DNC Convention 2024: Day 1
[NB: check the byline, thanks. /~Rayne]
The Democratic National Committee Convention 2024 opened today at United Center in Chicago IL.
Expect both the traditional and the unconventional given the attendees and keynotes as well as the organizers behind this four-day event.
Here’s today’s convention schedule (times shown are Central Time):
7 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Delegation breakfasts
9 a.m.-10a.m.: Morning press briefing
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Black Caucus meeting
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Hispanic Caucus meeting
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: AAPI Caucus meeting
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Native American Caucus meeting
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Ethnic Council meeting
12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: LGBTQ+ Caucus meeting
12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Small Business Council meeting
12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Labor Council meeting
1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Environmental & Climate Crisis Council meeting
5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: Main programming
Main programming has already begun.
Best channels on which to catch the majority of this evening’s programming:
• C-SPAN will carry the entire convention uninterrupted for all four days.
• CBS News’ primetime coverage of the convention will air Monday through Thursday from 8-11 p.m. ET and be anchored by “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell.
…
• CNN will provide nearly 24/7 live on-air coverage of the DNC, including special live coverage each night from 8 p.m.-midnight ET with “CNN Democratic National Convention.”
• NewsNation will have special primetime coverage entitled “Decision Desk 2024: The Democratic National Convention,” which will air each day from 8 p.m.-midnight ET. It will be co-anchored by Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas and Leland Vittert.
…
• MSNBC will air special coverage from 8 p.m. to midnight each night and will also livestream all four days of the convention on its YouTube channel, the New York Times reports.
(source for schedule and channel lineup: USA Today)
The other networks including MSNBC’s parent have highly abbreviated coverage.
Tonight’s speaker line up already in progress (via ABC channel 6):
5:15 p.m.
• Call to Order: Minyon Moore, chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee, Jaime R. Harrison, chairman of the Democratic National Committee
• Invocation: Cardinal Blase Cupich, archdiocese of Chicago
• Land Acknowledgement: Zach Pahmahmie, Tribal Council Vice-Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Lorrie Melchior, Tribal Council Secretary of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
• Presentation of Colors: Illinois State Police Honor Guard
• Pledge of Allegiance: William Harrison, 9, and Charles Harrison, 5
• National anthem: Soul Children of Chicago
• Remarks and video introduction: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
• Presentation of the Convention Agenda: Jaime Harrison joined by vice chairs Keisha Lance Bottoms, Ken Martin, and Henry R. Muñoz III, Treasurer Virginia McGregor, and Finance Chair Chris Korge
Confirmatory and Ceremonial Vote for the Vice Presidential Nominee: Minyon Moore6 p.m.
• Welcome remarks: Peggy Flanagan
• Welcome Remarks: Jaime Harrison
• Remarks: U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters
• Joint Remarks: Derrick Johnson, President & CEO of the NAACP and Melanie L. Campbell, President & CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Honoring the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr, accompanied by Jonathan Jackson and Yusef D. Jackson.
• Remarks: U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood
• Video: Rich Logis: former Donald Trump voter
• Remarks: U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia
• Remarks: Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, health care advocates and founders of I Am ALS
• Remarks: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
• Remarks from Arizona: Dutch Martinez and Ryan Ahern, The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA)
• Remarks: U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty
• Joint Remarks: Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Brent Booker, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), Kenneth W. Cooper, international president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Claude Cummings Jr., president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Elizabeth H. Shuler, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
• Remarks: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
• Performance: Mickey Guton
• Joint Remarks on “Investing in the Future”: California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin A. Davis, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sarah Rodriguez and Harris County, Texas Judge Lina Hidalgo7 p.m.
• “Project 2025-Chapter One: Introduction”: Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow
• Remarks: U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schutz
• Remarks: U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler
• Remarks: U.S. Rep. Linda Haskins
• Remarks: Lt. Jeremy Warmkessel, President of Local 302 IAFF Allentown Firefighters, Pennsylvania
• Remarks: Maria-Isabel Ballivian, Executive Director of the Annandale Christian Community for Action Childhood Development Center, Virginia
• Remarks: Deja Foxx, reproductive rights activists and content creator
• Performance: Jason Isbell
• Remarks: Gina M. Raimondo, United States secretary of commerce
• Remarks: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul8 p.m.
