Wow
Wow.
What a wonderful experience, from start to finish. For about 2 hours, I hung out on the floor with some other DFH blogger types (though they have all gotten hired by the DNC, so I was the slob in the crowd, not wearing a suit). I took about 8 videos like this one, just watching all the people go crazy waving their American flags and dancing to music or hooting at a great line from a speech.
It was a revival meeting, but rather than religion, it was a revival of American democracy. People of every color and age were exalting in democracy.
And, yeah, when Pat Buchanan calls a Democrat’s speech the best convention speech ever, you know Obama hit all the right notes.
But for me, it was the crowd that was most exciting. To see tens of thousands of people just dancing with joy in response to great speech after great speech–even the great speeches of the regular folks–that was worth the trip to Denver.
the speeches by the ‘regular folks’ were really great – an excellent programming decision on the ‘big night’.
But, did you see it? I still can’t believe it – a Democratic Presidential candidate just called out his opponent by name and threw his words right back in his face! That was bad ass!
I can’t believe I saw that! It’s about damn time!
Is Aaron Sorkin on Obamas campaign team??
Good call. There was one part that I would swear was either written by Sorkin or patterned meter and verse on that speech given by Michael Douglas in the press conference scene of The American President. “You gotta want democracy. You gotta want it bad….”
Hell of a speech; hell of a scene tonight. Credit given where credit due, that was simply stupendous.
The Goracle wasn’t bad either.
I’m SO glad you got to partake of this, Marcy. A small reward for all that time in Prettyman Courthouse.
EW,
I thought it was a great speech, too, and thanks for being there for us.
I have a question, however. I thought there was one flaw from my point of view: he said nothing about restoring the Constitutional order of things. I can’t find the word “Constitution” anywhere in his speech.
I was also disturbed by the way he ended his speech:
This sounds like it was written by Nancy Pelosi. His words above sound exactly like what Nancy Pelosi declared in 2006 after the election, as she was taking impeachment off the table. This worries me.
There is a peculiar thing about Justice: Justice always looks back into the past. If marching into the future means “forgetting” about the past, I don’t like it. Its a bit like Pelosi’s taking impeachment off the table because we have more important things to do.
What does Obama’s speech tell us about his approach to restoring the Department of Justice?
Bob in HI
That stuff is esoteric, like it or not.
Ok this is a riff (rant). Take it for what it is… a late night post.
I watched tonight from before the beginning until after the end on C-SPAN, and switched over to MS-NBC in time to hear my favorite talking head, Rachel Maddow; and David Shuster (gets my second place), and all the rest including Olbermann – who’s been taking on-air shots at Matthews and Scarborough – and Buchanan who decided that since he can’t beat ‘em, he’ll join ‘em (Buchanan finally recognized Obama’s strength in oratory and reasoning, and stopped dismissing it as vapid happy talk: Its amazing how long these conservative MS NBC pundits will adhere to the opposing party’s frame as the assumed reality), the fading Andrea Mitchell (that’s the fading Andrea Mitchell 24/7), and the reprehensibly smug Tucker Carlson, and the two anchorwomen Neocon Brian Williams and resplendent glottal stop Tom Brokaw, both of whom are stuck seeing the world from the identical perspective of the conservative spin frame. Each pundit’s analysis is constrained by their own expectations of what it “ought” to be, except Maddow, who sees it for what it is and takes it from there.
The narratives the chattering classes adhere to
die slowly
but they turn in unison
(because their roots are interconnected. Come home.)
[Goddam that lying sack of shite Scooter Libby. Come clean, Scooter. You have only one soul for all of eternity. Don’t burn in hell for Dick Cheney; he will forsake you in the after life.]
I thought the convention was “A” quality. It started slow and built. The speeches, the music, the theatrics… some of it reached into my emotions from time to time. It wasn’t just all about the argument, or trashing the opponent, it was also about matters of the heart, human being to human being. Real people who’s lives were once prosperous and improving, whose futures now are on a downward trajectory through no fault of their own. They are subject to the conditions of declining opportunity and low quality jobs, lacking in important employee benefits. I won’t say this trend started in the Bush years, it didn’t, but Bush did his best to enable and further the process and did nothing to counter it because it served his constituents.
