I expected to work hard at the conventions. I didn’t expect to be so moved on a personal level. While the focus of attention was on the big-name politicians, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the delegates…

I saw fresh-faced first-time voters. A baby in his mother’s arms. Women decked out in the most fantastically outrageous hats I’ve ever seen. A die-hard Hillary supporter swaddled in Hillary buttons.

They came on buses. Planes. In wheelchairs. An Ohio delegate, who suffered a stroke in May, told us her desire to be here in Denver motivated her in rehab.

Outside the Pepsi Center, I spoke with three African-American delegates. One told me she never thought a black person would be nominated president in her lifetime. Her friends nodded in agreement.

The headlines are all about Barack and the Clintons, and the VP pick. For me, the real story here is that of ordinary people who came to Denver with big hearts and a lot of hope.

Next week, On Point heads to St. Paul for the Republican National Convention. There, we’ll speak with a former POW from Ohio who was in a prison camp with John McCain.

Each convention tells a different story. I’ll be listening.

Tags: Producer's Notebook