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DENVER — Hillary Clinton probably felt she had made her point.

During a role call of states in which Clinton was registering support, but not nearly enough to challenge Barack Obama for the Democratic Party nomination, Clinton put a stop to the process and asked her fellow Democrats to nominate Obama by acclamation. Her motion met with a resounding “Aye!” formally and finally ending a process that had dragged on for 18 months.

The floor maneuvers that put Clinton in the spotlight just before 5 p.m. Denver time reinforced the theme organizers of the Democratic National Convention have been pounding home all week — that Clinton truly is on board with Obama for President.

Chuck Mohlke of Naples had a good view of the announcement, both literally and figuratively.

A member of the Democratic National Committee, Mohlke was aware of the plan to bring Clinton into the Pepsi Center to call for Obama’s nomination in person. “They had to shut the place down,” he said of the security arrangements put together to get Clinton in and out.

“The nice thing about it is that it was genuinely spontaneous, not heavily scripted,” Mohlke said. Clinton’s appearance came a few hours after she met with supporters to tell them in person that she was releasing them from their obligation to vote for her.

Mohlke was seated about 50 feet away from the spot where Clinton made her call from the floor. “We could stand on our chairs and see her better than on TV. It was so well received. The level of energy was just remarkable,” Mohlke said.

Karen Thurman, Chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party also had a prime floor seat near the New York delegation when Clinton took the microphone. “It was so historical today. A great day for Democrats. Hillary was given the opportunity to close the deal,” Thurman said later.

In 2000, Florida was the beneficiary of convention machinations that allowed its state delegates to cast the votes to put Al Gore over the number needed for the nomination.

This year, it was New York and Clinton, with New Mexico, which was next in the alphabetical role call, deferring to Obama’s home state of Illinois, which had passed earlier. Illinois then ceded its place to New York, at which point Clinton was introduced to a surprised and receptive crowd.

Florida cast its votes in its natural order, with 136 votes going to Obama, 51 to Clinton and one abstention.

The drama of the Clinton request threatened to make speeches by her husband, former President Bill Clinton and vice presidential nominee Joe Biden scheduled for Wednesday evening a pair of anti-climatic afterthoughts.

************

DENVER — Terri Brady warned Florida Democrats things could change.

She was right.

What on Tuesday looked to be a paper ballot system for Florida’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention to vote for the party’s nominee, by Wednesday had morphed into a voice vote, with each delegate proceeding to a table to announce his or her vote and have that vote recorded on a master list.

The process had delegates lined up around the banquet room of the Red Lion hotel and promised to eat up most of the morning.

The vote, a formality on one level since Barack Obama will be the nominee, is important to many of the delegates who want the chance to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The final tally could be seen as a barometer of support for Obama among a Florida delegation that was made up of a majority of Clinton supporters, based on the outcome of the state’s January primary.

But delegates casting votes for Clinton on Wednesday morning warned that reading too much into a split decision would be a mistake.

Delegate Barbara Schwartz of Miami cast her ballot for Clinton but said she’ll vote for Obama in the fall.

“That’s what we do. We come together,” she said.

Cindy Lerner, who traveled to New Hampshire to support Clinton in that state’s early primary, said her support for Obama will go beyond voting, in spite of the fact she cast a ballot for Clinton on Wednesday.

“It felt really good to vote for her,” Lerner said. “I think it’s important it go down in history, her coming as close as she did to winning the nomination.”

She said she’ll knock on doors, work phone banks or do whatever else is required to get Obama elected. “That’s my role in the party. It’s my conviction about the importance of political engagement.”

Eddie Lewis, a candidate for Dade County property appraiser, voted for Obama on Wednesday in spite of his earlier support for Clinton.

Clinton’s speech Tuesday night expressing her support for Obama persuaded Lewis to vote for her one-time rival.

He too said his efforts on behalf of Obama will match those he would have put forth for Clinton.

“This is not about Clinton. It’s not about Obama. It’s about the nation. The nation is due for a change,” Lewis said.

Democratic leaders on the national level are counting on Florida’s Clinton backers to fully support Obama.

Again on Wednesday, Democrats from other states spoke to delegates about the importance of Florida in the national picture.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer rallied Florida, pulling no punches as delegates finished their breakfasts.

“You don’t win elections by showing up at these breakfasts. You win elections by knocking on doors,” said Schweitzer, fresh off a prime-time speech at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday. “(Florida) is a state that decides elections. And lately you’ve been doing a damn poor job.”

* * *

In one more sign of the effort to reconcile the Clinton and Obama camps heading to November, Florida delegates learned Wednesday that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a strong Clinton backer and a U.S. House member representing parts of Dade and Broward counties, would be one of the speakers placing Barack Obama’s name in nomination later in the day.

