“I want him to connect with working families because I know that is where his heart is,” Bilberry said as she took a break from the weeklong convention. “I am looking for him to demonstrate his leadership and vision.”
Not only will Bilberry be among the 75,000 or so in Invesco Field at Mile High, she also has made arrangements for about 15 of her hometown friends and associates from the county central Democratic Party to share in the historical moment.
  
Advertisement |
Bilberry believes that Obama needs to focus on specifics in health care and the Three E’s: environment, economy and education.
“Health care is a right for all, and not a privilege for the privileged,” she said. “This is a burning issue on the Western Slope and people are desperate for solutions.”
Bilberry is a first-time delegate who got actively involved in politics as a field organizer for defeated Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (D-Mass.) six years ago.
As a mother of a 10-year-old son, she commits as much spare time as possible to Democratic Party events and also works part-time in food service and catering.
“I’ve been for Obama from day one,” she said. “Hillary Clinton ran a remarkable campaign. I was in the third row Tuesday night for her speech. I could see how emotional it was for her supporters but the Obama delegates were very respectful.
“She’s supporting Obama. The Democrats are not unified yet but I hope her supporters will follow her lead with their behavior.”
As a delegate, she’s learned to be flexible and adjust her convention schedule.
On Tuesday, for example, she got a last-minute invite for an intimate gathering of about 100 attendees who heard the struggles of women in the work and political arena. In addition to Michelle Obama, those in attendance were the Democratic vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), and four women governors. On Wednesday, she signed up at the last minute to work for two hours cleaning up a Denver park with other delegates.
Delegates to the convention pay their own expenses, and in Bilberry’s case that means on top of the $300 she received from the county central committee, she asked for and received the rest of the approximately $1,000 from friends and family. She said she spent $137 getting elected as a delegate.
“This is priceless,” she said. “What you see on television is only an inkling of the floor activity with cameras all around you, the intensity of the Secret Service and all. I couldn’t be more proud to represent the second congressional district and Colorado.”
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!