The Unconventional Diaries: Clinton’s grand finale wraps up the Democratic show

Yahoo News enlisted participants at the Democratic National Convention representing different viewpoints and roles to file daily diary entries on their experiences in Philadelphia. They were your eyes and ears at one of the most unconventional political gatherings in generations, offering a front-row seat on the convention floor, behind-the-scenes access to key political meetings and a vivid picture of what conventions are really like, both inside and outside the arena. Here are yesterday’s entries.

(And here are the entries from last week’s Republican National Convention.)

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Thursday was an awesome day. The program was a nice summary of the week. It hit on all of the themes all week long. We heard about gun safety, leadership, temperament, honesty and compassion. We heard about Donald Trump’s fraudulent, mentally unstable threat as a presidential candidate. It all came together. One of the videos even compared to the bully in “A Christmas Story.” That was perfect.

Earlier in the day, we went to a fundraiser for Kamala Harris, the California attorney general who is running for Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat. I think she’s a star, and I always tell her that I look forward to her being the second woman president. I would be the first person on the plane to Iowa to campaign for her in the caucuses. It was nice having our families together. Then we went back to the hotel to rest, so we could make sure to get to the arena early.

The speakers were great. Chelsea was a magnificently poised young woman. We were proud to see her grow up in Arkansas, and she delivered tonight. She described her mother in personal terms and spoke from the heart. It was relatable, even though it wasn’t loud and dynamic.

I was so beyond proud to be standing on the front row, to see Hillary take the nomination to become the next president. It was an incredible moment. Her speech was perfect, the message fantastic. If you look at the snapshot polling, American people have liked what they’ve seen this week.

We also got a chance to party a bit. After the convention was over, we went to the Finance Committee event at the Kimmel Center downtown. It was a great time.

This week’s convention was fantastic. It had everything. You saw the best theatrical production, along with some of the world’s most significant policy makers, in one place. We saw the most perfect speakers — I cried and I laughed. I was compelled to think critically. It was the convention designed for the time in which we live. We live in a time in which millennials can’t concentrate, and they made sure the convention was entertaining. It was technologically innovative, but at the end of the day, it was deadly serious. And that’s what this election is. There were some brilliant young people who put this together. This is the best political convention that this country has ever seen.

As told to Andrew Bahl

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Thursday morning was back to business as usual. Those of us who are Mecklenburg County, N.C., delegates had an impromptu meeting with our state chair. We discussed how to best organize our county for the November election and made some good plans for our return to Charlotte.

I’m really happy with the way this week turned out. The party united, as I thought it would. In 2008, a co-worker of mine was an avid Hillary supporter. When she found out I was going to the DNC as a pledged Obama delegate, she completely went off on me in the middle of the office. She even insisted she was voting for John McCain. I tried to reason with her, and then she took a deep breath and apologized. She said she was just venting. She did go on to vote for Obama and, years later, I ran into her and she really supported the president. I think that’s the way this week was for a lot of people.

Sanders supporters were mad, upset and very emotional. They just needed to get that out of their systems. Two days ago, there were so many protesters you couldn’t get around outside the arena. Today, that wasn’t a problem. I wished that they could’ve gotten it out of their systems before the convention, but I think they’ll come around eventually — just like my old co-worker.

On Wednesday night, the arena was packed. People really fought for their seats. It was worth it, though. The speeches were incredible. Joe Biden knocked it out of the park. Obviously, Kaine had a tough job following Biden, but he did a good job. Kaine definitely won over some people. Going into this week, a lot of people found Kaine to be boring and uninspiring, and were disappointed with the choice of him for VP. On Monday, I had even heard some rumors that Sanders’ supporters were going to try to push forward a measure to nominate Nina Turner, a state senator from Ohio, instead of Kaine. That didn’t end up happening.

Nothing makes me prouder to be an American than listening to President Obama speak. Conversely, it makes me ashamed to be an American when I hear Donald Trump. President Obama really articulated the values that America stands for. Sometimes, I think people have a misunderstanding of American pride, where they chalk it all up to star-spangled pomp and circumstance. It should be commitment to the ideals that this nation stands for. Donald Trump tries to appeal to some of the caricatures of what American pride is supposed to be, but President Obama really articulates what pride in our values is really means.

Last night, I went to the Rock the Vote party, where that positivity continued. The Black Eyed Peas played and Will.I.Am gave a moving speech on specific issues, like reforming the prison industrial complex and funding public schools. I found the topic of education personally moving, as I’m a teacher.

Going into this election, I’m cautiously optimistic. I think we’ll be unified, but I’m nervous about the dangers that Trump poses. There is no reasoning with Trump supporters, and that’s concerning. I think we could win — and I think we will — but the stakes are so high. The other delegates and I fear that with a President Trump, we’d face economic collapse and nuclear war, among other serious ramifications. Like Michelle Obama said, every election is important, but given the Republican nominee this year, it’s even more important. I feel good about Hillary Clinton’s chances, but knowing Donald Trump’s deep base of illogical supporters makes me incredibly nervous.

Thank you all for taking the time to follow my experience at the DNC this week. I’ve had a ton of fun. If you want to keep up with me, follow me on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram @VinodCThomas.

As told to Susanna Heller/Yahoo News

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After a few late-night parties (and afterparties and after-afterparties), I finally got to bed around 4 a.m. Thursday morning. Luckily, I was able to sleep late and recharge a little bit before today’s events. But unfortunately, it’s also the day I’m leaving Philadelphia. Family obligations require that I return to California before seeing the main event Thursday night and welcoming the first-ever woman to be nominated by a major political party. But sitting here at my gate in the Philadelphia airport thinking back on the whole week, I’m struck by how renewed my spirit is in this election.

