At the 2000 national convention, an obscure state senator from Illinois decided to come to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Since he wasn’t an official delegate, he was unable to secure the credentials that allow access to the convention floor. He spent the day much as many thousands of others at the convention do, eating nachos in the hallway and silently people watching as some of the nation’s leaders walked by (“Look, it’s Joe Biden! Look, it’s Hillary Clinton!”).
A day or so later, state senator Obama, no doubt frustrated by the crowds and the lack of a floor pass, decided to fly back to Chicago. And in a final indignity, when he went to the counter to return his rental car, his credit card was declined.
Eight years later, he’s back. With floor credentials.