• Remarks: Steve Kerr, Team USA men’s basketball coach
Shawn Fain, president of the United Automobile Workers
• U.S. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez
• Remarks: Stacey Johnson-Batiste and Doris Johnson, childhood friends of Kamala Harris
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, former United States secretary of state
• U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn
• U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin
• U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett
• U.S. Rep. Grace Meng9 p.m.
• Joint Remarks: Amanda and Josh Zurawski, Texas; Kaitlyn Joshua, Louisiana; Hadley Duvall, Kentucky
• Remarks: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
• Remarks: The Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, Georgia senator
• Remarks: U.S. Sen. Chris Coons
• Remarks: First Lady Jill Biden
• Performance: James Taylor
• Ashley Biden
• President Joe Biden
• Benediction: Rabbi Michael S. Beals and Pastor Cindy Rudolph
• Gavel out: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan
Some of the DNCC’s events noted above were conducted at McCormick Place earlier in the day, including these speakers:
• Black Caucus featuring Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Jahana Hayes
• Hispanic Caucus featuring Miguel Cardona, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Rep. Maxwell Frost
• AAPI Caucus featuring Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
• Native American Caucus featuring Tucson Mayor Regina Romero
• Ethnic Council featuring Lisa Ann Walter and former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
• LGBTQ+ Caucus featuring Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, BenDeLaCreme, and Peppermint
• Labor Council featuring Miguel Cardona, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Rep. Tom Suozzi, Rep. Donald Norcross, and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler
• Small Business Council featuring Rep. Morgan McGarvey
• Environmental and Climate Crisis Council featuring Rep. Ro Khanna and AFT President Randi Weingarten
As media coverage of the convention begins, take heed:
Laffy @[email protected]
Via Richard Stengel:
A word of caution to the press: a political convention is the place where more journalists are in one place in search of fewer stories than any other situation. The tendency is to blow up something small because it’s new, not because it’s important. Don’t do that. #DNC2024
Expect bullshit coverage. In addition to likely puny-matters-blown-up for the clicks, there’s a raft of crap being strewn by right-wing media outlets right now, all of which looks like so much spaghetti thrown at the wall to see what will stick. Don’t help them.
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How do HARRIS WALZ square Gaza?
Go
First, Harris-Walz will execute a combination of what Congress has legislated — you know, the executive branch executes — and what the Democratic Party’s platform will be. You can already read the platform, so Go yourself.
Second, don’t start any shit here. You’re already on my list for polluting a thread with AI crap recently. You also didn’t show up during discussions related to recent posts here about Gaza, suggesting you’re doing a drive-by shit post now.
ADDER: NO. You are NOT going to drop a 360-word essay at nearly the top of this thread in order to derail it.
Secondly, you did more than drop a link to an AI-generated essay here, you were told you were off topic then to boot — rather like now when the point of this thread is the DNC convention and not dumping your protesting here after ignoring my request as moderator not to start shit here.
I don’t often drop in a perhaps superfluous comment, but: THANK YOU RAYNE for everything you do here.
Yes the point of the thread is the Convention. In detail. I note that, and some consider me obtuse. On topic – AOC got face time. A nice gesture.
Among Guardian coverage, AOC earned a post: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/19/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-democratic-national-convention
— with concluding paragraphs:
” Even as Ocasio-Cortez expressed confidence that Americans would elect Harris in November, she warned against potential complacency. With less than three months to go before election day, Ocasio-Cortez told fellow Democrats that they would need to use every resource they have to secure victory. ”
” ‘Just because the choice is clear to us does not mean that the path will be easy,” she said. “Over the next 78 days, we will have to pour every ounce, every minute, every moment into making history on November 5th.’ ”
Spaghetti thrown against the wall is what Trump does in the absence of a drinking game.
“Weird” – throw a forkful.
“COVID” – throw two forkfuls.
“Impeachment” – throw a plateful.
“E Jean Carroll” – throw two platesful.
“Stormy Daniels” – throw the whole serving bowl.
Don’t forget the Doritos scandal!
Funny, she doesn’t appear to have a chip on her shoulder.
Thank goodness it’s not a drinking game! I can’t image the brain damage from that much alcohol!
The drinking game will be taking place in the kitchen at Mar-a-Lago, as the staff realize just how big a mess they will have to clean up when the boss goes to bed.
Doesn’t he move to NJ for the summer?
He did a news conference from NJ the other day.
