Denver DNC 2008...

[Larry Gude]

...random comments thread.

Will there be some Rocky Mountain high?

Will Ted Kennedy make an appearance and join the hit parade burying Obama under an avalanche of of Dem super stars celebs and emotion prompters?

Will there be much in the way of rioting? Are the anarchists going to sit still for an establishment veep that effectively neuters the entire argument against McCain?

Will Hillary stage a coup, create a hostage situation or be a perfect mannered and supportive also ran?

How many time will Bill Clinton get laid this week? What's the over/under?

How much energy will Algore consume this week?


Add your thoughts and observations throughout the week!

 

[SamSpade]

I think it will be a re-run of the last two DNC's. No surprises, a lot of predictable speechifying, a bit of kumbaya and fake smiles and promises of unity, followed by a swift return to politics as usual.

No riots. Insults against those bigoteed, intolerant, ignorant Republicans. Some overly dramatic gestures and a lot of the same, tired phrases about big oil, the right-wing, Bush (even though he's not running), Republicans (even though the Dems control Congress), tax-cuts for "the rich". You know, the Democratic mantras that are always about who is to blame, rather than what they plan to do. Bloviating rants about health care and education for all Americans. More shots about those awful intolerant Republicans. Abortion rights and your constitutional right to have one. More insults and shots at those "mean-spirited" Republicans. Did I mention they will insult those mean, insulting Republicans? You know, those guys who never have anything to say except how bad the Democrats are?

I don't expect anything new. No Cuomo-like speech. Big zero.

Any bets?

 

[vraiblonde]

I tend not to watch much convention coverage. It's all the same - "Vote for our guy!" so what's the point?

 

[Larry Gude]

Well...

I think it will be a re-run of the last two DNC's. No surprises, a lot of predictable speechifying, a bit of kumbaya and fake smiles and promises of unity, followed by a swift return to politics as usual.

No riots. Insults against those bigoteed, intolerant, ignorant Republicans. Some overly dramatic gestures and a lot of the same, tired phrases about big oil, the right-wing, Bush (even though he's not running), Republicans (even though the Dems control Congress), tax-cuts for "the rich". You know, the Democratic mantras that are always about who is to blame, rather than what they plan to do. Bloviating rants about health care and education for all Americans. More shots about those awful intolerant Republicans. Abortion rights and your constitutional right to have one. More insults and shots at those "mean-spirited" Republicans. Did I mention they will insult those mean, insulting Republicans? You know, those guys who never have anything to say except how bad the Democrats are?

I don't expect anything new. No Cuomo-like speech. Big zero.

Any bets?

...every convention has it's issues of the day, be it the economy, war, etc, so, the thing now is that this is the first DNC convention since I think Carter 1979 where the race is even. Democrats are ALWAYS winning right now, usually by a lot.

So, the war in Iraq, drilling, taxes, there is more riding on this than normal I think, to come out of this with a SERIOUS bounce. The main stream doesn't talk about this, obviously, but, Obama is in trouble and he's got no bounce from Biden, at all. AND there sits the 800 pound gorilla, Hillary, and her supporters, her core people who, at the end of the day know they are damn near sealing her fate if Obama beat McCain.

You think back to when the second place person was such a huge part of the party nursing such huge resentments and harboring such large and evident hopes.

This is a very unusual year. Maybe it will be watching paint dry, but, even that holds out the spectre of the kids in the street getting out of hand as they see the vehement anti war passion ebbing away.

Can Obama make a big deal of the war, the one Biden voted for, the one that is going pretty well BECAUSE of the surge advocated by McCain?

Can Obama talk favorably for or against drilling?

This is s touchy thing, perhaps.

 

[SamSpade]

I tend not to watch much convention coverage. It's all the same - "Vote for our guy!" so what's the point?

I'm not sure why they have it at all anymore, because other than being a pep rally for a political party - and the normal, brief but ensuing "boost" in the polls - it serves no purpose.

I mean, consider why they bothered to have them at ALL. At one time, the party leaders simply picked their guy outright and put him on the ballot - a method that I still don't think is a bad idea. I mean, if I were to create my own party and hold my party meeting in a garage somewhere - my guess is that two or three of us could decide who should run. Eventually the idea arose that regions would select delegates to go to a national convention and vote for the candidate. Then caucuses and primaries gained ground. Then more and more of them came around to the point where every state had them. Eventually, with rare exception, the convention rarely had any surprises except to ratify what had already been decided.

Then, among other party unifying functions - it became traditional to announce the VP at the convention, but that hasn't been done in 30 years.

