Word: podium
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...what happened in San Francisco last week was more than a ritual display of party unity. The cheers were genuine, and so were the tears of joy that flowed unabashedly from the eyes of many delegates. The Democrats knew they were making history: the woman up on the podium was the first ever selected for national office by a major party. As Geraldine Ferraro had told them earlier in accepting her nomination (by acclamation) as the vice-presidential candidate, "By choosing a woman to run for our nation's second-highest office, you send a powerful signal...
What the San Francisco convention could do to give the Democratic ticket a rousing sendoff, it accomplished. As symbolism, the mere presence of Ferraro, and to a lesser extent Jackson, on the podium might help bring to the polls many women, as well as blacks, Hispanics and members of other minorities who have not voted before. As show biz, the convention produced such an exceptionally high level of oratory that some oldtimers were arguing which speech was the best in their memory: Jackson's stem-winder or the stirring keynote by New York Governor Mario Cuomo. Party-splitting brawls...
...issue was demonstrated in almost brutal fashion when Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young spoke against the Jackson plank. Other black delegates booed and shouted throughout Young's brief speech. "You damn turncoat!" screamed one black delegate. "Uncle Tom!" cried another. Sweating profusely, Young looked shaken as he left the podium...
Still, the frustration felt by blacks raised fresh uncertainties about how Jackson would handle his long-awaited hour of glory at the convention podium on Tuesday night. When he appeared, he somehow managed to lift everyone, turning the political gathering into a revival meeting, complete with a humble confession and a plea for forgiveness. Subdued and speaking softly at first, he brought tears, then stirred delegates to shouts of joyful agreement with the powerful litany of his attack on Reagan's policies...
...electricity in the air, an excitement, a sense of new possibilities and of pride." Then came the standard campaign scene of the two candidates waving from the rostrum surrounded by members of their families, but this time with a striking twist: Ferraro's husband joined the crowd on the podium in the role of smiling, adoring spouse...