favorite dem pick-up line

We thought President Clinton has the best dem pick-up line from the convention: “People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power.”

He always did have a way with words.

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Some lines that we felt were a bit over-worked in the Mile High City were:

*I'm here for the cops and the firefighters, the teachers and the union workers.

*Our cause is just.

*the lure of this great nation.

*We face enormous challenges and if you watched the Olympics, you know that China is going for the gold.

*We are on the right side of history
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The NY Times sent one of it's reporters, David Carr, who covers business and culture to the convention to examine issues and happenings at the edges. Carr, who vlogs and blogs under the moniker The Carpetbagger is adept at this, inherited the middle-American fascination with celebrity and power - two things at the heart of politics and conventions.

While in Denver, Carr, a music aficinado, covered the Rage Against the Machine show and the following 5000 strong anti-war protest sponsored by the Iraq War Veterans Against the War. While reporting, the CarpetBagger found himself locked in with the power elite and locked out from the people. We found this to be a hoot. You can find his convention vlog/blog entries under the NYTimes Caucus blog. Here's moi's riposte to Carr's Rage Against the Machine blog entry.

Getting fenced out (and into the power structure) while trying to cover an anti-war demonstration is a perfect metaphor for the current state of the media and politics.

As much as I enjoy the baggers trenchant observations on cultural happenings, it's a sad day in the 4th estate when only 2 journalists (David Carr and Amy Goodman) attempt to cover a demonstration of thousands of Iraq war veterans and non-violent civilians marching through the heart of major American city. And this the day before the anniversary of an historic march. Did the rest of the press corps have a hang-over from drinking free bourbon that kept them from the thin air of rarefied ideas?

Worse yet, and truly shameful for the Democrats, is they stand on the wrong side of the fence here. I'm not even sure they know there's even a fence. And this happens during what is purported to be a meeting of ideas about what matters most to Americans. The war in Iraq matters to America and it will matter to voters.

Any dissent, even that by peaceful assembly (remember that part of the Bill of Rights?) by our nation's soldiers and foot-soldiers for justice is now met with a near police state of caution. It's hard to notice simple things like inalienable rights when the only thing you focus on is the teleprompter.

pray hard and move your feet

Michael McDonald, who somehow turned into an aging r&b singer, channeled Dr. John during a rendition of America the Beautiful in the warm-up to Barack's acceptance speech at Invesco Field. I guess John Rebennack Jr. is a little too esoteric for the centrists, especially considering the good Doctor's sharp criticism of all things government as it relates to Katrina and the good Doctor's love of voodoo. By November, the Democrats may be hoping for more gris-gris and less pop standards.

Democrats need to be careful about channeling too deeply in the past and playing too safe in the center. Certainly they've shown they know how to embrace some new technologies; perhaps something as simple as a text message, albeit millions of them, can win this election.

But it's unlikely they'll win the election with powerful rhetoric. It's not that we aren't a fan of powerful rhetoric - because we are. The problem is that too many Americans aren't. Middle America doesn't read enough, sports and celebrity are more interesting to Walmarters than powerful rhetoric that calls people to service.

Think about this for just a moment. Dr. Rev. M.L. King Jr., this nation's greatest orator, held captive millions with his sermons and powerful message of non-violent change. He did effect change and he did empower many, many people to act. But most did not. Many Americans found his message threatening. Not because his message wouldn't benefit them, but because King's message of change was too different from their narrow view of what meaningful change would mean to them. The sixties were full of fear and today, 40 years later, the nation is still full of fear. The current administration has been driving this fear down our throats and too many folks, instead of hurling it back in the streets, just open wide and smile.



As cautious as the Democrats can be, the even more cautious conservative Christians who've been praying for rain may have gotten their wish this week. Prayer can be a powerful force although sometimes it seems that God either has a poor sense of hearing or a weird sense of humor. Instead of raining in Denver during Obama's acceptance speech as the closed-minded wanted, it's going to rain in New Orleans on the anniversary of Katrina. If those silly conservatives believed in science, they'd understand why Denver's the sunniest city in America (even more so than Southern California) and climatologically-speaking a desert. And they might understand how hurricanes gain strength over waters warmed by global climate disruption.

