RACINE — It’s a day that is over a year in the making and, even though it’s not how organizers originally intended it would be, participants in the Democratic National Convention are excited.
“Welcome to the DNC at Connie’s house,” Connie Cobb Madsen, a Biden Delegate said. “This is my set up in front of my computer, just going back and forth from emails and agenda trying to see what I want to participate in each day.”
Cobb Madsen was excited to participate in the DNC for the first time in her home state. However, as COVID-19 changed that, her excitement never wavered. Sure, she didn’t anticipate she’d be camped out inside her Racine County home for four straight days. The glow of her computer screen illuminates her DNC t-shirt; fully adorned with buttons supporting Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.
She may be doing it from home but she’s treating it like she’s there in person.
“I had this on before you called me,” Cobb Madsen said. “This is my DNC t-shirt and the pins we got. Today, we got some more things for our flags and our boards to show tonight.”
Cobb Madsen has a full schedule over the next few days. She’s virtually attending caucuses and training classes so she can do her part in trying to get Biden elected.
“My day is kind of full,” Cobb Madsen said with a smile. “There are three caucus meetings I want to attend and a pre-program this evening before the actual convention part at 8. There is a list of activities I want to do today.”
Cobb Madsen chose caucus events to attend that are specific to her interests; the Black caucus, a Women’s caucus, and a Labor caucus. She is planning for this week to be a busy one, but a rewarding one.
The DNC being in Milwaukee wasn’t the biggest connection she had to the convention. So, when it was announced it wouldn’t physically be in Southeast Wisconsin, she still had a number of other connections.
“I feel so connected,” Cobb Madsen said. “This is so important to me. As an African American woman, as a Democrat, as the sorority sister of the Vice-Presidential nominee, it’s all so important to me.”
She is of course referring to Kamala Harris, who is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority. Cobb Madsen is also a member of the historically Black sorority.
“Knowing she is an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman makes it all the better,” Cobb Madsen said. “Just because we’re having to do it virtually doesn’t mean it’s not important to me or won’t be a big plus in my life that I’ll share for years from now. It’s still just as exciting. Looking forward to it and looking forward to hearing Senator Harris speak and I know at some point, I’ll get to meet her face to face.”
Whether she gets to meet Harris before the election or not, the hard work for Cobb Madsen starts at the end of this week. She’s going to use the knowledge she gains from this convention to campaign for Biden in the hopes he’s elected as the next President of the United States. But until then, she’s going to enjoy virtually every second of the DNC from the comfort of her home.
“I still feel excited for all the things I'll be able to participate in,” Cobb Madsen said. “It’s not a letdown. Of course, you wanted to have all those people and excitement but I'm going to make my excitement at 8 o'clock tonight when it starts. I'm going to put my signs up and take pictures.”
