After two days of phone tag, Judy Lynch just called me from Denver, where she is one of the local delegates at the Democratic National Convention.

Lynch, the former Erie County executive, said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech last night was a home run. "She hit it way outside of the ballpark,'' said Lynch, a Clinton-pledged delegate who will support Sen. Barack Obama for the nomination.

For many woman, Clinton was the best hope -- at least for now -- for a woman president.

"I had tears in my eyes. I turned around and looked at the Pennsylvania delegation and all of the women were crying. It's a heavy loss for many people. ... They had worked hard for Hillary,'' she said.

But Lynch said she thinks Clinton's theme of party unity will have a positive effect on disaffected Clinton supporters.

"Her speech was just absolutely galvanizing,'' she said.

-- John Guerriero