Luncheons and Blackberries - what conventions are made of

DENVER

Does a little lettuce in the keyboard hurt a computer? How about crumbs of feta cheese? Sunflower seeds?

Just wondering, because I'm in a lunch joint on Denver's famed pedestrian mall - in a sea of people bent over their computers, oblivious to the activity around them - and the tables are tiny.

Barely enough room for a laptop and a salad plate. Everyone around me seems to be absently picking produce out of their keys while they type.

If The Pilot's tech guys complain about the detritus, I'll shake my tambourine at them.

What tambourine?

The one someone handed me at the DNC Women's Caucus meeting Tuesday morning. Picture this: Hundreds, maybe thousands, of feminists crammed into a ballroom, all wildly shaking their tambourines in lieu of clapping for the speakers. Lifetime Television, the estrogen channel, provided the noisemakers.

The speakers included lots of females I didn't know. And one I did: Eva Longoria of "Desperate Housewives."

I can't remember what Longoria said because - like most everyone else - I was fiddling with my BlackBerry while she was at the mike. My new company-issued BlackBerry, that is. I'm glad I have it so I don't feel left out. At any time, half the people in any room are playing with their BlackBerries.

For those who don't have BlackBerries, these souped-up cell phones let you read e-mails and surf the Web while other people are talking. It also allows you to be somewhere, but not really be there.

Going to this woman's confab was not my idea. Earlier in the morning, I'd had a stroke of genius. I'd follow a Virginia Democrat around for a bit and get a taste of what it's like to be a delegate to a national political convention.

Everyone knows that the scripted show on TV is nothing more than a slick snippet of the convention. A lagniappe, if you will. The meat and potatoes of politics occur at the meetings, caucuses, luncheons and parties that bookend the convention floor action.

For a first-time delegate, Vivian Paige is remarkably tuned in to all that.

Leaving the Virginia breakfast on the second morning of the convention, the certified public accountant from Norfolk was quickly scrolling through her BlackBerry to see what was on her agenda.

The Women's Caucus was at the top of her list.

Lunch was a problem, though, because Paige had a conflict. At noon, she was supposed to attend the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender ) Delegate Luncheon at the Sheraton, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank.

She really wanted to attend the lunchtime launch of something called WomenCount.org, where Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was expected to speak. Paige is a pledged Hillary delegate.

"I'm going to see Hillary tomorrow," she sighed, as she sprinted along a sunny sidewalk, "so I'll go to the LGBT lunch."

I decided to lunch alone.

Later that afternoon, she planned to hit a Mark Warner reception. Then it was off to the convention - where Paige had someone saving her a good seat - to hear the former Virginia governor's keynote speech and Hillary 's swan song.

Keynote speech? What does that make Hillary's?

After the speeches, Paige said she planned to attend another party. Every day is like this, nonstop events from 8:30 a.m. until after midnight.

Late afternoon, my BlackBerry vibrated.

"It's Vivian," Paige said. "You really missed it." She said demonstrators caused a ruckus outside.

"Oh yeah, and Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance" inside at the LGBT lunch, she added.

Paige said I'd scored when I told her about an e-mail inviting me to a swanky party where the dress code was described as "cleavage." Unfortunately, that's the one thing I didn't pack.

Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306, kerry.dougherty@cox.net