Steve Bell's 2008 Democratic convention sketchbook: Day three

Wednesday. A marginally less hot one, but still in the 80s. I’m living my life back to front here since I have to file my comment page cartoon at sparrow fart. I sit at a downtown lunch counter where punters munch burgers and gaze at the TV while I discreetly gaze at them Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

Inside the hall which seems to have been overrun by Greek Orthodox priests Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

There is a roll call where each state allocates their votes to either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. The genial but slightly demonic looking mistress of ceremonies is the DNC secretary, Alice Travis Germond. In alphabetical order, each state has an opportunity to talk itself up, while announcing its tally of votes. Montana is a particularly egregious example, taking about 15 minutes to sing the praises of its big skies and allocate its measly 23 votes Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

When they reach the Ns, something interesting happens. New Mexico basically (though not exactly in these terms) says 'Aw fuck it, we’re giving all our votes to Illinois!'. They are followed immediately by New York, and who should suddenly appear on the floor but Hillary Clinton, senator for that state, who asks every state to throw its weight behind Obama and acclaim him as the official Democratic presidential candidate Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

Much later, during primetime, Bill Clinton delivers a storming speech. He loves doing it and they love him for it. His hair glows white and his nose glows pink as he nails and hammers home to the convention the key themes of the coming election campaign. He makes it look easy, but he really is a class act as politician Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

Last time candidate John Kerry has a very hard act to follow and the crowd is definitely post-coital, but he makes a reasonable fist of it, nailing Republican hypocrisy over the patriotism question. He still bears an uncanny resemblance to Lurch Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

Joe Biden steps up to accept the nomination as vice-presidential candidate. He has a square jaw, a long head and close together slanted eyes. Unusually for this convention, he has quite a nice line in self deprecating humour. He talks amusingly about his upbringing. His mother is still alive and she’s in the room Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008

Not unusually for this convention, Biden's speech is deeply sentimental, yet it seems to hit all the right spots and they love him. His personal history is remarkable, both tragic and inspiring, which still does not explain his erstwhile fixation on the speeches of Neil Kinnock Photograph: Copyright © Steve Bell 2008