Honorable Javier Salazar
Sheriff of Bexar County, Texas
Remarks
The Honorable Pete Aguilar
Chair of the House Democratic CaucusInfluencer
Remarks
Carlos Eduardo Espina
Content creator
Remarks
Olivia Troye
Former Trump administration national security official
Remarks
The Honorable Geoff Duncan
Former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Remarks
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi
Remarks
Sergeant Aquilino Gonell
Retired United States Capitol Police Officer
Remarks
The Honorable Andy Kim
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New JerseyInfluencer
Remarks
Olivia Julianna
Content creatorPerformance
Stevie Wonder
American singer-songwriter and musician
Remarks
Kenan Thompson and Guests on Project 2025
American comedian and actor
8:00 PM
Host Introduction
Mindy Kaling
Remarks
The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader
Remarks
The Honorable Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States
Remarks
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives
Remarks
The Honorable Josh Shapiro
Governor of Pennsylvania
Remarks
Alexander Hudlin
Jasper Emhoff
Arden Emhoff
Remarks
The Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto
United States Senator, Nevada9:00 PM
Performance
Amanda Gorman
National Youth Poet Laureate
Remarks
The Honorable Wes Moore
Governor of MarylandRemarks
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Performance
John Legend
American singer-songwriter
Sheila E.
American singer and drummer
Remarks
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator, Minnesota
Remarks
Benjamin C. Ingman
Former student of Governor Walz
Remarks
The Honorable Tim Walz
Governor of Minnesota
Benediction
William Emmanuel Hall
Colorado delegates in matching shirts piled on the bus for a much faster ride to the United Center. Routes were changed to avoid altercations, which worked in the delegate’s favor.
Getting to the United Center early meant stopping to take a photo in front of the Kamala Harris mural. According to the LA Times, Ian Robertson-Salt and Pe Que Brown made the mural in 2020 for VP Harris’ campaign. Emily’s List commissioned the art.
This includes a chance to wander through the United Center and spot a statue of one of the most accomplished athletes ever. The Michael Jordan statue was created by the husband-wife team of Omri and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany of Highland Park, Illinois, in 1994.
The area was packed with content creators and other news and entertainment organizations.
On Wednesday night, Colorado had a chance to cheer on Gov. Polis, who presented on Project 2025.
Author note: For anyone who disputes his testimony, you can download a copy of Project 2025 at:
https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
Then, use Control F and type in an issue you are questioning. It requires inference, critical thinking skills, and a lot of coffee.
Delegates were treated to Stevie Wonder, John Legend, but the crowd went bananas when this special guest made her way to the stage.
Her message was powerful! As an independent, she usually stayed out of politics, but the stakes were too high. Everything America stood for was at stake.
Per Heather Cox Richardson, Oprah said, ” Only in America could there be a me.”
After delegates checked under their seats for car keys (IYKYK), they prepared for the night's final speaker.
Coach Walz!
Former students wearing their old football jerseys took the stage. The room of delegates chanted, “Coach!” and waved their signs. Afterward, a beautifully constructed biographical video taught the audience more about Gov. Walz.
Finally, Coach took the stage. Fighting back tears, he expressed his gratitude and spoke about the joy permeating the campaign. He reminded the crowd to care for one another and mind their own damn business.
His children were overcome with emotion. As the camera zoomed in on his neurodivergent son, Gus, many of the Colorado Delegates were moved to happy tears as well. It has been ages since anyone has seen familial love on display, especially in politics.
The night concluded with the song “Keep on Rockin' in the Free World” by Neil Young. The Colorado Delegates danced and sang along.
A fun fact: Young personally allowed the DNC to use his song. When the Trump campaign played it, he sued them to make them stop.
Keep on Rockin!