RNC Wrap-Up: 'More Of The Same, Only Worse'

Noted author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin officially brings our convention coverage to a close.

Convention season is over. Both conventions were historic. The Democrats presented the nation with its first black nominee for president. The Republicans gave us our second woman vice presidential nominee.

Now the real work begins. I fear it is going to be nasty.

If their convention is any indication, the Republicans are going to fuel fear and resentment. They warn Americans against so-called "Eastern elites," the media, the educated, those who live in cities and community organizers. They insist that a Democratic administration will guarantee an attack by terrorist extremists.

The unemployment rate has reached a five-year high of 6.1 percent under a Republican administration; they assert that you will lose your job if the Democrats win. In spite of their rhetoric of change, in spite of nominating a talented woman and a "maverick" man, this seems to be the same old party. This is the party of Richard Nixon, Lee Atwater, Karl Rove; it is not the Party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

This is not change. This is more of the same, only worse.

Consider this:

The 2008 Republican Party platform is against a woman's right to chose and gun control. It defends the Bush tax cuts. While finally acknowledging global warming, the platform doesn't see a role for government in addressing the crisis.

(Sarah Palin wants to take polar bears off of the endangered species list!) It sees immigration as a national security issue and treats undocumented workers as criminals.

Those who hoped McCain would be different ought to be disappointed.

Even if he were holding true to his maverick identity he still presents major problems. Given his own compelling autobiography, one would expect him to support measures that benefit our veterans. He has voted against increased funding for veterans and military families. He has voted against efforts to improve medical care for veterans or to provide mental health services to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In an effort to appeal to disaffected supporters of Clinton, Republicans make note that women are not single-issue voters. By this, they mean Clinton supporters care about more than abortion rights.

They are correct. In fact, believe it or not, some Clinton supporters and a number of Democrats who support Obama are pro-life. However, beyond abortion, both McCain and Palin favor abstinence-only sex education. He doesn't think women need equal party protection, they simply need "education and training." That's not change we can believe in.

Perhaps some of those "hardworking, blue collar" Americans who supported the shot-drinking, hunting Hillary Clinton will be drawn to the McCain-Palin ticket. But those who care about the progressive issues for which Clinton has fought most of her life have to think twice. Their anger at their candidate's treatment is certainly justifiable.

Handing our country over to the retrograde politics of the current Republican Party is not.

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

6:19 PM ET | 09- 5-2008 | permalink

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RNC Wrap-Up: 'Stand Up and Fight!'

Our online series, "Conventional Wisdom," comes to a close today with the end of the Republican National Convention.

She wraps up the week's events with this final post.

Stand Up, Stand Up, Stand Up and Fight!

Experience and a real call for enacting change from a person who has proven that he is able to deliver on it. John McCain may not have soaring rhetoric in his speeches, but last night, the soldier's acceptance address packed a powerful punch. No matter how you slice it or dice it, John McCain has a PROVEN record for calling for change and actually fighting for it in Washington -- something that is very rarely seen in the nation's capitol nowadays and something that he did even to the detriment of his standing in his own party.

McCain is a true soldier in more than one sense of the word, and in the crescendo of his speech, he called on all who were listening to "stand up, stand up, stand up, and fight!"

Commentators love to call it "red meat for the base," but it was more than that. I felt the energy in the Xcel Center, and viewers felt the energy in their living rooms. This warrior once again entrenched in a battle to save his country was now reaching out to his country to help him in the fight of his life.

In Defense of Palin

Part of the electricity in the arena last night was the common resolve to cheer for Governor Palin each time her name was mentioned. Considering the current state of this country and this political environment, I cannot think of a better running mate.

Much of the media's scrutiny of her experience is unwarranted. As former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich said: "None of them want to look at the fact that Governor Palin heads a state whose budget is $11 billion with 15,000 employees, while the Obama and Biden offices have $4.6 million budgets and about 60 employees." This leads me to my next segment: "must see TV."

"Must See" TV -- Convention Rewind

My boss, Newt Gingrich, proved once again why I am honored to work for him. Like it or not, he is a brilliant thinker, policy reformer, political analyst, and former professor, who has a gift for explaining the most complicated of situations. Tuesday night, Gingrich summed up this entire complex presidential race in one short interview on the convention floor. You simply MUST see this clip of his defense of Palin on MSNBC. (Watch it through to the very end!)