“Wow… Former President James Taylor…”
https://youtu.be/xAlPmkgiMMc
Wait a second… *checks earpiece* Former President James Taylor has been bumped! I repeat, James Taylor has been bumped! This is not a drill!
From NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/20/g-s1-17935/mickey-guyton-james-taylor-jason-isbell-democratic-national-convention
“[Monday night’s] performances provided a sober counterpoint to the most prominent musician to take the stage at last month’s Republican National Convention: Kid Rock, who performed the rap-rock anthem ‘American Bad Ass’ on the event’s final night.
“Veteran singer-songwriter James Taylor, who was slated to perform, got bumped for time as the night ran long. We’ll never know for certain whether he would have matched Kid Rock’s energy.”
Not to be pedantic, but the DNC is at United Center, not Union Center.
Fixed, thanks. Auto-incorrect struck again.
Although with joint remarks by six of the biggest organized labor organizations this evening, it might as well have been Union Center.
Correction: It’s Mickey Guyton. She’s a black country singer.
She’s probably one of Laura Ingraham’s favorites.
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Shout out to Jason Isbell, performing “Something More Than Free”:
When I get home from work
I’ll call up all my friends, and we’ll go bust up something beautiful
We’ll have to build again
When I get home from work
I’ll wrestle off my clothes, and leave ’em right inside the front door
Nobody’s home to know
You see the hammer finds a nail
And a freight train needs the rails
I guess I’m doin’ what I’m on this earth to do
I don’t think on why I’m here, where it hurts
I’m just lucky to have the work
Sunday morning, I’m too tired to go to church
But I thank God for the work
I thank God for the work
When I get my reward
My work will all be done
And I will sit back in my chair beside the father and the son
There’s no more holes to fill
And no more rocks to break
And no more loading boxes on the trucks for someone else’s sake
You see the hammer finds a nail
And the poor man’s up for sale
I guess I’m doin’ what I’m on this earth to do
I don’t think on why I’m here, where it hurts
I’m just lucky to have the work
Every night I dream I’m drowning in the dirt
But I thank God for the work
And the day will come
I’ll find a reason
Somebody proud to love a man like me
My back is numb
My hands are freezing
But what I’m working for is something more than free
I don’t think on why I’m here, where it hurts
I’m just lucky to have the work
Sunday morning, I’m too tired to go to church
But I thank God for the work
I thank God for the work
I was impressed that Isbell choose to play “Something More Than Free.” It isn’t one of his better known songs, yet its understated simplicity was perfect for last night.
With Ms. Clinton speaking I again recall how much had to happen in 2016 for the former President to get his EC miracle.
It doesn’t appear that any of those things are going to happen. But I await Ms. Wheeler’s expert analysis of the influence operations to determine if they can occur again.
I think the poll results point to a 52%-46% victory for Harris/Walz. But the age difference is a significant factor pointing toward a greater margin of victory.
I liked that the woman Mallory McMorrow brought in the huge copy of Project 2025 and talked about the evil plans within. She is going to do this on different topics in it every day of the convention.
AOC was electric. I see why republicans are so afraid of her. There is no doubt she will one day run for president and probably win. She makes me think in some ways of Eva Perron.
I agree she was electric
She is indeed terrific and one to watch but she is decidedly not a Peronista and thus not an Evita, and all the better for it.
Plus, she’s just plain fun. Here’s an older clip of her streaming a videogame session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By5LL4O00nE
Knowledgeable, articulate, and eminently relatable to younger Americans. Yeah, that scares the tar out of conservatives.
Not only youngsters. She is surely relatable to those who work on their feet all day. My thoughts went to the checkers at my grocery store.
“While in high school, she won second place in the microbiology category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. This award resulted in a scholarship to Boston University. It also resulted in MIT Lincoln Laboratory naming the asteroid 23238 Ocasio-Cortez after her. In 2008-09, she served as an intern in the foreign affairs and immigration office of Sen. Ted Kennedy. In 2011, she graduated cum laude from Boston University in a double major of economics and international relations. In the 2018 Congressional elections, she was elected the youngest woman to ever serve as a House member.” Las Vegas Sun, 2019
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You know you’re getting older when the top of the ticket is only older than you by single digits, and one of the party’s rising stars is too young to run for the office…
Harris got in some quick early remarks today and Jamelle Bouie’s reaction was –
“remains absolutely crazy to me that supposedly professional political observers think harris isn’t a dynamic political presence”
https://bsky.app/profile/jbouie.bsky.social/post/3l24gohg4jf2j
He’s right. She has the stuff. And it’s pretty obvious the pundits who picked up the GOP talking points about her being a lightweight are going to be doing a full 180 trying to lecture the public that being smart and full of substance is somehow a bad thing.