The only purpose I know it EVER serves is a platform to expose us all to the future rising stars of the party - Cuomo in '84, Clinton in '88 (although his speech sucked big time) and Obama in '04.

 

[SamSpade]

...
Can Obama make a big deal of the war, the one Biden voted for, the one that is going pretty well BECAUSE of the surge advocated by McCain?

Can Obama talk favorably for or against drilling?

This is s touchy thing, perhaps.

They'll ignore those issues. Right now the one that works for them is the economy. They can make references to the war, but it won't net any votes now, because it's not an issue except on budget matters, and nobody gives a crap about that - well, not enough, anyway. There's already withdrawal plans on the table, and barring any upswing in fighting or major catastrophe, it's a non-issue. And as you point out, Biden's vote for the war won't help, nor will his idea of partitioning the country seem very intelligent.

Secondly they'll touch on energy issues. As oil prices settle - and when they DROP after Labor Day - this issue won't resonate as much. It is still a problem, but it won't seem that way to voters who won't care now that gas is dropping in price.

Lastly they'll discuss the same, same, SAME old stuff, because there's nothing else. The war won't work - "change" and "hope" are wearing thin, "unity" is a joke, and his star appeal is wearing thin. Energy plans might sell, but people have short memories.

It'll be dull and Hillary is gone. Nothing up her sleeve. A couple of air kisses from her and she'll sit down.

 

[Larry Gude]

That sounds about right...

They'll ignore those issues. Right now the one that works for them is the economy. They can make references to the war, but it won't net any votes now, because it's not an issue except on budget matters, and nobody gives a crap about that - well, not enough, anyway. There's already withdrawal plans on the table, and barring any upswing in fighting or major catastrophe, it's a non-issue. And as you point out, Biden's vote for the war won't help, nor will his idea of partitioning the country seem very intelligent.

Secondly they'll touch on energy issues. As oil prices settle - and when they DROP after Labor Day - this issue won't resonate as much. It is still a problem, but it won't seem that way to voters who won't care now that gas is dropping in price.

Lastly they'll discuss the same, same, SAME old stuff, because there's nothing else. The war won't work - "change" and "hope" are wearing thin, "unity" is a joke, and his star appeal is wearing thin. Energy plans might sell, but people have short memories.

It'll be dull and Hillary is gone. Nothing up her sleeve. A couple of air kisses from her and she'll sit down.

...but underneath all of this lies the spectre of Obama losing when EVERYONE seems to agree that Obama/Clinton is a sure winner. If the rumblings are signs of an earth quake, if Obama loses, the convention, the super delegates, the Florida/Michigan debacles, the caucus system, Hillary having more actual votes, this all becomes much more important in hindsight if he loses.

Do they just sleep walk through this and hope for the best?

 

[SamSpade]

...but underneath all of this lies the spectre of Obama losing when EVERYONE seems to agree that Obama/Clinton is a sure winner. If the rumblings are signs of an earth quake, if Obama loses, the convention, the super delegates, the Florida/Michigan debacles, the caucus system, Hillary having more actual votes, this all becomes much more important in hindsight if he loses.

Do they just sleep walk through this and hope for the best?

One of the poll sites I read - might have been Zogby - still claims a high chance of an Obama win. Cakewalk or no, so far McCain hasn't really been ahead yet. In a horse race, when it's close, that usually doesn't mean much - but in a political race, barring unusual circumstances, being behind in the entire race doesn't bode well for the underdog.

 

[Larry Gude]

Is that...

One of the poll sites I read - might have been Zogby - still claims a high chance of an Obama win. .

...right?

Well, it's all in the hands of people like yourself who haven't decided yet, so, I'll just accept that until otherwise information starts coming up in large enough ways to be meaningful.

 

[vraiblonde]

EVERYONE seems to agree that Obama/Clinton is a sure winner.

I don't agree with that. I think it would have been the end for Obama. Biden is a much less controversial pick and has a better change of getting some of the moderates.

 

[SamSpade]

...right?

Well, it's all in the hands of people like yourself who haven't decided yet, so, I'll just accept that until otherwise information starts coming up in large enough ways to be meaningful.

I'll probably vote for McCain anyway - I just wonder if it wouldn't be more fun to cast a vote for Vrai's cat, because Maryland won't go for McCain, and my vote won't count anyway for that very reason.

 

[SamSpade]

I don't agree with that. I think it would have been the end for Obama. Biden is a much less controversial pick and has a better change of getting some of the moderates.

But Hillary would have cemented most of the Democrats.

Bush managed to get elected twice on a strategy most politicians have ignored until 2000 - stop trying to win the center; instead, try to win EVERY SINGLE VOTE within your party. If you can get every single registered Republican to get off his butt and vote, you don't need any of the undecideds.