It think we also witnessed Obama’s intention to change the kind of politics he chooses to practice. A lot of people complained vigorously about this convention. It was different and for a purpose. Obama is as dedicated to delivering on a new kind of politics, a more constructive and productive politics empowered with compromise as bait to avoid obstructionism and build coalition. He may set back the progressive movement eight years but he’ll move the whole ball forward in a way that might get us back to where we were at the end of the Clinton years.
The party leaders all delivered in ways that exceeded their usual performance; Kennedy, Bubba (well maybe not Bubba because he is a master), Hillary, the Goracal (truly a sublime performance), Kerry (not verbose! compelling in fact. he brought passion. I don’t remember seeing too much of that before from him.) Biden (best off the cuff flying solo), and most importantly – Barrack was thorough and compelling, and he revealed his sense of outrage, and picked a fight. The Democratic Party is ready for this fight.
How do we win CA, OH, and PA ?
Brokaw has become simply ridiculous in parroting the GOP talking points. Does Rove just call him directly during commercial breaks?
That shite about the overhead view (in a sports stadium of all places) being described by the other side as “imperialistic” was the height of ridiculous, yet Brokaw felt compelled to pound on it (parrot it verbatim) until his fellow commentators literally had to dress him down for it on live television. How absurd Brokaw has become.
Tom – give it up. Your bias is showing – big time! David Rockefeller is not going to win this one. At least have the good sense to get the hell out of the way.
As for Tweety – I was stunned to hear his over-the-top favorable comments after the speech. It was probably a good thing that he had Olbermann on his hip, defining the speech in historic terms, and a room full of Obama zealots that he literally had to play to.
Don’t discount the influence that Olberman has had long term on the NBC and MSNBC political narrative. Keith’s bravery has literally laid the path for his fellow commentators to say what they really think – most of whom actually did last night.
David Gregory and Brokaw are simply Rockefeller tools – dinosaurs.
Welcome aboard, Pat!
I enjoyed that, especially the riff on Scooter. “Come clean, Scooter” — belongs in a series, Scooter to Judy to Wells to Fitzgerald to Neil.
The end of the speech struck me as a purposeful evocation of the memory of MLK — you could hear Obama shift register, and it worked just as it was supposed to, I thought. Still, when I read the words as Bob has copied them @ 4, I see the concern.
At the end, my first thought was, ok, all people have to do now is … make sure that everyone who can vote does vote, and then police all those voting machines. Are people worried that all this could still be stolen by the loyal Bushies seeded throughout the system?
I’m glad that you really felt a mile high, EW.
If you listen a bit more closely Matthews is challening the Dems far more than Olberman. Matthews hammers the Dems for not holding the Bush administration accountable. Hammers them
Obama mostly needs to show up and ask for their votes.
It would help if the Clintons made the trip too.
This should be a team effort, especially in those states Clinton won.
Other purple states might be won with the same technique:
polite, but firm statements about morality, adherence to Law and
a RETURN to normalcy and the better path for America –
the path all Americans know we should be on.
We don’t need the black & white of extremism.
In short (if you consider it as a visual), we need more Reagan and Kennedy
and less Goldwater and Dubya.
Play it big with lots of red, white & blue and a lot of the more rural and patriotic independents and moderate Republicans will feel it’s worth taking a chance on Obama-Biden.
Ummmm…I think winning California will be like falling off a log. BO’s been ahead by double digits here for ages.
Yup – unless the powers that be order that he be stopped, or they steal the vote with their machines, it’s a done deal. I thought it was very clever that they used the film prior to his speech to show who his parent and grand parents were…white. His is really a story about a poor white woman who was left with a child, and not only received the total support of her white parents, but against long odds, turned him into this. Imagine…”Mom, why do they call me black when I’m half white?” I’m sure Tiger Woods parents dealt with the same issues – and look where it got them, and him. The Republicans just look stupid when they try to run him down. Diversity is embodied in him, and embraced.