* * *

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham departed from the party line of criticizing Republican presidential candidate John McCain during his remarks to the delegation Wednesday.

“Some of you may not like what I have to say,” Graham began. “We have two quality people running for president.

“John McCain is not a perfect man. He can be a little emotional ... but he is fundamentally a good person. I would feel comfortable waking up in the morning with John McCain as president.”

Graham went on to say that McCain represents a continuation of the policies of President George W. Bush. “If you believe what we need is another four years, then vote John McCain. If you believe we need to take a different track, Barack Obama will start the process of restoring America,” Graham said.

* * *

Southwest Florida got a moment in the spotlight Wednesday when Dave Aronberg, a state senator who represents part of Lee County, spoke at the breakfast meeting.

Aronberg, the youngest member of the state Senate, said his focus of late has been on younger voters.

“Young voters are motivated like never before. Young voters are working hard for the voice of a new generation, Barack Obama,” Aronberg said.

* * *

It wasn’t all politics Wednesday. Rick Minor, chairman of the Democratic Party of Leon County, sprang a surprise marriage proposal on his fiancée, Jessica Lowe, on the podium.

She said yes.

Late Tuesday

There is no doubt supporters of Barack Obama now love Sen. Hillary Clinton. That was evident Tuesday night, as Clinton took the stage to a boisterous, extended reception.

It was impossible to discern a Clinton voter from an Obama voter inside the Pepsi Center. They all roared when her face appeared on the arena’s monitors at 8:37 p.m. They stood in unison and waved white “Hillary” placards five minutes later when she took the stage. Then came the words Democrats needed to hear. “I am honored to be here tonight ... a proud supporter of Barack Obama.” The crowd responded heartily to that and all the other applause lines peppered throughout her 23-minute speech.

“The time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team.” She allowed a few minutes to look back on her own campaign, recalling poignant and funny moments from the 18-month run that left her just short of her party’s nomination.

She thanked her supporters. “You never gave in, you never gave up. And together we made history.”

Then she went back to the message Democratic leaders know is critical to winning in November, Clinton’s support for Obama. “I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years. Those are the reasons I ran for president. Those are the reasons I support Barack Obama. And those are the reasons you should, too.”

And when she signed off with, “We are Americans. We are not big on quitting. But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president. We don’t have a moment to lose or a vote to spare,” they cheered one more time.

Heading into Wednesday’s nomination vote, Obama supporters have embraced Clinton. The next question will be, have the Clinton supporters embraced Obama?

* * *

The first day of the Democratic National Convention was overwhelmingly upbeat.

Focusing on unity has a way of doing that.

But the quest for a happy face, rooted in the at-times bitter primary battle between nominee Obama and Clinton, was put on hold Tuesday as the tone shifted toward the negative.

Speaker after speaker used their time at the podium to criticize President George W. Bush, seeking to link him to Republican nominee John McCain.

Bashing Bush is one topic all the conventioneers can get behind.

McCain has assumed a close second at the Democrats’ favorite whipping boy.

Assailing McCain for not pushing hard enough for renewable energy, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas said, “McCain does believe in some renewables. He wants to renew the failed Bush agenda for another four years.” The tack of linking McCain to unpopular Republican figures ran through the preliminary speeches leading to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s crucial speech.

“John McCain has also renewed the Bush-Rove style of politics, built on bringing down your opponents instead of lifting America up,” Sebelius said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell had the best laugh line of the evening. Contrasting McCain’s image as a maverick with his voting record siding with Bush the majority of the time, he said, “That’s not a maverick, that’s a side-kick.”

On a roll, Rendell continued, “They’re asking for four more years. How about four more months?”

The audience joined in the chant, “Four more months, four more months...”

Delegates on the floor were equipped with placards emphasizing the theme of the evening: “McCain The Same.”

While Clinton’s speech was clearly the most important of the evening, the title of keynote speaker was held by Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia and current candidate for U.S. Senate.

Keynote speaker was a role filled by Barack Obama in 2004.

Warner, not unaware of that fact, delivered a speech shifting away from the relentless criticism. Bush and McCain did not escape unmentioned, but the bulk of Warner’s address was spent talking about a hopeful future with Barack Obama as president.

“America has never been afraid of the future, and we shouldn’t start now,” he said. Quoting Virginian Thomas Jefferson, he said, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”

* * *

In an attempt to quell the chaos that was the convention floor Monday, some delegates were picked to serve as volunteer “whips.” Visible in fluorescent vests, the whips’ job was to keep the aisles, which were packed to a standstill Monday, clear.

As Warner wrapped up his speech, they were generally successful. The real challenge, maintaining order through the Clinton speech, was still ahead.