No contest between the Republicans’ retribution and anti-immigrant hate, and the Democrats’ hope, energy, and positivism.
Trump doesn’t know what he wants to do, except stay out of prison, act with impunity, and act out against those who confront him with reality. But he has an army of Fascist Stephen Millers who do.
Harris//Walz do know what they want to do and how to do it. It’s not to seek retribution, but to build an American everyone might want to live in. They will have no trouble recruiting volunteers and professionals to do it in the same spirit.
To any reasonable observer, there isn’t any contest.
Eight long years ago Jay Rosen observed the asymmetry between Democrats and Republicans fries the circuits of the mainstream press.
https://pressthink.org/2016/09/asymmetry-between-the-major-parties-fries-the-circuits-of-the-mainstream-press/
I’m genuinely curious how they deal with this. Is there anyone in charge who gets what happens if they keep glitching out? Are they OK with the collapse of what’s left of their audience if they keep pretending both sides are the same?
I think a lot of the press agrees with the fantasy notion that Harris is some hardboiled leftist rather than a pragmatic politician. What they don’t want to discuss is how far her priorities are from Trump’s. He will cater to the top 0.1%. She will concern herself with everyone else.
They probably think Trump will somehow pull off a victory, and don’t seem to much care whether it’s through the democratic process or a tidal wave of dirty tricks that destroys it.
they think tRump sells more papers/hits/etc. they don’t really care about the Country itself, they believe their own bullshit.
Agree. Harris is not a leftist. Nor Walz.
Also – Neither is a Vance.
Thats quite an article BobBobCon but the comments on it are even better. Thanks for sharing. The press still hasn’t learned how to handle Trump. They give him and his mouthpieces a free hand to lie and never dispute it as lies which makes people think its the truth. Its awful.
Hard to imagine a better flow, better themes, and better music selection. The music for Joe Biden’s intro was spot on.
Meanwhile, Isaac Hayes’ estate is suing the Trump campaign over “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” Somehow, I don’t think that will be a problem for Biden.
WaPo’s headline for the report about the vote on the Democratic platform is: “Democrats’ party platform doesn’t call for arms embargo on Israel”.
Why is there a headline in a major newspaper about something which is not in the document and was never discussed as a possible policy, or even proposed by any party official? By the same token, it could’ve been “Democrats’ party platform doesn’t offer military aid for the smurfs for their fight against Gargamel”, or “Democrats’ party platform doesn’t call for a moratorium against building a death star”.
When the Dems refuse to give you a bad headline, the WaPo and NYT will invent one.
It’s like this bullshit at The Nation:
Where were these headlines about the RNC — are Republicans allowed to ignore public pressure on behalf of Gaza? Did any journalist bother to make the same demands during the GOP’s goat roping they tried to pass off as a convention?
I subscribed to The Nation for most of the ‘80s and early ‘90s. But their holier-than-thou, let-the-perfect-be-the-enemy-of-the-good stance eventually proved too much to tolerate.
They were also the face of the “Bernie bro’s” who were extremely sexist and voted for Trump. Who were actually advocating for him in an obtuse way.
Moving so far to the left that you become a horseshoe leftist (and become an anarchist closer to the right than left), in the manner of nakedcapitalism, seems to be contagious.
Generally, protests are lodged against the party in power, in this case the party which happens to be supplying arms for the current genocide. There were also protests at the RNC, though they didn’t receive much attention.
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Generally, commenters here are smart enough to know that Congress legislates military support including materiel.
Generally, commenters here are smart enough to know that the GOP is in control of the House.
Generally, commenters here are educated enough to know if not old enough to know that in 1968 after the antiwar protests at the DNC, a Democrat was not elected as POTUS, and the Republican who was elected abused his office and expanded the Vietnam war to include unauthorized bombing of Cambodia.
Generally.
I suppose that Biden’s signing off on every shipment of arms to Israel and that the majority of Democrats support this is somehow irrelevant. If only I were intelligent and educated enough to realize that the anti-war protests were to blame for Nixon’s election and not the Democratic Party’s suppression of the anti-war movement. The problem was not the anti-war movement. The problem was there was no candidate committed to ending the war, just as there is no candidate now truly committed to ending the genocide. Only a pro-zionist party hack could be blind to that.
