Moran: Life before the convention

Kennebec County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Rita Moran of Winthrop, who leaves Saturday for the Democratic National Convention in Denver, took some time to record her thoughts before she heads West. Here's (most of) what she wrote: As we convention delegates sat around the table at the Blaine House Wednesday, the reality of what was to come next, and the road we had all taken to get there, finally hit home. Let's go back a few months. Becoming a national convention delegate isn't an easy process. It begins with commitment, the strong desire to be part of a team poised to make history. Of course we didn't know what sort of history would be made at that point, but we were all pretty sure the Democratic Party would nominate either the first American woman, or the first African-American, to run for president in a major party. But despite the long caucus/primary season, many Maine Democrats wanted to be part of the national convention process, to raise the money (somewhere between one and two thousand dollars) and take a week out their busy lives and go to Denver. We began by gathering about forty (a few extra to be sure) signatures on a nominating petition, much as candidates for elected office do. Delegates come in several categories: congressional district, at-large (statewide), and PLEO (party leader and elected official). Each requires a separate petition, but many of us ran in multiple categories to maximize our chances. Some won; some lost