The Rev. Lenwood Long Sr., a first-time delegate, runs out of superlatives in describing his experience in Denver.
In telephone call today just as he was getting ready to catch the light rail train for downtown, he called former President Bill Clinton’s speech last night "great," "fantastic" and "just magnificent."
Long, the pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Rolesville, was a Hillary Clinton supporter before he switched during the South Carolina primary to Barack Obama.
But it was the Clintons who provided most of yesterday’s excitement.
The highlight was "the drama around the roll call vote," Long said. Anticipation built for about 30 minutes before Hillary Clinton came in "with an entourage of cameras and Secret Service," he said.
When she cast all New York delegate votes for Obama and called for his nomination by acclimation, "it was a frenzy," Long said. "People were so excited."
Looking forward to Obama's speech, Long wants him to talk tonight about how he proposes to handle the challenges America faces — economic challenges in particular — and to establish an emotional connection with the audience.
"It's more important for people not to connect to his intellect, but to his heart," Long said.
Long is 63 and lives in Wake Forest. He was chief of staff to former U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton during her first term in Congress, and worked on all her campaigns.
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