MSNBC Host Rips AP Reporter’s Analysis of Obama Speech
By Greg Mitchell
Published: August 29, 2008 12:20 AM ET
NEW YORK In an unusually heated attack on a veteran political reporter by a cable news host, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann laced into the Associated Press’s Charles Babington an hour after Barack Obama had concluded his speech in Denver on Thursday night.
With rare exception, nearly all of the top commentators and reporters on the three cable news networks had hailed Obama’s speech as something new and powerful, and filled with specifics, and predicted it would have a positive effect on his chances vs. John McCain. This hallelujah chorus included conservatives such as Bill Kristol and Pat Buchanan and the longtime Republican David Gergen, as well as Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams. Buchanan called it the best and most important political convention speech he had ever heard, going back 48 years.
So Olbermann was outraged that the AP’s Babington had written, in his analysis of the speech, just off the wire, that Obama had tried nothing new and that his speech was lacking in specifics. He read the first few paragraphs on the air, lamented that it would be printed in hundred of newspapers on Friday, and concluded, “It is analysis that strikes me as having born no resemblance to the speech you and I just watched. None whatsoever. And for it to be distributed by the lone national news organization in terms of wire copy to newspapers around the country and web sites is a remarkable failure of that news organization.
“Charles Babington, find a new line of work.”
http://www.editorandpublisher……1003844063
A few random observations:
1. Dish network carried the direct DNC feed for the whole convention in HD. That totally rocked. I had the DVR start every afternoon while I was still at work and was able to essentially edit my own coverage every evening. No talking heads, no pundits, no commercials. Man, I love technology at times like this.
2. Obama’s speech was truly amazing. We need to hold him to this part:
Never forget that in a democracy, it takes more than elected officials to make lofty rhetoric come true. MLK, Jr. was an outsider pounding on the door, much like his namesake.
3. Electing Obama is a necessary, but not sufficient step towards reclaiming American ideals.
4. Obama really knows how to manage the campaign, the convention, the message, and the crowd. That bodes well for his administration.
5. That speech was the slickest bludgeoning of a political opponent I’ve ever seen (and I’ve been watching politics for 40 years).
6. Peggy Noonan is total idiot. (sorry she’s on MSNBC right now blathering about what an awful speech Obama gave. She’s vying for the stupidest person ever.)
“Who has the better temperament and judgment to be Commander in Chief.”
I could not have asked for anything better than this challenge to McCainiac and assertion of his own abilities. He also, promisingly, suggested he would be going after McCain hard for the betrayal of banging the drums for the invasion of Iraq before the dead of 9-11 had even been recovered. I want an ad showing McCain yukking it up: “Next stop Baghdad”, maybe with the tag line “War is not a Joke” or “We need a Commander-in-Chief, not a Comedian.”
Bonus: Obama even derided him for Georgia, an unheard questioning of conventional wisdom.
WO
I was just thinking that I’d like a CD (or DVD) of all the best speeches from the Convention: I didn’t get to see Schweitzer, for example, but would like to watch a lot of them again. Any chance you can burn some?
Unfortunately, I cannot. For the time being, you can get them all from the convention web site.
Schweitzer’s speech is here. The prepared text is here. You definitely need to follow along to see how closely he stuck to the script (not).
Start immediately to focus on the validity of EXIT POLLS.
The only way they can steal this thing is to manipulate the polling done prior to the election, and then manipulate the machine count in the aftermath.
A necessity to pull that off is for the GOP to Swiftboat the validity of Exit Polls, which would show about a 10 point advantage for Obama which they must be able to explain away.
Mark my words, the enemies of truth will begin to start hammering on the reliability of Exit Polls well before the actual election. You’ll recognize it as seeming to come out of left field – completely out of context.
BE PREEMPTIVE! Start to write your stories now about the RELIABLE use of Exit Polls to determine whether there has been fraud in elections held over the years around the globe, as observed by the likes of Jimmy Carter. Cut Rove off at the knees before he gets started:
Revisit the exit polling data from 2004 and share it with others:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2…..exit_polls
Call it to the attention of the media. Let the media know that we WILL NOT TOLERATE another stolen election, nor will we tolerate their complicity in disparaging the validity of Exit Polling as a valuable check against election fraud.