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“Only a pro-zionist party hack could be blind to that.”
Oh I know you didn’t aim that bullshit at the person who wrote this.
Perhaps you’re more than old enough to have forgotten this speech: Conflict in Vietnam and at home, March 18, 1968
It’s the headline because it is news. What’s in or not in a platform is news. Recall the GOP convention dropped the call for a federal abortion ban from its platform, and that news got coverage.
Show time is not news. That Trump talked an hour and a half at his party’s show time was news, over length, not content.
It’s not news if it’s not even remotely a possible expected outcome. A policy that was never discussed by party officials, or even suggested as an agenda items by some party officials, is not a plausible addition to the platform. Unless they assume their readers are not informed enough to know what’s plausible and what’s not.
Reporting that the GOP convention dropped the call for federal abortion ban is news because there was an actual policy change, after the house republicans previously endorsed such ban.
Re: “Recall the GOP convention dropped the call for a federal abortion ban from its platform, and that news got coverage”
Some in the media were hoodwinked by that, and missed that the platform included fetal personhood.
That they have called for a national ban is a given.
“The statement continues with the observation that the 14th Amendment “guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.” It then proclaims, “After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People.” This is a reference to the Supreme Court taking away the federal right to abortion.”
“It may be subtle, but it is clearly signaling that the party hasn’t changed its values. It’s a call for more fetal personhood laws, which can be much more extreme and wide-reaching than abortion bans.”
LATimes Editorial Board
July 18, 2024
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-07-18/rnc-platform-personhood-abortion-gop
Exactly. The GOP hasn’t given up their national abortion ban goal at all. They are just going to pursue it via the 14th amendment by naming a fertilized embryo a “person” who has ALL the protections of a person. Their right wing Supreme Court will agree. And of course no legal “person”protections will be acknowledged for the actual person, the woman who is carrying this fertalized embryo. She of course will face murder charges if she fails to bring this growing “person” within her to perfection and birth.
In fairness coverage should indicate a side panel addressing the Gaza war and uncommitted voices, not prime time, but with attention: https://www.democracynow.org/2024/8/20/dnc_palestinian_rights_panel — https://www.commondreams.org/news/dnc-palestinian-rights — https://jweekly.com/2024/08/19/where-will-the-gaza-war-be-discussed-at-the-dnc-answers-emerge-but-major-questions-remain/ — those are sample coverage, and JTA also has posted. Not trying for an exhaustive list, but a representative one, that is accomodation outside of platform content, and any coverage of platform omission should admit the issue is given attention. “Fair and balanced” in truth, vs sloganeering.
IMO the constructive thing would be if the Two State vs Annexation question arises when Harris and Trump debate. Walz and Vance will debate but that dichotomy seems a top ticket thing to pin down.
Everybody outside of Bibi’s government and Hamas wants a cease fire, whatever the terms and conditions, but the “when the war ends” long view is what needs Harris and Trump to hash out.
Finally, who presided over the Senate when Bibi spoke? Details matter.
Jill Biden’s speech was superbly well judged and graceful.
And Joe has pulled off a very tricky gig with passion, sincerity and true purpose.
Fantastic performances, and arguably President Biden’s finest moment.
And yet that aged asshat David Brooks manages to be a dick about Joe Biden’s speech. Here’s his headline and the subhead from my feed:
I won’t even share a link to that bullshit. Brooks is now 63 years old, acts like he’s 83 and yelling at kids to get off his lawn. He’s pushed this schtick for 21 years at NYT and really needs to retire as badly as 72-year-old Maureen Dowd does.
I am shocked but not surprised at the asshattery you identify. I watched on CNN and Scott Jennings spoke of Biden “just about covering his resentment” (I paraphrase but that was the effect) grrrh.
The only criticism I think could legitimately but not fairly uttered was the speech was a little long.
The length of the speech was due to its reach — addressing his term of office, his exit from the race, and campaigning for Harris.
And making the point to both opponents inside the party and the GOP that he still had the ability to speak at length *coherently* compared to the goddamned orange bawbag helming the GOP ticket.
Scott Jennings is a current GOP operative, McConnell protégé, and raging asshole. There is literally not a single reason to ever listen to him.
