Becalmed In Beantown

By David Paul Kuhn,
CBSNews.com Chief Political Writer

On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, many Bostonians have left the city. With eight F-16s flying above and unprecedented security beginning to close much of downtown off to normalcy, Bostonians are mixed on whether the influx of 35,000 people to attend the convention is good for the city.

"It's very unusually quiet. It's going to get really active starting tomorrow," says Roland Botelho, 50, holding his flute, sitting on a curb and playing for change. "I play down here for coffee money."

It was midday and he had earned none, as the few in Boston Commons stroll by him casually.

"I've been coming here for years, off and on, to play," Botelho continues, lifting his dirty baseball cap, spreading his legs out on the walkway. "It's okay that the Democrats are coming. If anything, at least it's not boring. You know: it's good see all the different people, from all over and stuff."

There are more than 700 events planned for Boston. The media will gather Saturday evening, a few thousand just entering the city this weekend. But most of the parties are scheduled for Sunday night. A reception then at City Hall will host nearly 50,000 people. The delegate parties are littering the city then as well -- as will a few of the elite, either Hollywood power-brokering Democrats or the alpha politicians themselves. The Clintons, for example, will be at the MTV "Rock the Vote" party with actress Natalie Portman, and many more.

"People are talking a lot about it and it's been hyped up into this huge thing," says Rebecca Nasman, 25, working the Ann Taylor in Boston's Newbury St., the Rodeo Drive of Beantown, adding that "it's really quiet."

The store is empty. The eight female employees working are chatting, fiddling with the clothing racks.

"There weren't many people on the train tonight," she continues. "Personally. I think a lot of people are avoiding the city. I have an internship and the whole company basically shut down for the week," she adds, speaking of a small book-publishing house at which she works.

Investment adviser Paul Dougherty, 48, says the same. "All the people have left and so I stuck around, to fly under the radar," he explains, reading Barrons on the front stoop of his Beacon Hill red-brick walk-up. "I'm happy to have the convention here but I'm not happy about them closing the roads 20-miles outside Boston"

Boston's North Station is closed for the week. The 24-hour security zone has been set up around the FleetCenter, with traffic restrictions. Shops bordering the center, where the convention is being held, had to close for the week. One pizza joint owner, in frustration, put up a "Go Bush" sign in protest.

Botelho thinks a lot of locals have left because of the restrictions. A half hour later, he has still not earned any change, playing his sterling silver flute wildly. Taking another break to chat, he tells of his brother-in-law who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He adds that he does vote, if he can.

"I'm more of the old-school conservative type Democrat," he explains between sessions, playing what he calls improvised classical. "What's strange is I don't see anyone else playing. I don't even see this weatherman who usually panhandles and tells people the weather. It's unusual if he's not here," Botelho adds, chuckling, lifting his flute to play on.