Continue reading "RNC Wrap-Up: 'Stand Up and Fight!'" »

Geoffrey Bennett

2:17 PM ET | 09- 5-2008 | permalink

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RNC Day 3: 'We Deserve Better'

"Conventional Wisdom" brings you perspectives from both sides of the political aisle during this convention season. Author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin watched Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accept her party's nomination for the vice presidency -- and the media analysis that followed -- and offers the following response:

They like her; they really, really like her. The Republican faithful loved Sarah Palin.

The pundits seemed to love her, as well. All have proclaimed hers a "great speech." Great Speech? It was an entertaining performance. It may even rank as a "good speech." It was not a great speech. Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream", John F. Kennedy's "Inaugural Address", Mario Cuomo's 1984 DNC keynote, Barack Obama's race speech in Philadelphia and his address at the 2004 Democratic Convention -- these were great speeches. Their rhetoric sought to unify us around an expansive vision of our nation. The same cannot be said of Palin. It was long on one liners, sarcasm and snide, mean spirited remarks. And, it was full of half-truths.

She claimed Obama would raise the death tax, business taxes and "increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars." Barack Obama's tax policy would increase the income of middle-class Americans. The working poor would fare better under Obama's tax plan. He would increase taxes on those with income over $250,000. She said that Barack Obama had not authored a single major law or reform, "not even in the state Senate." The AP reports Obama "was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation." (Also see the Lugar-Obama bill on international nuclear disarmament.)

Palin and Giuliani (whose speech was much more effective) belittled community organizers as a way of questioning Obama's credentials. Community organizers empower ordinary citizens to stand up against things like police brutality, environmental racism and inadequate services. They seek to strengthen communities, particularly those underserved by government. Take one look at the incidents of police brutality under Giuliani's administration and his disdain for community organizers make sense. He was often the target of their organizing campaigns. I don't know if the same is true for Governor Palin. Obama worked for the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a large church-based community-organizing agency in Chicago. It was started as a branch of the Calumet Community Religious Conference (CCRC). One might expect the Republicans to applaud this kind of faith-based community involvement. They do not.

If Giuliani and Palin were misleading, Mitt Romney seemed to be living in an alternate universe: one where the last eight years in Washington have been dominated by liberals, where the Surpreme Court is made up of radical lefties and where he, a very wealthy former Governor of Massachusetts is not part of an Eastern elite!

I had hoped that we might experience a different kind of campaign under the leadership of Senator McCain. In selecting Governor Palin and encouraging the kind of spiteful, venomous rhetoric on display last night he has let the American people down. We deserve better. The Republican Party leadership claims to present us with something new. Instead they have presented us with a throwback to the old nasty, divisive politics of times past. They took a page out of Karl Rove's playbook. What's next? A Lee Atwater moment? Frightening. Truly frightening.

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

5:07 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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RNC Day 3: Gov. Palin An Answer to GOP Prayers

Guest blogger Princella Smith watched Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's vice presidential acceptance speech from the RNC floor. Smith's take on the speech? "Out of the park!"

Smith serves as Chief Advocate for the Platform of the American People at American Solutions, an organization founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

One question: What does "Palin" mean in Inuit? My bet is: "Pit bull" LOL! Palin's pit bull reference in her speech and other zingers were enough to have people all over the Xcel Center on their feet. In case you missed them or in case you enjoyed them so much that you'd like them listed, I have decided to highlight some of her best acceptance speech quotes for you...

1. "I love those hockey moms. You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull: lipstick!"

2. "Harry Reid -- the majority leader of the current do-nothing Senate -- he not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee. He said, quote, 'I can't stand John McCain.' Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly, what the majority leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain."

3. "My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery."

4. "And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they're always, quote, 'fighting for you,' let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you."

5. "I came to office promising major ethics reform to end the culture of self-dealing, and today that ethics reform is the law. While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the Governor's Office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay. I love to drive myself to work. And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef, although I got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her."

The much anticipated moment of Governor Palin's acceptance speech lived up to its hype. In four words: "Out of the park!" I was on the floor -- watching the delegates. There was new life in them. They were excited to support a ticket featuring a real, genuine conservative with a new face! It gave them a reason to cheer.

It gave them a reason to feel that they were part of making history, too, and that the historical situation doesn't belong solely to the Democrats. I have said more than once that what John McCain needed was someone to shore up his base -- not independents.

