Democrats Convention Throwback

Democrats in convention – 1972 – Miami

  

The New Mexico delegation was assigned to the Sea View Hotel – across from the Bal Harbor shops – some of the highest priced real estate in Florida.  The Sea View was owned by a fellow by the name of Dwayne Andreas – who was the head honcho at ADM – Archer Daniels Midland Company – said to be the biggest food company in the world at the time. Condo tenants later included Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, the late House Speaker Tip O'Neill, television journalist David Brinkley, and ADM board member and Washington superlawyer Robert Strauss.   

Perhaps the most visible person I saw while we stayed there was a Canadian man in a white suit with white hair.  When he got on the elevator, I started humming the theme to the TV show Bonanza.   Dum-dee-dee-dum-dum. Dum-dee-dee-dum-dum-dum-dum.

This was the convention that nominated George McGovern to run against Richard M Nixon.  The convention was so disorganized – sessions went on-and-on-and-on.  McGovern didn’t start his acceptance speech until 2:48am eastern time – when all of America (except Hawaii) was asleep.

There were other complications along the way, as my friend Ed Mahr noted in a story from the Albuquerque Journal (the same paper as the above clip was taken)…

From 1972 to 1976…

Democrats in convention in New York City.   A pretty big shot place for a reporter from little ol’ Albuquerque. 

My most memorable recollection – I had left the convention hall and was walking-yes walking- back to the hotel and I saw the limo carrying soon to be president Jimmy Carter driving along a darkened street – he and Roslyn were inside – waving to the empty streets.  The lights were on inside the car, so he couldn’t see there were no throngs of folks watching the motorcade.

Then in 1980, the Democrats again met in New York City.   My most memorable…our video camera broke, and the folks from NBC had set up a repair shop/help desk for all of the traveling correspondents who had come to the big city.   They fixed the camera…and away we went.

WHAT A BLAST!