Rayne
August 20, 2024 at 7:58 am
I entirely accept your points.
Like I said I thought Biden’s performance was fantastic. Balancing the various requirements that this speech on this occasion demanded. was quite an art: both in terms of giving substance to the several weighty themes, and in the nuances concerning balancing his legacy and crediting Harris for her role and as a basis for launching her presidential bid.
I truly think he met the moment in every respect.
Dana Bash was a little churlish in her post mortem I thought, referring to having been told by the campaign that the speech was going to focus on Harris as the torch bearer for the future rather than Biden’s legacy, she chose to say it was more about legacy.
But historic speeches get picked over, and I think this one will stand up to all the scrutiny.
Yes he has become David Downer and Ned Negative all rolled into one.
Let me fix that for you:
has becomehas beenPerfect fix! Thank you.
I thought that Biden’s last words, quoting the song American Anthem by Gene Scheer were striking and truly dramatic:
The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day.
What shall be our legacy?
What will our children say?
Let me know in my heart, when my days are through—America,
America, I gave my best to you.
How many politicians could say “Let me know in my heart, when my days are through”?
Just Some Guy
August 20, 2024 at 8:37 am
Indeed, sometimes I hatewatch but usually I pause the TV and then skip through . George Conway was right to call him out as a liar to his face on a panel they shared on a Kasie Hunt segment a month or so back.
TY. Guardian had coverage. Q. Was that Brooks thing posted as news, or op-ed? That matters. The two get mixed too frequently.
Brooks is and has been an op-ed columnist for NYT. He opines, he does not do factual reporting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Brooks_(commentator)
David Brooks is a sixtyish,immensely self-satisfied, vastly overpaid (seven figures) opinion columnist for the NYT; an author of the smarmiest inventions, called “best sellers” in the overstock bin; and a proud supporter of anything on the right…for the right fee.
His favorite techniques include invented interviews with rural Pennsylvania diners, damning with faint praise, and long-winded, pseudo-intellectual arguments that evaporate in the slightest breeze.
Patrick McGoohan’s self-description of his spy character in Ice Station Zebra aptly describes David Brooks: “I have no character. I assume one.” Come to think of it, it pretty much describes JD Vance and Donald Trump, too.
It does not describe Biden, Harris, or Walz. That’s Trump-Vance’s problem: they don’t have much experience with real people. It’s also the MSM’s problem, because it insists on forcing like-on-like comparisons that don’t fit.
What a bitter POS is David Brooks. The little Reaganite showed his spiteful pitiful nature when he belched out that bile. It seemed like the last gasp of a guy who wants Trump because of God’s plan. The rest of the table was shocked, but David knew time was short and he launched his attack.
PBS should show this bum to the door.
Re:”PBS should show this bum to the door’
IMHO, it’s at the point where PBS/The News Hour is losing viewership over Brooks, contrary to what I assume is their notion that featuring him prominently is somehow “both sides” and wanted.
I reflexively tuned in to their ‘live coverage’, muted when I saw Brooks, and watched AP live coverage instead.
Because they chose to let he and the ‘hosts’ opine at length, they missed four important speeches all together.
Sadly, the News Hour is mostly unwatchable for me now.
No surprise from David Brooks. I groaned when I tuned into PBS for DNC coverage and saw him at the table. I knew he would be a reliable wet blanket all night long. He did not disappoint. For some reason, PBS decided to focus on their dreary roundtable just as some of the best speakers (Crockett; Raskin; Warnock) went on (I switched to ABC then).
Meanwhile, the press nitpicks about every Biden misspeak, while Trump spouts endless gibberish. Electronics!
There were lots of (NYT curated) comments to that article wondering if he had heard the same speech that they did.
Speaking of MoDo, and how her act has aged worse than TFG’s, did you see what Josh Marshall republished yesterday (from 25 years ago). https: //talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/from-the-josh-archives-bittersweet-nothing-originally-published-4-19-1999 [link purposefully broken]. Rings true even today.
Ugh. It’s not even her age and possible decline which irritates; it’s that forty-fucking-plus years of this annoyingly facile bullshit is enough, ENOUGH goddamn it all. Josh could write the same damned piece today about MoDo, just swapping a few details but to the same overall effect: MoDo is a shallow time suck and a waste of ink then and a waste of pixels and bits now.