He has a very good reputation with independents because of his willingness to part with his party on issues of his personal conviction, and in a year where the GOP base was desperately searching for conservative, there has been tension between them and the candidate ever since.

Palin is seemingly an answer to McCain's and the GOP's prayers -- evangelicals, moderates, and all.

-- Princella Smith

Geoffrey Bennett

1:10 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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RNC Days 1-2: Palin's Not Perfect, But She's Real

Guest blogger Princella Smith is in her element at the Republican National Convention. Check out her recaps of day one and two at the RNC.

Smith serves as Chief Advocate for the Platform of the American People at American Solutions, an organization founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

Republican National Convention: Day Two

Well, with the speaker scheduling being shuffled and moved around due to Gustav, there was speculation as to whether or not a speaker line-up could be effective and motivating on day two of the Republican National Convention.

I must say, that from my observations, Tuesday night was "warm-up" night for the Republicans. Many heroes were highlighted and tributes were paid to past Republican Presidents -- including George Herbert Walker Bush. When he and his wife Barbara walked in, there was a grand applause reception letting everyone know how much respect the former President and wife still have within the party.

Their daughter-in-law, First Lady Laura Bush, was enchanting as usual ... I think America will miss her, and I have a GREAT DEAL of respect for her. If you think about the grace she has had to exude while her husband takes a beating in the media and entertainment world each day, then you will too.

My view was from one of the press boxes overlooking the entire convention floor. It was quite a spectacle to see all of the Texans waving their cowboy hats back and forth as well as all of the "party faithfuls" in all of their patriotic gear, elephant hats, etc. with chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A!" Of all of the speakers, I'd have to say that Fred Thompson seemed to draw this reaction the most.

His "red meat" approach to defending Gov. Palin while celebrating McCain's record of executive military experience and resilience during his days as a POW, was something that needed to be touted amidst media attacks on Palin and the chaos of batting the swirling rumors about the little-known governor. Thompson's southern "matter-of-fact" style hit-home with crowd when he touted Palin as "the only candidate who can field dress a moose." Hahaha! It's the "tough-girl" look that Republicans love.

Continue reading "RNC Days 1-2: Palin's Not Perfect, But She's Real" »

Geoffrey Bennett

2:47 PM ET | 09- 3-2008 | permalink

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RNC Days 1-2: Getting Beyond the Palin Distraction

"Conventional Wisdom" brings you perspectives from both sides of the political aisle during this convention season. Author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin is monitoring the ongoings at the Republican National Convention and offers her thoughts on America's "temporary fascination with this attractive mystery woman," Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

I am at a disadvantage in writing about the Republican National Convention for a number of reasons. First, I am not in Minnesota. Second, I support Barack Obama for President. Third, I have to rely on television coverage for my access to the events of this convention.

It is easier to feel the excitement and the drama of an event when you are present and participating in it. However, I don't have to be there to sense the excitement generated by Senator McCain's pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for his running mate. The Republican base is excited, the press is burning with curiosity and much of the American public has a temporary fascination with this attractive mystery woman. After watching the first night of the convention -- the lack of diversity amongst its delegates and the somewhat boring presentations of the evening's speakers (including Joe Lieberman, who in spite of statements to the contrary, is NOT a Democrat) -- I, too, am looking forward to hearing from Gov. Palin.

Palin is fascinating: a former beauty queen and a member of the NRA who hunts moose, and has given birth to five children while running for and winning public office. She is pro-life, doesn't believe in sex education in public schools and advocates abstinence as a form of birth control for teenagers. However, I cannot help but agree with New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, that much about the Palin selection and its subsequent coverage by the media serve to distract us from important issues such as the economy and the war.

She also serves the useful purpose of separating Senator McCain from President Bush. The Democrats had persuasively connected the failed Bush administration with Senator McCain's presidential aspirations. Last night, both Bush and Palin were absent from the convention hall. In her absence, Palin was more of a presence than Bush. Although the President did address the convention, he did so from Washington, D.C. Are we really to believe he stayed away from the Twin Cities because of the demands of monitoring Hurricane Gustav?

