Philadelphia-area delegates head south for Democratic National Convention

The Republicans have nominated their presidential candidate, and Mitt Romney’s accepted. So now it’s the other party’s turn.

Democrats are headed to their convention in North Carolina this week and some Philadelphia-area delegates are making the trip.

Democratic National Convention delegate Eleanor Dezzi said the convention is not just one big party.

“This will be my seventh Convention. There are some serious discussions that go on there,” she said.

Dezzi, the president of a political and business consulting firm, said the convention does offer a chance to meet other Pennsylvanians.

“This is a time when you get to be with the delegates from all over Pennsylvania and you get to see some of the issues that we might not think of here in Philadelphia — like agriculture and now the fracking,” she said. “And we hear the concerns of other parts of Pennsylvania and we realize what a diverse state we live in.”

Dezzi added that the display of diversity goes even further at the conventions.

“Some of the people come in native costumes,” she said. “So you’ll see the cheeseheads from Wisconsin, and you’ll see lots of Native Americans come in these gorgeous outfits and you’ll see people from Samoa and Guam.”

“I’ve been part of at least four other conventions — this is the first time I’m a delegate,” says Mark Aronchick, a Penn Valley resident and lawyer in Philadelphia. “I’m glad they’re trimmed down — that the conventions are trimmed down to three days instead of four, that prime-time television is focusing on something that matters.”

Philadelphia area delegates will see at least two familiar faces at the convention — Mayor Michael Nutter and U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz will speak, though Schwartz said Monday they were instructed not to reveal the day or time of their addresses,