Regardless. Now's the time to start moving. Pick the direction you want to go.

god bless america and god bless you

We noticed that the United States was noticeably absent from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's list of countries that had invaded other countries over the last 100 years for oil. Although it was laudable that Mr. Reid suggested that we have the wherewithal to extract ourselves from the oil grip, most everyone in America knows why the US invaded Iraq twice within 20 years. Withholding the truth doesn't make it go away. At least Mr. Reid didn't suggest that we're in Iraq because we need the sand for construction; something one just might hear next week in the Twin Cities.



Mr. Bill. Got to love him. One thing about him, he knows how to rouse a crowd and he knows how to get America to love and believe in itself. Democrats, who have lived for 7.5 years with Dumb and Dumber, sometimes forget why they loved Clinton so especially after our most recent primary season. It was because President Clinton had the rhetoric and the chops to make you believe. Sure Mr. Bill had his sins, and some were hard to forgive, and some were so absurd, it was hard not to yell, "no! he didn't!" Yes, he did.

Clinton does tend to forget that the economic growth over which he presided was largely built on credit-card debt and home refinancing. Some of the problems with today's credit and housing market collapses are attributable to Clinton era policies that allowed people to run amok with borrowing and allowed lenders to extend credit beyond reason. Everyone made out like bandits so no one was complaining; but all pyramid schemes eventually collapse and now the Bill has come due.

The most fervent speech of the night was given by Senator Kerry. He could have used some of the passion 4 years ago when he was taking on Bush2 and the Lying-Rove Juggernaut. Like Al Gore before him, he lacked the fire to call Bush the idiot that he is. Apparently Kerry can now see this since he isn't running for the highest-office-in-the-land and it remains to be seen if the Democrats are willing to toe-to-toe with people who will stop at very things to stay in power. This isn't an idle threat. Think about what this administration has done while in power. They aren't going to let go easily.

centrists listen, unify, and roar!

A media frenzy has been brewing over the mental state of Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters. Will they rally behind Barack? Will they vote for McGruff the Crime Dog? Will they sit this one out? Will they work for the Democrats this time or plot strategy for 4 more years until Hillary can rise again from the ashes of Hope. Will they give Barack their cell phone number?

I think one of the big problems that's emerged in the last 20 years, especially in national politics, is this fear of confrontation within a given party. Once the primaries are over, the centrists take charge and with them a growing fear that unless everyone is on the same page, then the party isn't unified and can't win.

The Republicans, who know how to goose-step when they need to, have shown the Democrats that being simple-minded can be useful, and much to my dismay, the Democrats have gone soft-in-the-head and followed headlong into this strategy. If Al Gore would have spoken during his 2000 run like he spoke in An Inconvenient Truth, George Bush would be a ballpark beer salesman instead of running this country. Democrats fear that a roll-call vote this week could weaken Obama, as though the Democratic process somehow weakens those who partake in it.

It's a common problem, one only has to re-read "All the King's Men" to see how this works. A candidate gains attention because they aren't afraid to stand up to the powers-that-be and then the closer they get to the center of power, the more difficult it becomes for them to do so. Party unity. It's all about party unity. At least the center of the party.

We, as a culture, no longer truly embrace the different views that are represented in this country - we see the lack of unification as a chink in our armor. And this approach isn't good for the country. Two-party politics has led us to a national mall bookended by 2 major chains both selling largely the same wares and staffed by lobbyists who care more about the product than the customers.


So in the spirit of party unity we offer this tidbit from The Midnight Special. We know you haven't heard this one in a while. And you'll notice that the styles are the same today and they were back in 1972 when this was a number 1 hit.

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Text of the Equal Rights Amendment sent to the states in 1972 for ratification. Although 35 states ratified the amendment, it never achieved the 2/3's majority to become part of our constitution.

take the cola challenge

The longest-continuous paid-political advertisement began today in Denver. Next week, the Republicans will try to break the record set this week by the Democrats. It's a made-for-TV event. Once the gavel drops on the day's proceedings, there's no dead time allowed, not in TV-land. And TV-land in this case mostly means MSNBC, which means that very few Americans are watching, or listening. Only the keynote speakers will be covered during the prime-time coverage. To keep up the spirits of the convention-goers who aren't out shopping or who aren't being feted at one of several hundred parties put on by corporate sponsors the Dems trot out a bunch of politicos to throw in a few glowing words about Barack. No more than 5 minutes for any given speaker.