Prior to the 2004 elections, CNN’s Jeff Greenfield was interviewed about the then-forthcoming elections, and his parting comment at the end of the segment was what would have appeared to be an off-handed disparaging remark about the reliability of Exit Polls.
Greenfield was shilling for Rove – and this was a TALKING POINT ordered up by Rove. “Exit Polling” had not been part of the prior discussion, but was something that he slipped in at the end of the segment – as if ordered to do so. Keep an eye on Greenfield and others. Call them out by name.
DON’T LET THEM SWIFTBOAT “EXIT POLLING”
I’m a jaded listener and viewer, but I was moved by the half dozen humble, and nervous, fellow Americans, who spoke so genuinely in front of that huge crowd. I’ve never seen anything like that. I wish that had been broadcast on all the networks, too.
Agree.
When I looked at the schedule, I was wondering why 7-8 was so thin–with all the big speakers earlier.
But those ordinary folks did a superb job and were a really important addition. In the stadium, they offered the additional benefit of giving a reason for a bunch of swing states to call out to one of their own.
Three of them were priceless: the giddy woman who kept applauding herself, the Long Islander, and the auto line worker with his mechanical fist pump.
I wish I had seen that part. I hope the anchors on CNN were not blathering over them. (I went to my parents’ house for the big occasion)
It was PBS. No blathering.
I was actually driven to PBS on Monday and Wednesday because NPR was blathering over Claire’s speech.
Bumper sticker:
“We need a president who puts Barney Smith before Smith Barney”
EW,
I recommended in an earlier thread that the Dems take some of the best convention speeches, and rather than buy ad time, create a DVD of them and send to some of the challenging areas irt winning the independent voter…
Wow, I’d forgotten that.
I observed that there was a method to every policy point having been repeated by another speaker five times. This brings Obama up to the level of “generic Democrat”. A generic Democrat wins the election.
This was much better than Kerry’s speech in 2004. It gave the viewers more credit for intelligence and there was more self-confidence in the grand campaign themes without seeming messianic at all. It was great that Obama kept emphasizing, “This campaign isn’t about me, it is about you.” He invited even the people who are just tuning in to participate and to hope and believe that government can help them achieve their dreams. I think the metaphor of “turning back” means something related to a noun, a verb, and 9/11. If the Republicans had their way, it would still be September 12, and we would continue to act out of the kinds of fear that John Yoo uses to justify himself until we had forgotten what liberal democracy is supposed to be about. Very subtly, that Brooks & Dunn song they played after he finished speaking is from the summer of 2001. IIRC it was not on the charts as the same time as Toby Keith’s song. This could be seen as a call to restore one’s old hopes for the United States.
I’m on the road today, through Nebraska. Will check in this PM.
OK, I’m wrong. Would not be the first time. “Only In America” was on Hot Country Songs from June 23, 2001 until February 1, 2002.
No! I am right! Toby Keith debuts with “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” on May 25, 2002. To have them both together would be too much cognitive dissonance even for country radio.
how do we win Cali ???
by being DEMOCRATS
I was kinda amazed at the organization and stagecraft last night
today i woke to a BELLY LAUGH
seems that diane feinstein wants to run for governor in 2010
to bad you ain’t a Democrat anymore
if george bush wasn’t your best fucking friend forever, you might have had a chance
we’re livin in the brave new world now, and we don’t need any of you fearmongering bushbot cowards anymore
that fisa vote don’t look so go now
John McCain’s VP choice – Michael Palin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related
I hope this is amplified.
He picked Sarah Palin. The old roue.
I commented over at the Lake yesterday that he would be picking a female in order to win female voters because of his terrible record on women’s issues. His hope is to win the Hillary voters…and redeem his history of treating women with disrespect.
His pick strategy matches up with his personality. Here he goes “using” a woman again.
Well, his pick did not overcome his 90%+ of the time voting with Bush weakness.
Excellent pick. She can double as his private nurse. Forgive the sexism and ageism.
