The Democratic Party Convention: 2nd Night

I feel for the millions that are missing this convention by watching it on network and cable stations. They are not experiencing the impact that the last eight years have had on the speakers that the DNC chose to speak tonight. The topic tonight were kitchen table issues that are close to every American.

There was more substance at the convention podium than what the network and cable stations showed and its direction came to the final impact of Hillery Clinton's speech.

The speech was the highlight of the evening, this support of Barrack and Joe and their desire to work for the American people. A Unity speech of all unity speeches. In the audience was a very emotional Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden with his wife.

As you may know, Barrack is on the campaign trail, primarily because the Republicans decided not to keep with tradition by keeping a low profile while the other party is having their convention. He is out there fighting to get elected and start helping all those of us who are in the 99% of the population who don't have 7 homes to go to.

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At this point, I must condem one cable network news station for their absolute disregard of truth in reporting. That network is CNN.

At 4:00 am this morning, I flipped on CNN in hopes that they had gotten off of their one-news-story day only to find them talking through the 7:00pm-8:00pm time slot at the convention complaining that the convention so far had no direction. That it was slow and had not meaning. It brought me to tears, and is why I did not blog this 2nd night until I had slept on it for awhile.

For while the pundits were complaining about the convention, those of us watching C-SPAN heard directly from every-day people like us. People who had lost their jobs and couldn't find another one, or had to work 2 and 3 jobs just to cover expenses. It is one thing to hear a politician talk about the people they have met. It is quite another to see an average American, with no speaking experience, and only a pain in their heart and will power, to stand in front of a crowd of people, a lot of them talking, and speak what is on their mind.

SHAME ON YOU CNN

Then, a response from only one delegate, who was overwhelmed by Hillery's speech, told the reporter/camera that what she heard was her president talking and that Obama had not proved anything to her. She ended by saying that she would never vote for McCain, but Barrack had two months to convince her and that she would rather not vote at all than to vote for Obama. This clip on CNN has been repeated hourly and is still being repeated. CNN is twisting the message folks. They are not reporting the news. CNN is trying to make your mind up for you.

SHAME, SHAME on you CNN!

The Democratic Party Convention; First Night

I'm am quite impressed with C-SPAN. I truly enjoyed myself. The uninterrupted coverage made me feel like I was there. C-SPAN has come a long way since I saw it last. It no longer has just a fixed camera, but very nice shots and a pure view of what was going on in the convention hall.

The coverage started at 5:00pm EDST and ended at 11:00. It showed the opening ceremonies, including the color guard from the Navajo Nation to one of the best band/orchestras I've heard in a long time. At first, I thought people were dancing to a recording of Aretha Franklin until the camera zoomed in on the singer. Even I was ready to have a cocktail and join in on the fun.

We got a chance to hear Barack's half sister speak, as well as Michelle's older brother. However, the real shocker and treat was Jesse Jackson, Jr. Mr. Jackson, as passionate as his famous father, was articulate and intriguing as he spoke to a very receptive crowd. I see a great future in the young politician

With each new segment, each with the wonderful and lively music, the hall continued to fill up. Once Mr. Joe Binden and his lovely wife and a rather toned down, incognito-esque Maria Shriver had entered the hall, Caroline Kennedy was introduced. Caroline talked about her "Uncle Teddy" and introduced the DNC's video tribute. After the video, Senator Kennedy was helped on stage and I must say, he looked better than I had thought he would. He may be very sick, but you couldn't tell it. His passion and vigor electrified the entire hall.

The highlight and grand finale was Michelle Obama's speech. She was extremely personable and passionate about her work, family and her husband. Her strength in all she does was very clear in this moving and motivation speech. After her speech, Barack appear via satellite from Kansas City, where he had watched his wife speak. Their two young daughters said hello to their Daddy and he wished them and the audience a very good night and that he would see all of them on Thursday Night.

Now and then, throughout the night, I switched very briefly to CNN to see what they were doing. I realized that they were on a 2-3 minute delay and talking/editorializing through all that was going on, including the speeches. They advertised that if you wanted to hear the speeches without commentary, you could go to CNN.com/politics and watch it on "your laptop." I guess CNN thinks the only computer anyone has is a laptop and that they are not duty-bound as journalists to show the convention "as is."

I'm sticking with C-SPAN for the duration of the Convention. As for the BBCAmerica coverage, they will only be showing the convention during the 10:00-11:00 time slot. I'm disappointed, but not surprised.

20-year old speech

After the Obama and Biden speeches that I saw on C-SPAN, I just let the channel stay on and I was treated to a "blast from the past."

It was Ann Richard's speech at the July 1988 Democrat Convention in Atlanta, GA. Listening to her, speaking to a pre-Bush, pre-Clinton audience, the speech, word-for-word could be a speech that we might hear at the convention on Monday night.

Same problems, same economic woes, even a line about the "... greatest national debt in our country's history."

What a shame that as far as Bill Clinton got in his presidency, we are now thrust into a lame-duck Regan Presidential era.

I can only hope that this election does not turn out like that election did.