LEWISTON – Delegates like Lewiston’s Elaine Makas consider themselves patriots in a revolution to get George Bush out of office.

She attended the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles four years ago. She expects the tone this time around – in Boston – to be much different.

This time there’s more passion, determination, anger, even desperation.

In 2000, “we wanted to get Gore-Lieberman nominated and elected. But there wasn’t the same sense of need as this time. It’s not just that we would like to see a Democrat elected. We really, really need to get somebody different in there. If we don’t change horses at this point, the country will be in serious trouble.”

Other delegates share similar thoughts, using words like “critical” for a John Kerry win, or “scared” if Bush remains in the White House.

Outrage about the Iraq war is generating revolutionary themes this convention.

Recalling the historic Boston tea party, the Democratic National Convention Web site is calling the convention “The D’ Party.” Online messages ask Democrats to help the “fight” and “bring down King George, become an ePatriot today,” and “Take Back America.”

That kind of tone is smart, observed James Melcher, professor of political science at the University of Maine at Farmington. Nationally, Massachusetts is seen as a liberal state. “They’re putting in gay marriage” and have many Democrats. Republicans could point to Boston as the Democratic convention site saying it illustrates how Kerry is too liberal for middle-America, Melcher said. Stirring up revolutionary, historic images puts a positive spin on Boston and the party, he said.

But just as delegates attending this convention are angrier, “Bush people are surer than ever that their man is right,” Melcher said.

In 2000, voters were not as committed to Bush or Gore, he said. “It’s remarkable how few swing voters there are right now. An unusually high percentage of people have already made up their minds. There’s going to be an intense fight over a smaller pool of people.”

Voters who pay attention to this year’s Democratic convention and the Republican convention in New York will be “tuning in to root for their side,” Melcher said. “The conventions may be more important this year for galvanizing each side.”

Maine’s most seasoned Democratic delegate, Sam Shapiro, 76, of Waterville said he intensely believes Kerry must win for the good of the country. That mood is getting people involved in the political process who never have before. “There is definitely more real activism and passion this year,” he said. “Iraq is probably the catalyst for most of this activism.”

During the Vietnam era it wasn’t the average person who demonstrated against the war, he said. This time, middle class America is more interested in what’s happening in Iraq, Shapiro said. Part of that is because middle-aged guardsmen and women, as well as some troops planning to retire or leave the military, are being forced back.

“I just read about somebody’s father in his late 60s being called to Iraq,” Shapiro said. For anyone in Iraq, “there’s a good chance you’ll be shot at. … It’s a quagmire over there,” he said. “I’m angry.”