Corzine's convention

Gov. Jon Corzine at the convention.: Politicker photo 

DENVER - As he partied the night away at a downtown bar following Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) acceptance speech and the end of the Democratic National Convention, Gov. Jon. Corzine radiated happiness to everyone around him.

"I feel like a kid again," said a tie-less, beaming Corzine, inviting guests in to his celebration.

Energetic all week, getting up at 5 in the morning Rocky Mountain time for interviews, and all day networking, fundraising, speech-making and morale -boosting, the governor appeared more dynamic with each passing day, culminating with his appearance at this event.

The conflict-resolution New Jersey storyline of this convention involved whether or not the delegation could harness the undercurrent of hurt and anger among Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) holdouts and channel it to Obama.

By Thursday afternoon, after a week of parties and politics, most of the members of the delegation appeared to be significantly slowed. People’s answers to questions about speeches usually contained references to feelings of being tired.

But Corzine never said he was tired. He never looked tired.

A few hours before Obama’s speech, as he attended a party thrown by Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen, the governor was asked whether there would be unity heading out of the convention, out of a sense of idealism or simply exhaustion.

"Idealism," Corzine said without hesitation. "But make no mistake, we’re in a fight right now."

After Obama’s much heralded speech, as he made his way from one hand to the next at his "Rock the Rockies" party, the governor said he loved Obama’s message, felt the idealism and vision in it, and the sense of fight; and he looked happier than he had all week, his energy and optimism for the convention seemingly vindicated, and Speaker Joe Cryan, navigating through the same packed party said, "by any measure, this was a great week for Jon Corzine."