Right to the heart of the matter, and so fast, klynn.
My Independent voter, Mrklynn, came home for lunch… We had not talked about McC’s pick…I walked into the house to hear him say to our oldest, “Could he have been more “transparent” in his Veep selection motives? Is this how he “does” Washington?”
He followed with, “I trust the Hillary voter and soccer/hockey moms out there are smart enough to get this and realize they are not ’slamming women’ by seeing McC’s motive.”
It will be a challenge to address women’s issues without appearing offensive. I do not think it will be impossible. The Dems just need to focus the voting records for women’s issues and not criticize McC’s choice.
I bet Barney Smith’s family will be replaying the tape for generations . . . .
“an America where Barney Smith comes before Smith Barney.”
Hi kynn, on the same wavelength, or what??? cheers, posaune
Too funny!
Obama was great. If you really listen close, and if you beleive he believe’s what he is saying, then this is truely a great man — not a politician.
The old timers talk about the inspiration of Kennedy, he is on one of the highest pedistals. Why? Because he dared speek without a mask…he told the truth. I think of Kennedy, and I don’t really get the adoration. Not commensurate with the rhetoric of the the oldsters. But I think I get it. Obama’s message down the line was without a mask. There was no pandering. He is reaching fo the highest common denominator. Yes, Obama promised the moon, but it was realistic IF he can organize and motivate this country. Obama is an organizer. That is why he will not lose this election. Obama GETS it. When he said McCain DOESN’T GET IT, he revealed the key to this campaign. Obama sees things clearly — from outside the bubble. If Obama succeeds in chaning half of the things he promised last night, a techtonic shift will occur in our society. Ones that shake liberals and conservatives to their cores. He is talking a progressive shift toward a modest utopia. This is something to cheer. This is a speech to be remembered for all time. But more importantly, it is a checklist of reasonable, achievable campaign promises that can fundamentally change the world. It is as if Obama really beleives the campaign is not about him, rather about us. It is as if he really beleives that if we want utopia, all we have to do is do it ourselves with government being a tool when needed. When was the last time a Presidential candidate reached so high honestly? Kennedy? Carter?
The Republicans from Nixon to Reagan to Bushes 1, 2, or 3 will never got or will get this vision of America. Obama is speaking the truth.
She can give him oil rubdowns, too. Forgive the sexism and carbonism.
Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court.
Monica Goodling vetting US Attorneys.
Dana Perino speaking on behalf of the President of the United States.
Lurita Doan, Administrator of US General Services Administration
Here’s the slant:
Republicans pick clearly underqualified women and USE them until they are no longer useful to them.
I didn’t see the prior comments on the Republican habit of using women, but I’m sure that this point must used.
Look, cheerleaders to introduce him.
And then there’s Karen Hughes
Only two senators were in the room when Karen Hughes testified at her confirmation hearings. When it came time for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to vote on her nomination yesterday, she was easily approved. And thus with no discussion and no debate, Hughes takes over the least noticed, least respected and possibly most important job in the State Department. Her formal title is undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. In plain English, her job is to fight anti-Americanism, promote American culture and above all to do intellectual battle with the ideology of radical Islam, a set of beliefs so powerful that they can persuade middle-class, second-generation British Muslims to blow themselves up on buses and trains.
Presumably, President Bush selected Hughes for this task because she was very good at running his election campaigns.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01551.html
My twenty year old son just come in, looked at the tv and said,
“He picked Sarah Plain for Vice President? He must be desperate.”
“He had to rush on this. Wow. Someone must have made him jump on it.”
NEW POST ALERT
It’s Palin! Because They Couldn’t Get Geraldine Ferraro…
Most of the time I watched it on CSPAN. But I flipped briefly to MSNBC during Stevie Wonder’s performance of Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and there was a split screen of Rachel Maddow, Norah O’Donnell, and Eugene Robinson all dancing in their chairs. It was spontaneous and joyful. Even Pat Buchanan was sitting there grinning with his sunglasses on. It was joyful! Joyful politics! OMG.
