BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 26 (AFP) - Democratic delegates feeling the White House within their grasp opened their national convention Monday in high spirits, raring to take on George W. Bush and replace him with John Kerry.
Four years after the party's bitter defeat in one of the most hotly disputed elections in US history, the 5,000 Democratic delegates flocking into Kerry's hometown say it's time for payback.
"We are very united," exulted Manny Rodriguez, a 55-year-old Vietnam veteran from Denver, Colorado. "Everybody is going vote for Kerry. What we need are the independents. If we get them, we'll win."
The dress code, as usual, ranged from wild to wacky.
One woman delegate was decked out in red with a huge sombrero bearing red, white and blue donkeys, the party mascot. Another Vietnam veteran showed up in a shiny black leather jacket with "We won't forget" in golden letters.
The crowd was festooned with political buttons drumming up support for causes ranging from "Our right to travel to Cuba," "Equal marriage," "Stand up for Choice (on abortion)," "Bush lies" and "Cowboys for Kerry."
Party officials, fearful of turning their nominating extravaganza here into what Republicans would condemn as a "hatefest," have given the word to tone down the attacks on Bush and keep things upbeat.
But with scars running deep over Iraq and other issues, many in the Democratic rank and file are in a feisty mood and spoiling for a political scrap.
"Bashing of Bush is inevitable, because there is so much to attack you just cannot stay quiet about it," said Helen Lopez, a fiftyish community worker from the southwestern town of Taos, New Mexico.
If Democrats agree the president has failed miserably in Iraq, they differ over what to do about it. Some want the troops back as soon as possible, others agree with Kerry they are still needed to stabilize the country.
Milton Bond, 41, a teacher from the midwestern city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said US troops should never have gone into Iraq but "now that we're in, we just can't leave. Now we have to figure out an exit plan."
Susan Pratt, a 37-year-old nurse from the midwestern city of Toledo, Ohio, said the big issues for her were the loss of about 170,000 jobs in her state and the question of health care coverage.
But she wants more than attacks on the Republicans. "I'd like to listen to the speakers, see the platform, find out more about the issues. ... I'd like to see more details on how they are going to accomplish the goals."
The Democrats came to Boston in good shape as a party, raising large amounts of cash for Kerry, outpacing the Republicans in television ads in key markets and facing a Republican president who is increasingly vulnerable.
Kerry's nomination will also cap a relatively bloodless nominating battle that left the Democrats with a rare degree of unity after managing to tear themselves apart in past years.
"The people who were a little bit to the left or the right are now becoming part of the mainstream," said Oliver Baker, a 73-year-old delegate from the midwestern city of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The delegates now want to firm up their candidate's image, hone their message and channel their emotions for the November election which is shaping up as the same cliffhanger as in 2000.
"I'd like to see the Democratic party energized behind Kerry and make this last sprint of 99 days to get him into the White House," said Bond.