The band blares "Stars and Stripes Forever." The delegates wave tiny American flags. And above it all, the video wall goes wild.

ALSO ABOVE IT ALL is Howie President, age 12, who, by virtue of his distant relation to Our Next President, had snared the coveted job of balloon dropper at the 2010 Democratic National Convention.

Howie has been given strict instructions not to drop any balloons until the next night, when his third cousin, Our Next President, gives his acceptance speech.

But strict instructions are easy to forget from Howie's lofty perch high above all the excitement. In fact, Howie is so enraptured by the Convention hoopla that he loses his balance and accidentally pulls the string that sends 80,000 balloons sailing toward the convention floor. (At least, that's the way he explains it to reporters later on.)

There is a momentary twinge of regret in Howie's young heart. He realizes that he has messed up his job. But then he looks down on the thousands of colorful balloons and the shiny brass instruments of the band. He sees the happy, smiling faces of Our Next President and Our Next First Lady and the Democrats below. Howie President suddenly feels a surge of happiness.

"It doesn't get any better than this," Howie thinks, in the words of a beer commercial. The beer in question is made by a corporation that is sponsoring a party later that night.

Ira E Stoll was in New York last week covering the Democratic National Convention.