Wednesday’s convention is under way. There’s not really any “news” here at the moment, but perhaps I can offer a sense of what it’s like being here. First, the hall is perhaps a quarter full on the floor, and nearly empty in the bowl. Although the speakers have begun, the media seats are vacant, and it’s clearly a time in which delegates are making their way here from sightseeing, late caucus meetings, and other mid-day activities.

The delegates that are here are in full-on “mill mode,” making their way across the floor, visiting with each other and talking in small groups.

The early speeches are very brief … perhaps five minutes. The people who are seated appear generally attentive, but the listening audience is much smaller than the number of people in the hall. It’s also clear that the people who are here are skewed to the delegates of the speakers … the entire Washington delegation just rose and cheered for the latest speaker, a member of their elected representatives.

The delegation is very much the cast of characters you see in TV cut shots. From my perch (and we are on a perch, nearly at the top of the Fleet Center), a number of colorful floppy top hats are in view, as are a number of Statue of Liberty hats, American Flag hats, and the old convention standard: the Uncle Sam hat. Hats, it seems, are very much the thing, and I suppose the discerning delegate carefully considers their choice of hat.

My favorite delegate, though, is this gentleman, whom I’ve been calling “Orange Guy.” (Click the pic to see it full-sized.) He’s actually Michael J. “Orange Mike” Lowrey, a Dean delegate from Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District in Milwaukee. He’s sort of a Hagrid in hunter’s-orange pants, shirt, and hat.

It takes a certain amount of courage to walk about the city of Boston in hunger-orange regalia. A certain level of confidence … and panache. Gotta admire a guy like Orange Mike. From now on, whenever I see the DNC, or hunter orange, I’ll think: Orange Mike … he’s the man.