But back to Palin. There are ways to talk about her that do not distract us from the issues. Clearly she was chosen to appeal to the right-wing base of the Republican Party. Clearly, she was also selected to appeal to disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters. Suppose there are some Hillary Clinton supporters who will support the McCain/Palin ticket. (I don't know any, but that says more about my social circle than it does about the diversity of women who were excited by Hillary.) Yet, the two politicians couldn't differ more. How could anyone who was happy with President Hillary Clinton find Governor Palin an attractive alternative? Perhaps those voters who sided with Hillary after Pennsylvania, after she drank shots and spoke nostalgically of hunting with her grandfather, perhaps those are the voters who are thrilled at the prospect of Sarah Palin.

In many ways, McCain's pick of Sarah Palin is very cynical but also very Republican (think Clarence Thomas) and, unfortunately, very American. We, the American people, often are willing to settle for symbols over political heft. However, Sarah Palin is not an empty symbol of emerging womanhood. She is an extremely conservative woman whose rise to power signifies the victory of Phyllis Schafly, who has emerged again in recent days. Remember Phyllis Schafly? She helped defeat the Equal Rights Amendment. She was against arms control. She's back.

When I say that current coverage on Sarah Palin is a distraction it isn't because I want to hear less about her; it's because I want to know more. This I know: she is against a woman's right to choose. She is pro-gun. She believes the Iraq War is part of God's plan. She is a creationist. She is against sex education in public schools. I would love more details on the following: Her stance on the current state of our economy? On global warming? On foreign policy? On health care? That's why I am really looking forward to those October debates between she and Senator Biden. That's also why I would love to see one between she and Senator Clinton as well!

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

11:10 AM ET | 09- 3-2008 | permalink

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DNC Wrap-Up: 'Breathe. Reflect. Remember.'

"Why must a vision of a post-racial America be devoid of ordinary black Americans? Why must the story of their struggle be silenced?" Author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin helps bring our coverage of the Democratic National Convention to a close.

Come back to News & Views for status updates on the Republican National Convention from Farai Chideya.

Beyond the speech and the spectacle, the celebration and the euphoria, let us stop. Breathe. Reflect upon the magnitude of the moment. Remember the history, the struggles and the lives that brought us to this time.

Barack Obama's glorious night at Invesco Field is not the culmination of our struggle. It is but a stop on the journey. Senator Obama ended his address with a reference to Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech." In so doing, he placed his candidacy and presidency at the end of a continuum beginning with Dr. King and the Civil Rights struggle of the late fifties and early sixties.

It was a triumphant narrative, told by a man who aspires to lead the most powerful country on the face of the earth. Dr. King's speech was a jeremiad --- an indictment of America. He addressed the ways the United States strayed from her democratic ideals and focused on the nation's darker children, the descendants of enslaved Africans. He insisted that the dream would be fulfilled only when they and other disenfranchised people had full, unfettered access to the promises of American democracy and to the opportunities that would ensure them access to the American Dream. Only then would America inch closer to the fulfillment of its own promise.

The very image of Barack Obama, his statesman-like manner, his ownership of America and his confidence that he has a right to lead this nation certainly point to the fulfillment of one aspect of Dr. King's dream. And yet much about the night suggests that we still have a distance to travel. Senator Obama acknowledged some of the work that awaits us.

The touching and appropriate presence of Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized how far we have traveled since Dr. King's speech and reminded us that there is still much to be done. And yet, in spite of their presence, there were some glaring absences as well: In the extraordinary parade of ordinary Americans who provided testimony to the way the Bush administration has failed them and who asserted their support for Senator Obama, there was not one African American.

In the inspiring video that preceded his speech there were very, very few black people. And in his speech he made little if any mention of the very specific black freedom struggle that ushered him to this moment, nor did he name the man whose vision he was honoring.

I fully support the candidacy of Barack Obama. I was thrilled to have shared his triumphant acceptance of the Democratic nomination with almost 85,000 others. But I still have to ask, "Why must a vision of a post-racial America be devoid of ordinary black Americans? Why must the story of their struggle be silenced?" Of course, others have struggled and suffered in the United States, but Senator Obama occupies the national stage as the result of the very specific and particular struggle of black people.

I want to close the week of blog posts about this historic 2008 Democratic Convention by naming a small number of those whose legacies and lives brought us here: Phyliss Wheatley, David Walker, Maria Stewart, Frederick Douglass, Henry Highland Garnet, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, Martin Delaney, Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, black Union Soldiers, Northern Yankee teachers, progressive Reconstruction politicians, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper, Mary Church Terrell, Marcus Garvey, the NAACP, the Urban League, the Pullman Car Porters, Langston Hughes, Adam Clayton Powell, Mary McCleod Bethune, A. Phillip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, the Tuskegee Airmen, Ella Baker, Paul Robeson, Lorraine Hansberry, the Montgomery Improvement Association, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Septima Clark, Rosa Parks, Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, the Deacons for Defense and Justice, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, James Baldwin, Diane Nash, Toni Cade Bambara, Shirley Chisolm ... and the Many Thousands Gone.