Wednesday was such a blur, but in the best possible way. Much of the morning was spent prepping for NextGen Climate’s big event, called “Why We Vote.” We rented out a great craft beer bar and invited a couple of hundred organizers, activists, reporters, influencers and just all-around smart people to join us in a conversation about how young people view the 2016 election and what we can do to ensure we turn them out to vote.

Ben Smith, editor in chief of BuzzFeed, moderated a panel discussion in which I was included, along with some of my favorite people who live and breathe the youth vote: Mayor Svante Myrick of Ithaca, N.Y., co-founder of La Machine and DREAMer Ellie Perez of Phoenix and James Shelley of the band American Authors. The conversation was wide-ranging and emotional, especially when Ellie shared how important it was for her as an undocumented person, without the right to vote, to make sure her peers get to the polls this fall.

More and more, it’s dawning on me — and the rest of the convention-goers, I believe — how much is truly at stake in this election. Ellie’s stories about how much she fears for her family if Donald Trump is elected were a jolt to the system. It’s not just the policy differences between Clinton and Trump, it’s about protecting and extending Obama’s legacy. That’s the primary reason why watching President Obama speak Wednesday night was such an emotional experience for me.

I worked for President Obama’s campaign in 2012 — and gave all of myself every day for a year. And watching him speak last night really reminded me of all the hard work we put in to elect him — and all the hard work he’s done to create a clean-energy economy, to make our country more fair and equal, and to just be a role model to millions of young people. I started tearing up during the president’s introduction video, and then gave in to full-fledged sobbing throughout the speech itself. I can still feel the immense gratitude that filled the room last night. Truly awesome.

There are so many impassioned Americans in Philly right now, speaking up for their families and friends and neighbors, celebrating a progressive vision for America. Their stories and energy will help keep me focused and committed to ensuring we elect climate-action candidates up and down the ticket this year.

But first, it’s time for a nap.

As told to Andrew Bahl/Yahoo News

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Wednesday night was spectacular. My husband and I were running late, so we ended up sitting way up top, but it was a great view. It was so packed in the arena. When the ushers tried to help people find seats, they literally couldn’t — every seat was taken. We received an email saying that the fire marshal would be counting people as they entered the arena and would be more strict about credentials on the floor.

I woke up Thursday morning and started my morning routine, making notes for my presentations that day. In the afternoon, I participated in a roundtable about the Jewish vote. I spoke about how the gender gap among voters is evident in the Jewish vote too. Though the Jewish vote is overwhelmingly Democratic, Jewish women are more likely to not only vote Democrat, but also be politically active. I had some fun at that roundtable.

In typical convention fashion, there were many familiar faces in the audience, including my cousin who lives in Florida. The DNC is a cross between the every-four-years Olympics and a family reunion. We have some of everything here. At the end of the day, we did some training on how to talk about the issues at stake in this election and how to make a case to vote for Hillary.

I also agreed to be interviewed for a podcast targeted at Jewish women. My last message on the podcast was: “As you go out and campaign, and I know you will because it is so important, hold on to the material you use. Someday, you’ll want to show your children and tell them how we made history.”

More than ever, I feel very upbeat about the election. I think we have a terrific candidate, and it’s great how Democrats have come together. It is so important that we get together in our target states. As I talk to people, I tell them, “I’ll see you in Ohio, I’ll see you in Florida.” The bones of the structure are in place. People are leaving Philadelphia very upbeat and very determined. Overlaying all of that is the wonderful sense that we are making history.

This is a door that never closes once you open it. You cannot want what you cannot even imagine. You cannot work toward something that you cannot even dream of. Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominee of a major party sets an example: It puts a picture in people’s minds of what is possible and what can be done. I think that we will immediately see an increase in women running for office at every level and stepping forward to do what might not have seemed possible before.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that Hillary tried and came close in 2008, but then she got back up and tried again. I think that’s an equally important message. You don’t make history in just one, single dance step. It’s a lot of work. And Hillary has set that example.

As told to Susanna Heller/Yahoo News

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Strong. Hopeful. Compassionate. That was everything I wanted in a speech from our next president, and then there’s the added bonus of making history.

Hillary Clinton’s mastery of the complex policy challenges and her years of experience are more than enough to qualify her for the Oval Office. But what we saw Thursday night, what we see in her continued progress forward, is that she just won’t quit — not when she knows she can make a difference.

That conviction, that deep sense of purpose, emanates from her with every speech and was on full display all week, and especially tonight. It’s why I know she won’t quit on us or let us quit.

The oft-repeated refrain of being called to do good and to do the most you can — for the longest you can, wherever you can — really sums up who she is as a person. And hearing the testimonials of the people who know her best, who’ve experienced the worst, who have been helped by Hillary, all culminated in hearing from Hillary in her own words.

I honestly don’t think I’ve processed all that has occurred this week. It’s been an overwhelming experience. As a volunteer, I’ve been at the arena for 10 to 12 hours a day and haven’t turned on a television or read a news story all week. All I know is what I heard and what I saw inside that arena, and that was an America that is bright and full of promise. And that’s not because we don’t have challenges in front of us, but because we have the capacity to face them — and solve them — together. I look forward to getting home and hearing how others respond to this week.

I hope the convention resonated with Americans, because as Hillary said tonight, “We have to decide whether we all will work together, so we all can rise together.”

Finally, I don’t think I could close out this diary series without sharing with you the experience of that epic balloon drop!

It’s been an epic four days. Now on to the real fight — and the next 102 days until Election Day!

As written by Tracy Russo

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