After listening to these plaudits, I realize that some really great qualifications for being President (or any elected official) would be: 1) Parents and/or grandparents must have been dirt poor; 2) youngest of 12-14 children; 3) as a child, although a gifted student, was taken from the class during harvest season to pick cotton. Instead of finding this experience embittering, it was one of life's great lessons; and 4) despite these modest upbringings, went on the graduate from Harvard/Yale/Oxford all-the-while retaining a folksy sense of humor.

Sandwiched between the brief, yet inspiring, speakers are a series of entertainers who play re-creations of classic funk oldies from the sixties and seventies to the convention goers, most of whom are old enough to have lived through them. Yeah! Re-create 68, right there on stage. It's part church social, part reunion, part country-club mixer. Everyone seems a little too amped given it's the first day of the convention. We'll see how they hold up as the night goes on and through the week.

Now they've set 4 policy wonks, some from the former Clinton Administration on stage, and they are responding to video questions shown on the big screen. The questions are those "middle-Americans want answered."

Yes, Americans want to know the answers to questions about the high cost of education, how to fix the flagging economy, universal health care, and ending the war on Iraq (a video problem cut short the last question so we are left to wonder if that was it). But "America's town Hall" as this brief event is called, just comes across as hooky. I'm only a little surprised the MC wasn't wearing a cowboy hat, but again, we've got 2 more nights of this, if he's get loopy enough during the after-party, he may let it all hang-out before the week's out.

Now Nancy Peloski is speaking. She has slighty more chrisma than Joe Lieberman. Like most Americans are probably feeling at this moment, it's all I can do to keep from checking the baseball scores. Now she's quoting America the Beautiful, which was penned by a Coloradian or someone who went to the mountaintop.


OK, so I didn't check the baseball scores afterall. Well I did, except the BoSox, the Yankees, and the Cardinals all have the night off and the Cubs apparently never lose anymore so it didn't take long. So we went in search of a really good re-mix of America the Beautiful. Guess what? There isn't one. No ones done it better than Ray Charles and the only video of Ray we could find was a Boston Pops performance. He toned it down a bit. So we went for the next best thing. Elvis, the America trilogy. 1973. He used this to close down his Vegas shows.

That nostaglic trip was the perfect introduction to Sen. Edward Kennedy, who looks and sounds remarkedly well. After a moving tribute by Ken Burns, he hobbles on-stage and calls the crowd to a better country and world. It takes his entire family to get him off stage as the crowd cheers endlessly and he obviously loves ever minute of it.

Oh look! There's Joe Biden and his family grooving to Kool and the Gang. Come on! Celebrate Good Times. Come on!

save the last dance for her

“The Convention is a political trade show that only happens once every four years and the whole world will be watching. We hope that you will be a part of our Democratic Convention Summit program that will offer substantive policy and political discourse, as well as a unique opportunity to personally connect with national Democratic leaders.”
Nancy Jacobson, Democratic fund-raiser and wife of Democratic pollster Mark Penn, speaking to the NYTimes about her $10,000,by invitation only, Democratic National Convention event with candidates, policy makers and the glitterati.

For the $10K, Ms. Jacobson promises at least three “private small group meetings with governors, senators and thought leaders (including Kevin Spacey and Laura Dern!)” and lunch with senior Obamaites at the Ritz-Carlton. The option is being offered to the tired, huddled masses yearning to choose the Democratic nominee for the leader of the free world. “This is for people who are looking for something more substantive rather than going from reception to reception.” Like...sex with the rich and powerful?

We're planning on attending but only if She & Him (M.Ward and Zooey Deschanel) agree to play at the Organic Small Batch Bourbon tasting to be held at a location-to-be-disclosed-via-text-message 15 minute before said soiree begins. I can't wait to trade shots with the Clintons and ask Michelle Obama for a dance.

dems oil the machine

One more day in the body-slam politic and nothing is likely to be decided so don't get your hopes up too high. The only way the Democratic fight ends tomorrow is if Barack Obama channels Apollo Creed and delivers a late-round knockout blow to the never-say-die puncher Hillary Rodham Clinton. No, more likely HRC wins by single digits and garners a small number of the delegates up for grabs tomorrow.