I was in the crowd in front of the MSNBC live broadcast when Pat Buchanan gave endless Kudo’s to Obama’s speech. During the break I yelled “Pat I know you are a closet Democrat” several times. He turned looked over his black rimmed glasses and laughed. This had the crowd laughing hysterically for a few minutes. I have been reading Pat’s articles for the last seven years (just before the invasion that he was solidly against). Acutally reading what he has to say had me questioning how the extreme left has demonized Buchanan. If you actually read what he has to say he has either moved to the middle or the middle has moved.
The crowd in front of MSNBC has been raucus and lots of fun. People with very different perspectives (within the Democratic party) Remember Will Rogers quote “I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.”
Keith Olberman did mix it up a bit more last night looking down from the second tier of the broadcasting change just to let people have a glance (sorry but there is something very arrogant about this guy).
Rachel had a huge (I believe well deserved following) in the crowd. Many folks yelling “Rachel Rachel” until the point where Rachel turned around and shared that this is just “a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing for her”. Intellect, honesty and grace just pour out of Rachel. She is so real so accessible even when she sits on the stage.
Ran into Chris Matthews on Wynkopp street between the Alliance center and the Tattered Cover bookstore. he was standing next to a black Sedan and was completely mixing it up with the crowd again. Answering questions, taking challenges with interest and continuing to be accessible to the peasants. I asked him again to bring Flynt Leverett, Juan Cole and Scott Ritter on his program.( I had been shouting out these names and more as suggesstions for his show during breaks of the live broadcast). He asked me “who are these guys” (this of course worried me). I mentioned that Flynt Leverett had quit the Bush administration due to his disagreements on the invasion of Iraq and was what I call “the man on Iran”. Matthews handed this peasant his card with his direct cell phone on it (now how accessible is that to the peasants). I plan to call his direct number and leave suggesstions for his show (any suggesstions you want to throw in?) Still think Chris ask the most challenging questions about the Bush dynasty and the crimes committed by Cheney, Bush, Addington and why the Democrats are not making far more efforts to hold these criminals accountable
EW I am glad you were on the floor. (I should have brought my red volunteer shirt then could have slipped down there.) I was one tier up and decided to roam all over the place looking at the scene from different angles. Talked with lots of people from a Muslim woman, several labor union representatives, students, and a group of older African American women from South Carolina. You are so right a celebration of Democracy indeed. From Governors, Senators, Stevie Wonder, Cheryl Crow and several former Republican regular folk who spoke on stage it was a moving experience a really moving experience. Clearly many “regular folk” are ready for real change. The only thing that really got under my skin was when folks started screaming “U.S.A. U.S.A.” At times it felt too much like the “we’re number one” headset no matter how many people we have been part and parcel to killing and no matter how many countries we destroy “We are number one” More than a bit disturbing.
Former V.P. Al Gore rocked the stadium, with his words of inspiration about the direction of our country. When Gore was speaking not only did he get repeated thunderous applause, people were stomping on the floor of the stadium and it felt like thunder under your feet. Al Gore along with Howard Dean were the only ones who spoke honestly about what has taken place in Iraq. (I am going to read Gore’s words again). Gore ripped into the Bush/Cheney regime as mush as Chris Matthews has consistently been doing this week over at the live broadcast of MSNBC. (sorry folks far more than Maddow and Olberman put together). I was kind of surprised that the Generals and Admirals did not get more of a thunderous applause, and that General Wesley Clark did not speak. He would have ripped it up.
My favorite line of the evening was when the former Republican Barney Smith (a very unassuming guy) ended his speech by saying that “Bush should have cared more for the well being of Barney Smith instead of Smith-Barney.” What a zinger the crowd went crazy wild.
Watching the sun go down over Invesco Field (mile high stadium) and the 84,ooo people waving flags most of them more than willing to go out and work for change certainly had tears welling up in my eyes.
Kept wondering if anyone a couple of hundred years from now will be walking through the ruins of that stadium (coliseum) and ask themselves about what kind of games took place there? Wonder if they will be able to imagine the thunderous crowd in that stadium last night who were there because they desperately want to witness change in this nation?