BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - As the Massachusetts Republican delegation congregated for the first time for the Republican National Convention this morning in the midst of what is becoming a highly partisan and increasingly personal presidential race something unexpected happened: they gave the Democratic National Convention high marks.

"Even though I am a supporter of John McCain," said Doug[img_assist|nid=320|title=2008 DNC Convention|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=200|height=109] Bennett, a Boston delegate, "I think they did a great job."

State Rep. Robert Hargraves (R-Groton) said the convention was "well orchestrated" and Kevin Jourdain, a delegate from Holyoke said it was "well organized."

"Seemed like they did what they needed to do," Jourdain added.

Not every delegate praised the convention, but few offered concrete objections to it. Madeleine Gelsinon, an alternate delegate from Sudbury, said Democratic nominee Barack Obama's acceptance speech "was a little overboard." Gelsinon said she preferred more intimate settings and that the audience and Obama "weren't connected" because of the large setting and stagecraft.

Other than that, though, Gelison said had little objections to the convention. In particular, she said she thought U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's speech "was great."

The criticisms offered by the delegates instead focused on Obama's candidacy and speaking style, not the convention itself. "I just think that Barack Obama speaks in platitudes," Hargraves said. "He doesn't say what he is going to do."

Jourdain was more direct. "You put him in front of teleprompters and he's great," Jourdain said of Obama. "But when you take away the teleprompter and he sounds like Elmer Fudd."

Overhearing Hargraves, Robert Magovern, a delegate from Agawam, said Obama offers "no substance."

Magovern and Hargraves also criticized Obama by tying him to Gov. Deval Patrick saying Obama would make the same missteps that Patrick made when he first took office, only they would be on a national scale.

Others said the convention may have demonstrated that the Democrat Party is divided and that rift may be hurting Obama in the polls. Mark Marchese, an alternate delegate from Shelburne, said the convention "highlighted the need to bring that party together."

He said that while Obama did see a small bounce in the polls following the convention, he has yet to break the 50-percent barrier. Obama's numbers staying below 50 percent raises important questions for the Democratic Party but also presents an opportunity for Republicans. "Can they target those disenfranchised voters?" he asked. "Can we?"