A handful of the faithful from MetroWest will be among thousands of delegates from across the country descending on Denver this week for the Democratic National Convention.
Those picked to attend the convention say it will be a once-in-a-lifetime event, a chance for a front-row seat to history.
What they hope it won't be, though, is a protracted battle between supporters of Hillary Clinton and presumptive nominee Barack Obama.
For weeks leading up to the DNC, the fear has been that disgruntled Clinton supporters may put the spectacle of a divided party on display for a national audience.
Delegates such as Natick resident Rep. David Linsky, however, believe the party will present a united front this week.
"The numbers make it impossible, of course, for anyone other than Barack Obama to be the nominee," he said. "It's done and over."
Clinton, however, should be acknowledged for running a historic campaign.
"She got about 18 million votes" in the primary campaign, Linsky said. "She galvanized a lot of people in the country behind her candidacy and brought a number of people who hadn't been involved in the process before into the process.
"That's a great thing, but the reality is that Obama is going to be the nominee, and hopefully he's going to be the president of the United States. Come (Thursday) at 9 p.m., there will be a united Democratic Party."
This week's convention will be Linsky's first as a delegate, and it's one he's looking forward to.
"It's a moment in time," he said. "I'm thrilled to have a small part in it. It's something I've been looking forward to for a long time."
Also attending will be Marlborough resident and Massachusetts AFL-CIO political director Robert Bower.
"I think it's going to be a historic moment," he said of the convention.
While he doesn't see it altering the final decision on the nominee, Bower believes the lingering animosity between some Clinton and Obama supporters could be a nagging issue at the convention.
"I think it's going to be a distraction," he said. "But I think the party is so focused on taking back the White House and putting someone in the corner office that's going to take care of working families, I think they're going to get over it.
"It's a great opportunity to see this country go in the right direction," he said.
One of only two MetroWest delegates who supported Hillary Clinton, Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, last week said Clinton supporters simply want to ensure the New York senator is acknowledged as a party leader, but will ultimately line up behind Obama.
"I don't think there'll be a fractured Democratic party," she said. "I think that Hillary people who supported Hillary may feel they want to show their support.
"My feeling is Obama will be the nominee, and I will do everything I can to support him, but until that happens...I want to do what I can to support my first choice of Hillary Clinton."
While it's clear Obama will ultimately win the nomination, Spilka believes the debate within the party serves as a useful illustration of "small D" democracy at work.
"We're Democrats, we never walk lock-step in line," she joked. "This is part of what we do, we let the 'small D' democratic process work through. For anybody to say this weakens the Democratic Party, I think it's all hogwash. I think, if anything, this will help the party come together and be strong. When you think about what we stand for as a country, this is it."
Peter Reuell can be reached at 508-626-4428, or at preuell@cnc.com