There are 158 delegates at stake in Pennsylvania, and if the final tally is 52 percent Clinton and 48 percent Obama, then she would win 82 delegates to Obama's 76 delegates. Hardly hoopla numbers but any victory by the Clinton camp will be ballyhooed with banners and bazookas.

Then it's on to North Carolina, where guess what, the reverse will likely happen. Obama holds a commanding lead in North Carolina and let's for the sake of this arguement, keep the final percent the same, except reverse the numbers, Obama 52 percent to Clinton's 48 percent. It that were to happen, then he would get 60 delegates and Clinton would be awarded 55 of the 115 total available. Between the two is Indiana, which is even more of a toss-up, and the vote could be close enough to spilt the 72 Indiana delegates right down the middle.

So after 6 weeks between the last primary, and many millions of dollars spent, and a lot of rancor stirred up in the party, the shift would actually be 1 more vote to Obama. One more vote! Do the math. This is why the party regulars keep slowly shifting toward Obama. There's no way, without landslide victories that the rest of the primary season can be spun as a Clinton victory. Why don't you hear about this in the media? Well the millions of dollars being spent on the campaign, wouldn't be being spent if it were already a done deal.

There was this today though from the DNCC.

"Not only will our Convention be technically flawless, but the rules and Party business conducted in the lead-up to and during Convention week will be open, orderly and credible," said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. "DemConvention.com will be a tremendous resource for those interested in the significant amount of Party business that sits at the core of every Convention. I think this new content makes clear our goal is to run this Convention as a well-oiled machine, while producing an engaging celebration of the strength of the Democratic Party, the diversity we embrace, the values we share and the change we will accomplish on behalf of the American people."

Open, orderly, and credible. Like a debate?

dems to bloggers, floor seats available

The Democratic National Convention Committee announced on Tuesday that bloggers will not be held behind bars as they try to cover what will likely be the most exciting convention since the Beijing Summer Olympics. No, they will be seating bloggers credentialed as part of the DemConvention State Blogger Corps with respective delegations during the 2008 convention.

From the DNCC press release:
"The Internet is the most significant tool for building democracy since the invention of the printing press," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "New local, national and global communities are being formed which demand two-way communication between people and their leaders and the DemConvention State Blogger Corps will be on the frontlines at the 2008 convention to help facilitate this critical dialogue."

"Time and again, we talk about our commitment to bring down the walls of the Pepsi Center and engage more people in the Convention experience using new technology and other creative means," said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. "Granting unprecedented access to our state bloggers shows we are serious about making this an inclusive, accessible event. When our nominee for President of the United States takes the stage, members of the DemConvention State Blogger Corps will witness this historic moment from the best seats in the house - and in turn, be able to offer their dedicated readers back home a first-hand account from the center of that state's action."

So let's hope the state blogger pool is truly an extension of the netroots community and not just another venue for traditional media wearing a blogger mask so they can get another seat at the table. Print media outlets are finding that many of their readers log onto their sites just for the blog content so they (BIG MEDIA) are pushing blogs like detergent ads at folks. NPR and PRX have numerous blogs and some are quite good but most don't offer anything new to the political discourse beyond what they offer elsewhere. Larger media outlets do have some fine extensions of content they mostly pass over in audio (or hard) copy. Carrie Brownstein's, formerly of Sleater-Kinney, has a fine blog (see below) on NPR with musical sensibilities that are hard to find elsewhere. Melena Ryzik's Urban Eye vlog/blog on the NYTimes also offers some great insight into culture, art, and happenings.

My point is, we don't need more of the same voices who dominate our airwaves, we need more diverse voices, with lots of opinions, and radical new ideas about what politics means in the country and how to make the public realize that they are the government. Do we really need more opinions from policy wonks dissecting housing market collapses or would we be better served hearing voices of those who live through the America dream and survive in spite of it? We certainly don't need more blogrolls that send folks spinning in an endless romp through cyberspace only to end up where they began - lost and confused - and staring at another detergent ad for the new and improved Vista Leopard Washing powder.

Image: Egyptian blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, being carted off to jail in Alexandria, Egypt(Photo: STR/AFP)
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