This triumph is as much theirs as it is our own.

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

6:35 PM ET | 08-31-2008 | permalink

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DNC Wrap-Up: 'Proud To Be An American'

"It meant a lot to me to see our nation take this great stride," writes guest blogger Princella Smith about Sen. Barack Obama's nomination. Smith serves as Chief Advocate for the Platform of the American People at American Solutions, an organization founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. We wrap up our coverage of the DNC, first, with Smith's reaction. We'll turn later to Farah Griffin's response.

"Tomorrow, we'll be back at it, but tonight Senator, job well done." Sen. John McCain said these words in a very classy ad he released today.

Instead of continuing with politics as usual, he paused to recognize the historic moment that unfolded before America's eyes on Thursday night. It is finally official: An African American (part-white and all) accepted the nomination of a major party as its candidate for President of the United States.

Putting ideology aside, I have to say that as an American first and then as an African American, it meant a lot to me to see our nation take this great stride. What happened Thursday night was bigger than either political party. Our nation -- at least, in part -- was able to take one step closer to not only Dr. King's dream, but the dreams of many who worked, went to jail, and even died for such a time in America.

Does this mean that all of a sudden racism and prejudice are gone? Does this mean that "all African-Americans should just forget about the past, now?" Absolutely not, and I hate it when people say either of these things, but it does mean that as a country we are preparing to put our dark past behind us and encourage the growth of a nation where young people like my two young brothers can grow up in a country where it is not such a big deal or abnormality to run for president as a minority and actually win the nomination of your party. When people say African Americans should just "forget about the past," I ask them: "Do we tell World War II vets to just forget about the war?"

Observation

On a political standpoint, I would like to note that it was the first time that I saw Obama take attack after attack and answer them. He's been accused of a lack of heft and substance in his speeches beyond soaring rhetoric, and tonight, he went after McCain. The question is whether or not America will agree with him. After getting past the historic night, America will truly have to see. This piece was written as an acknowledgment of history without regard to specific party ideology, but I encourage everyone to vote with reason and not emotion. Make the best choice based on the issues.

-- Princella Smith

Geoffrey Bennett

11:16 AM ET | 08-29-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 4: Remembering Fannie Lou Hamer

"Conventional Wisdom" brings you perspectives from both sides of the aisle. When author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin watched as Barack Obama won the presidential nomination of his party, she writes, "I wondered what [Fannie Lou Hamer] would have thought about this night."

Last night, the Democratic Party showcased its best. The Big Three -- Kerry, Clinton and Biden -- reminded Democratic voters and all Americans of the stark differences between Democrats and Republicans, between Obama and McCain.

John Kerry delivered what may be the best speech of his career. We expected Clinton to bring brilliance, passion and clarity, but Kerry demonstrated a side of himself we needed to have seen more of during his campaign. And Biden, while not as eloquent as either Clinton or Kerry, brought just the right balance of intelligence and toughness. They defined McCain. They painstakingly described the nation's current difficulties at home and abroad. They reminded us of the stark differences between Republican and Democratic conceptions of and visions for America. And they affirmed and legitimated Barack Obama as the man most capable of leading this country at this moment. More importantly, they told the American people that they were willing to stand behind him, work with him and follow his leadership.

Throughout the evening, I kept thinking about Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker. Especially Mrs. Hamer; she wouldn't leave me. My mind's eye focused on her at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City. A sharecropper turned civil-rights activist, Mrs. Hamer attended the convention as Vice-Chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (The Freedom Democrats), which had been organized to challenge Mississippi's all-white, segregationist delegation to the convention. The white southern delegation threatened that if the Mississippi Freedom Party was seated, it would not to nominate Lyndon Johnson nor give him their electoral votes.

The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's alternate delegation had 64 black and four white delegates. National media coverage of Hamer's testimony to the credentials committee, regarding the violence and discrimination blacks faced when trying to register and vote, garnered support for her efforts from the American people. Eager to shut her up, Lyndon Johnson (who referred to her as "that illiterate woman"), sent a delegation, including Hubert Humphrey, to negotiate with the MFDP. They offered the Freedom Party two seats at the convention and Humphrey encouraged her to accept the concession because his vice presidential nomination was at stake.

