Things to do in Denver when you're cred: Democratic convention troubles

Last Modified: 28 Jul 2008
By: Felicity Spector

The Democrats' first 'green convention' is already $10m in the red, Felicity Spector blogs.

The fundraising is $10m dollars short, their healthy menu guidelines have been pilloried in the press, and even the much vaunted daisies bred specially for next month's Democratic convention have failed to blossom.

It's really not coming up daisies for city officials, who're being forced to deny that they're incapable of organising such a massive event - or that local companies are hit so hard by the economic downturn that they're unable to donate the necessary cash.

The local mayor is less than happy with the prospect of hundreds of thousands of eager Obama supporters descending on the place for the candidate's football stadium speech.

Making a donation also allows you to be in with a chance of spending time with the candidate behind the scenes during the address.

According to the LA Times, John Hickenlooper compared it to a summer he spent painting a house, and never getting paid.

"If we'd known back then what we know now, we'd never have done it" he said, although apparently he did hastily add that he was glad they were hosting the thing.

On face value, the Democratic Party is making a right and proper effort to make this the first "green convention", with delegates flying in from far-flung states offsetting their travels with carbon credits.

A carbon calculator will also be set up so visitors can inspect their own carbon footprints. And Obama's team are really trying to open up the convention speech to the public - a truly radical initiative that could make a real splash.

For as little as 50 bucks, making a donation also allows you to be in with a chance of spending time with the candidate behind the scenes during the address.

But more on the menu fiasco - which is even cropping up on foodie websites like Epicurious. The fuss all reignited after one Denver councillor accused the uber-healthy set of culinary guidelines of masking an anti-southern bias.

Here are just a few of those rules: no fried food, at least half of all meals should be fruit or vegetables, at least 70 per cent of ingredients must be organic and/or grown locally, in Colorado... so far, so sensible.

But then the crazy bit: each meal must contain at least three of these five colours: red, green, yellow, white - and purple/blue.

Blue?! Where did they get off with that? All it achieved was setting up an easy punchline for irate councillor Charlie Brown (what else would he be called?): "You can't turn red states blue, especially Southern ones, without fried chicken", he declared.

'Each meal must contain at least three of these five colours: red, green, yellow, white - and purple/blue.'
Charlie Brown, councillor

And it's not just dyed-in-the-wool southerners who are fretting about the food police: the correspondents covering the event haven't been too happy at the prospect of all that wheatgrass juice and mung bean salad with soya dressing on the side.

But now, at least, they can rest assured: public affairs chiefs have insisted there will be cholesterol on tap - and to prove it, they even passed out doughnuts during the press briefing.

Now there's just that little matter of $10m to raise. More doughnuts, anyone?