DENVER — DENVER - A rare undercurrent of emotion crept into the voice of Baltimore's Michael Cryor - the only black state party chairman in the nation - as he spoke to Maryland convention delegates the morning after the nomination of the nation's first major-party African-American presidential candidate.
"We have to make inclusiveness real," Cryor said in hushed tones during the final meeting of the Maryland convention delegation yesterday. "It can't be a matter of convenience."
Cryor, 62, has built a career by staying cool under stress and providing sound advice in confidence. Gov. Martin O'Malley, a friend and confidant, calls him the "horse whisperer" for his skill at dousing passions at the right time. Others call him the "wizard."
But it was understandable if, despite the neat pin-stripe suit and ruler-straight pocket silk, the facade crackled just a bit. Cryor has been thrust into perhaps his most public role ever this week, as head of a diverse state party at a pivotal juncture in American political history.
He has been widely in demand during the Democratic National Convention, keeping a video diary for ABC News and conducting interviews with foreign news media. But he has also spent a lot of time on such wearying tasks as snagging valuable credentials for friends of delegates who wanted to get inside the Pepsi Center or Invesco Field.
"He is one of the greatest organizers I have ever seen," said U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Baltimore.
For decades, Cryor has been a respected but low-profile player in Baltimore and Maryland, quietly mentoring young people and steering them to good jobs and careers. His political resume dates to the time of Parren Mitchell, the revered Baltimore congressman, for whom Cryor worked as a driver and special assistant..
Cryor "is someone that doesn't need to boast about who he knows and what he has done," said former Baltimore City Councilman Keifer Mitchell, who is Parren Mitchell's nephew. "He is Baltimore's version of Vernon Jordan."
He was part of a small kitchen cabinet that met weekly with O'Malley as the mayor was preparing to run for governor. By winning, O'Malley effectively gained control of the state party, and Cryor was the person the new governor wanted at the helm.
O'Malley asked once, and Cryor said no. O'Malley asked a second time. Same answer. Only when asked yet again did Cryor accept. "It wasn't my thing," he said. "I was the behind-the-scene guy."