 

[Larry Gude]

...

I'll probably vote for McCain anyway - I just wonder if it wouldn't be more fun to cast a vote for Vrai's cat, because Maryland won't go for McCain, and my vote won't count anyway for that very reason.

"...in breaking news, Maylands recount of the just past presidential election shows and verifires 2,500,000 for Obama/Biden (D), 2,499,900 for McCain/Leibermann (R-ish) and 101 for Stinkertoes/Gidget (I). Later today, in other news, the Maryland crab harvest report is expected to show..."

 

[SamSpade]

"...in breaking news, Maylands recount of the just past presidential election shows and verifires 2,500,000 for Obama/Biden (D), 2,499,900 for McCain/Leibermann (R-ish) and 101 for Stinkertoes/Gidget (I). Later today, in other news, the Maryland crab harvest report is expected to show..."

Won't be that close, but would you believe SOMETHING like that actually DID happen to me?

In 1980, the first year I actually voted, I couldn't stand Reagan or Carter, so I cast a write-in vote for Richard Nixon, just to let someone know I didn't like my choices. On my way in to the University of Maryland, the shuttle bus radio declared that there was "one write in vote in Howard County for - can you believe this - Richard Nixon". I smiled and said to the person next to me "how about that?".

 

[Larry Gude]

!!!

Won't be that close, but would you believe SOMETHING like that actually DID happen to me?

In 1980, the first year I actually voted, I couldn't stand Reagan or Carter, so I cast a write-in vote for Richard Nixon, just to let someone know I didn't like my choices. On my way in to the University of Maryland, the shuttle bus radio declared that there was "one write in vote in Howard County for - can you believe this - Richard Nixon". I smiled and said to the person next to me "how about that?".

That's FUNNY!!!!


We're all gonna die if it comes across the radio and becomes a cause celebre for some young reporter looking for a fun story that ends up taking off nationally as the next kewl thing!

Tonight on 'Dire Background Music Investigative Puff Piece Show'; "Who is Kiki Stinkertoes!?"


I can see it now;

Bumper stickers; "Don't blame me. I voted for Stinkertoes"

T shirts; "If the toe stinks it's Stinkertoes 2012!"

Screen savers. Lunch boxes. The whole deal.

 

[vraiblonde]

We're all gonna die if it comes across the radio and becomes a cause celebre for some young reporter looking for a fun story that ends up taking off nationally as the next kewl thing!

If I were a different type of person, I'd have made a Kiki Stinkertoes '08 website and started a Google campaign.

"Finally a candidate who ADMITS to doing nothing more than licking their butt!"

 

[Larry Gude]

*lol*

If I were a different type of person, I'd have made a Kiki Stinkertoes '08 website and started a Google campaign.

"Finally a candidate who ADMITS to doing nothing more than licking their butt!"

...

See? You prove, once again, it's not the candidate. It's the team behind the candidate that makes or breaks them!

Oh, what could have been had Kiki only been able to get ahold of Matlin/Carville in time...

 

[Bann]

Well, of course, it was the usual lovefest of each other. But this was different. They seem to be going overboard with the "Unity" message. It's obvious there is a lot of dissension among the ranks and they are trying like heck to give the appearance that everyone is one big, happy family.

It occurred to me that the sudden hoopla over Teddy was created to attract some interest to the whole night - as if the mere appearance of Michelle O wasn't enough to attract the masses. I'm sure he wanted to be there, he's been in politics his whole life. But they milked it for all it's worth. No, I'm sure they can squeeze a few more drops of blood out of him.

And then the build up of Michelle by her brother & mother - touching, but weird. But not as weird as Michelle standing up there to talk about Barack and spending most of the time talking about herself and how much she loves her children (I hope she does!) her husband (again, I hope she does) and her country. She worked hard on that last one. She mentioned how Barack gave up a job at Wall Street for a job helping the little people. Oh, and how she gave up the big lawyer job for a job helping the little people, too. (The job actually created for her, but she left that part out!)

Meanwhile, Cindy McCain is leaving one of her 7 kitchen tables behind and going to Georgia with the UN on a humanitarian mission. With her millions of dollars.

 

[awpitt]

I tend not to watch much convention coverage. It's all the same - "Vote for our guy!" so what's the point?

I haven't watch as much of the conventions in recent elections as I have in the past; however, this year my 7th grader has taken an interest in the whole process so he and I will likely be watching the major parts of both conventions.

 

[ImnoMensa]

I stayed up until about 10:30 and still no Michelle ,so I went to bed.

If they want to appeal to the working people they better start their speeches before bed time.