Imagine an opinion columnist who wasn’t so intellectually flaccid, one who believed that well-informed opinion could save democracy…now imagine what forty-plus years of such opinion might have done for both the NYT and for the country.
But instead we got MoDo with a side of Brooks. Decades of missed opportunities pissed away, NYT’s brand value with it.
Rayne 10:47, TY. I remember Shields/Brooks from McNeill Lehrer. Dueling banjos without any artistry. Never picking up the pace.
PBS continued that pairing after McNeil and Lehrer retired. Mark Shields could occasionally pluck out a tune. Brooks’s banjo had no strings.
The commentary I remember was when an opinion columnist with the Boston Globe, subbing for Shields, just in the nicest language tore the SOB a new one. I believe concerning low wageworkers. I remember wanting to hear more from him. But, that was his only appearance on the show.
Mallory McMorrow
AOC
Hillary Clinton
Steve Kerr
Jamie Raskin
Jasmine Crockett
The survivors of anti-abortion laws
Raphael Warnock
Ashley Biden
Jill Biden
Joe Biden
What a bunch of powerful speakers!
[Hillary and Jasmine have to be living in Trump’s head right now.]
What has to be living in Trump’s head is the look of extreme satisfaction that washed over Hillary when the crowd started chanting “lock him up, lock him up”. I understand the desire not to wallow where they wallow, but after stoically receiving the both imaginary and potentially real threat of herself being locked up, the turnabout looked extraordinarily delicious to her at that moment
Ulysses Grant admitted making mistakes of judgment during his Presidency. He admitted that though he always intended to do the best for the country, he did make errors in judgment.
He did the same thing in his memoirs. He committed to assaults that gained nothing and caused unnecessary losses.
I wasn’t surprised to hear Joe Biden channeling the same sentiment.
See also: Washington’s Farewell Address for may of the same themes.
Grant also paid back his creditors when he went bankrupt due to the criminality of a partner in his Wall Street firm:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-failure-of-grant-ward-a-cautionary-tale.htm
My notes on Grant’s Memoirs are at https://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2017/08/memoirs-of-ulysses-s-grant.html
The more I learn about Grant, the more I like and respect him although I like Sherman’s memoirs better. My notes on that are at https://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2016/07/memoirs-of-william-tecumseh-sherman.html
There is only one president I cannot imagine admitting to mistakes, including the track of a hurricane.
Jasmine Crockett killed.
OT: This is what happens to Repubs in my county who don’t support Trump.
https://6abc.com/post/republican-leader-montgomery-county-matt-mccaffery-swatted-after-publicly-endorsing-kamala-harris-president/15207035/
The full Crockett speech has been posted to YouTube by a Dallas media outlet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZhJJ5HyG6A
Update: Republican official expelled for endorsing Harris.
https://whyy.org/articles/matthew-mccaffery-montco-gop-expelled-endorsement-harris/
Pro tip for McCaffery: Next time just commit 34 felonies. Not only will they not expel you but they’ll promote you.
Link to the official DNC Convention schedule. More detailed and updated than USA Today:
https://demconvention.com/schedule/?event_day=1
Thanks. I’m going to continue to post the USA Today version since most folks don’t care to know details like what time the United Center’s doors open.
Hillary Clinton made a rousing speech last nite. What an incredible woman. What an incredible loss for our Country that trump was able to steal the 2016 election. Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again! We are going forward! We are not going back!!
Poor Donald haz a sad. “I was so sure Joe Biden would stride into the convention and demand his presidency back.”
Then he recovered. “That sure didn’t sound like Sleepy Joe last night. I’ll bet Kamahla and her squad locked him up somewhere and used a body double to give the speech.”
Cue the conspiracy theorists in three, two, one . . .
What, no performance enhancing drugs?
“we are going forward. We are not going back.” Yes.
Still, i would like to add the sentiment, “Joe, you did this for us!” When he chose Kamala Harris four years ago these now-energizing possibilities became tangible.
(It does not change how every administration in our lifetimes, including Biden’s, has bent to Israel’s “needs” — so that we find US foreign policy mired in the agonies of settlers and Gaza.)
However, this optimistic DNC moment was made possible by Joe.
I agree 1000%. He was the best President of my lifetime.
True dat. From where we were, and where we are today; starting with the ravages of COVID on our health, schools, psyche, and economy… following a presidency that illegimitized more than half the population including minorities, women, and LGBQT… and the complete and utter reset of what is real… We have come a long way under President Biden.
