REPOST – YOUTUBE: ENTERING THE CONVENTION HALL AFTER CLINTON MOTION

If you can hang with this video for at lease a minute, you can see what it's like on the floor, and see why the fire marshall had to shut it down for a while last night. The floor was extra packed because of Sen. Clinton's surprise announcement but the hall is only about half full right now. Just take a look at how jammed the walkways are. The entrance is right at the CNN booth so you see the usual cast of characters.

Still Divided

Even after Hillary Clinton’s speech, a speech which Fmr. Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk said she delivered “masterfully” the Texas Delegation is still divided. As B Rob has said throughout our stay and as Mayor Kirk mentioned in our conversation, Texas’ Primary vote was split right down the middle. So the tension in Texas stems from such a close vote.

At the end of breakfast, Clinton supporters sought a represtative during the roll call process to ensure the vote goes smoothly
. Mayor Kirk, who is the Obama campaigns #1 person in Texas, says he trusts the process. But he is clearly ready to move past this…as are the majority of convention attendees.

Every speaker that comes to Texas says the pary is unified, yet Texas still is not. The Clinton holdouts are not the majority…but they sure are loud.

Access for General Bloggers is great!!!

There was a very passionate debate about the number of African-American themed blogs that were granted credentials for the Democratic National Convention.  That debate is quite valid.  What was never determined in that debate was how many Black Bloggers applied for credentials.

Still for those of us who were credentialed it would have been nice to have been granted more credentials.  But hey….that’s another blog.

General credentialed bloggers have excellent access.   In many respects, we have better access than many mainstream media outlets.  Our workspace -The Bloggers Lounge- is inside the Pepsi Center.  Much of the media is set up outside of the building (pictures on the way).

We have access to every media station on the inside, but our space is set aside just for us.  We have wired internet connections, and 30 minute rotating floor passes that puts us right up to the podium.

I actually feel a lot less confined as a general bloggers as opposed to being a state credentialed blogger.  The Texas perspective is part of my coverage but I don’t feel obligated.  I’m hoping to visit delegations in the battleground states over the next couple of days.

Upcoming: The Congressional Black Caucus addresses convention.