Special Guest Post and Report by Alexandra M. Svokos

I MET ANDERSON COOPER! And he was perfect.

Unfortunately, on Tuesday August 27, I lost my paper of notes somewhere at the convention. Awesome. So I’m going to make a timeline based on pictures and texts I sent.

4:28PM: The Svokos family gets to the shuttle bus stop. On the bus we pass the “Barack in a bottle” truck. It’s a life size poster of Barack encased in flimsy plastic on the back of a truck. Seriously.

5:27PM: Upon entering the Pepsi Center, we run into Biff Henderson from Late Show with David Letterman. He tells us that “this is our last chance” to fix foreign relations and essentially save America but asks us to not tell anyone. “Actually, I don’t care at all,” he then says.

5:39PM: Having learned that the floor gets crazy later on in the night, we venture immediately onto the floor. There we seek out Kal Penn – and find him! No, the bright yellow vest is not a fashion statement; he’s actually a volunteer at the convention. My sisters and I decide not to talk to him though because he is very busy and gets a little frustrated every time people ask for a picture.

5:46PM: Anderson Cooper walks by. I grab my sister and we use brute force to reach him. She shakes his hand with both of her hands, tells him that she really admires him, and runs away to faint. I shake his hand and said “it’s nice to meet you” and he replies the same. My sister, Elizabeth, then stands panting against the wall when a worker at the convention comes over to make sure she was alright.

“Sorry, I just met Anderson Cooper. I love him.”
“Well I hate to ruin this moment, but I have to ask you to keep moving.”

5:52PM: While walking by the CNN station we run into that creepy looking newscaster, James Carville.
6:07PM: The family climbs up to the suite.
6:43PM: After eating, we go to sit down among the West Virginia delegates.
7:38PM: Madeleine Albright walks down the aisle. I wave, she waves back. Then she sits down two rows ahead of me. Incredible.

7:54PM: “McCain more of the same” and “Obama for the change we need” signs handed out. There are a lot of signs. I wonder exactly how many trees were killed to foster this experience. Some volunteers yell when we hold up the new signs; apparently we have to wait for the right speech.



7:59PM: That guy from The West Wing, Richard Schiff, walks through the row my parents are sitting in. He looks a little confused.

8:11PM: The governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland, makes a speech. He states that George W. Bush was born on third and thought he hit a triple. In office as president, “he stole second.”


8:16PM: Bill Clinton arrives. Every camera turns to watch him.
8:36PM: The governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer, finishes an absolutely rousing and scene-stealing speech and has the crowd on their feet screaming “YES WE CAN.”
8:42PM: Hillary Clinton starts her speech. When she reaches the podium the crowd is jumping, screaming, chanting. It doesn’t stop for a good two minutes. My sister Erin’s friend turns to her with tears in his eyes and says “Hey Erin, this is really special.”
8:51PM: Hillary thanks her “sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits.” Meanwhile she is wearing an orange pantsuit. What an odd choice of color.

8:56PM: “I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?” Hillary lets her fans know that it’s alright to vote for Obama. In fact, she really wants you to. Her entire speech revolves around the idea of unity and we are even given “Hillary/Unity” and “Obama/Unity” posters on cardboard sticks. They’re fun and obstructive.
9:10PM: Hillary talks about Harriet Tubman’s advice to “keep going” no matter what.
9:14PM: Hillary finishes her speech.
9:21PM: We board the bus to return to the hotel.
9:26PM: A woman behind me on the bus is talking on her cell phone to what sounds like a daughter. She talks about the convention, how Hillary did, when she’s going to get home. She says, “I really miss you but I’m glad I came.”
10:05PM: My sister throws a “Hillary/Unity” sign at me like a spear. And a goodnight to you too.