“bawbag”
So apt. Thanks, Rayne.
I expected the sick burns on MAGA from Jasmine Crockett.
Well done! What I did not expect was for her speech to also be so personal and moving.
Quoting Amanda
GordonGorman was an unexpected treat.(More on AG and her 2020 poetry here.)
Tyop? (I know you’ll figure it out in a minute.)
*facepalm*
Fixed, and thanks!
Last night:
-Those that got us here and have our backs.
-Those that are continuing to move the nation forward with courage, strength of character, wisdom and vision.
-Those who have a future voice of leadership.
The Dems have SO much depth of leadership talent. I kept finding myself saying, “They could be President one day…” Said it SO much, I lost count! And THAT was on DAY ONE!
I see I’m late to the game but I thought Honest Joe was mahvalous at the convention last night!
I think his best to date.
That is all.
Hubby and I, women’s basketball fanatics as we are, popped our button over Steve Kerr’s powerful theme on the men’s and women’s gold medal basketball teams in the Olympics.
In baseball news, Joe Biden hit a world record grand slam in his speech – over the bleachers, out of the park, into outer space!. Wow! Was that satisfying!
I am so grateful for all the brave, authentic, passionate people who participated in Day 1 of the 2024 DNC. What an emotionally rewarding night. It was a truly incredible affirmation of the democratic principles that we cherish. It was both heart wrenching and heart warming to see and hear from people we have mostly only known from more formal settings.
It was also very encouraging to hear from people who left MAGA. The clip below with Kate Bolduan and Rich Logis is very insightful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD8KuJxzhRg
“Rich Logis explains how he left MAGA”
Adam Kinzinger is speaking on Thursday. I’m sure Fox News will cover it as thoroughly as they covered:
1. Tina Peters guilty of election fraud,
2. Trump sued by Isaac Hayes for playing his music at rallies,
3. Comer Report exonerates Biden,
4. Rudy disbarred,
5. DJT stock down 50% in 6 months.
Kinzinger was never all that conservative, was he? Could a party switch be in the offing for him? He’s young, and waiting for his former party to come to its senses could be an option, but it could be a very long wait. Anyway, it’s a surprise to me he is speaking at the convention, however Fox chooses to cover it.
It’s pretty common to have a member of the opposing party to have a small speech at the convention for the much-fetishized bipartisanship at an explicitly partisan event. I’m sure that the parameters for the speech are clearly defined and the speech itself is carefully reviewed prior to go time.
I’d like to see a surprise speech by Liz Cheney.
Or Jenna Ellis. Or any of the MAGA criminals who have flipped against Orange Jesus.
I don’t normally watch any convention day bumper to bumper but I did last night, mostly to hear President Biden’s passing of the torch speech. I thought it was worth the wait. But it was well past my bedtime. With the program running so far overtime, a lot of people must have tuned out, at least here on the east coast. A disservice putting a sitting president on so late, IMO.
It was good to hear him at full voice again. Even when he gave the State of the Union, which a lot of people including myself thought knocked it out of the park, his voice was noticeably hoarse, not to mention at the disastrous debate. Virus, over-rehearsal, or both? Maybe the lack of pressure to deliver for his reelection campaign was a factor.
And, yes, I’m so glad he passed the torch. The public perception he wasn’t up to another four years seemed insurmountable. I wasn’t sure it would be the right thing, what with the possibility of a “mini-primary”, circular firing squad, etc. But the Democrats fell into complete array. Even the strategically delayed endorsements came relatively quickly. I don’t think things could have worked out better if they had planned it. Not to be complacent about a Harris/Walz victory in November, I am still optimistic.
I’m sorry I missed all this here last night.
Thanks to you, Rayne, for this space to share and the great introduction!
We started out on MSNBC and Joy Reid and …whoever… were talking over the guy giving the prayer at the beginning… which caused us to switch to C-Span. We enjoyed spending the evening there, immensely. :-)
xyxyxyxy says:
August 19, 2024 at 10:13 pm
“Doesn’t he move to NJ for the summer?
He did a news conference from NJ the other day.”
Yes. That’s why he wasn’t there when the FBI attempted to take him out with deadly force when they did the docs search./s
Chicago PD reporting bomb threats to 14 locations
https://x.com/CPD1617Scanner/status/1825973385815327111
Grrrh