Martin Luther King did endorse the compromise. But Fannie Lou Hamer asked Humphrey: "Do you mean to tell me that your position is more important than 400,000 black people's lives?" Ultimately, Mrs. Hamer and the MFDP rejected the compromise and were not seated. But as the result of the efforts of Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democrats that summer night in Atlantic City, just a year later, President Johnson signed the federal Voting Rights Act. In 1968, the Democratic Party began to demand equality of representation from all delegations.

Last night, as I listened to the soaring rhetoric and watched the waving flags, I also saw Mrs. Hamer standing outside the Convention Hall that summer night. I heard her say: "If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America: Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings -- in America?"

I wondered what she would have thought about this night when the party that refused to seat her delegation nominated an African-American man as its candidate for the presidency of the United States of America.

Would she have looked at the truly diverse delegates from all over the country and seen the successful culmination of what she'd fought for? Would she still posit the question to her party, to her nominee: "Is your position more important than the lives of black people, [of poor people]?"

She would have done both. She might have basked in the moment, but she most certainly would not have suspended judgment. Ever vigilant in holding up her people's suffering and aspirations, Mrs. Hamer nonetheless knew that the United States of America is a work in progress, capable of change though great struggle and tremendous sacrifice.

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

12:54 PM ET | 08-28-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 4: 'Historic Heft'

"The truth is that both Clinton and Biden were needed Wednesday night to provide heft to an otherwise lacking Obama resume," writes guest blogger Princella Smith. Smith serves as Chief Advocate for the Platform of the American People at American Solutions, an organization founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. She has the first of today's DNC morning-after analysis.

Initially, I must acknowledge this moment in history. An African American was nominated in full acclamation as the nominee of a major political party. It was touching to hear the words of people I've read about in history books like John Lewis and James Clyburn.

It was inspirational to think of those who fought with Lewis and Clyburn but were not here to speak with them because they had given their lives in the fight. It is a sentiment so unique, that words cannot really express its depth. However, because we are rational human beings, I'm encouraging everyone to use empirical reasoning and not historical emotion when casing their votes. ... Still ... congratulations, America. We are making great strides toward the America that the mothers and fathers of civil rights fought and died for ...

Well, Bubba was asked to prove that he is a team player, and he did. His speech didn't overshadow Hillary's (a future candidate), or Biden's (the Vice-Presidential nominee). He did what he needed to do to show a unified face and attempt at getting his party behind Obama.

The truth is that both Clinton and Biden were needed Wednesday night to provide heft to an otherwise lacking Obama resume. It's kind of hard to talk about Obama for three days when there is so little to say other than he has the ability to organize and galvanize people. Though, those are good traits for a leader to have, being Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation in the world will require more than ground galvanization.

The Clinton / Biden heft show leads me to the next observation. Critics of this week's convention -- including myself -- said that too much time was given to the Clintons. I thought it brilliant on the part of the Obama staff to bring Barack out on a surprise appearance after Biden's acceptance speech as an official "turn the page from the Clintons" moment. After all, his image had been seen very little over the course of the past three days.

-- Princella Smith

Geoffrey Bennett

11:29 AM ET | 08-28-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 3: Hillary Offered 'An Eloquent Dance'

For another perspective on Hillary Clinton's DNC speech, we turn to author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin. "Did [Clinton's] supporters leave that hall ready to support Obama? I am sure some of them did, with varying degrees of commitment," writes Griffin. Tell us what you think.

She wore a burnt orange pantsuit that popped in contrast to the blue backdrop of the stage. Looking fit and ready to lead, Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a rousing address to an audience that seemed enraptured with her. In a speech peppered with specific critiques of McCain and clear suggestions for policy, Mrs. Clinton linked herself to the history of women's suffrage in this country by invoking the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention -- the first women's rights convention -- and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted the women the right to vote.

In one of her most soaring passages she quoted the freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman who when faced with slave catchers, bullets and blood hounds commanded "keep running!" In that one gesture, Clinton accomplished a number of important things: She brought together the struggles for women's and black rights in the United States, and subtly called attention to her own run for the presidency, in which she kept going long after others thought she should have quit. In fact, the whole speech was an eloquent dance between these two positions:

1. We must come together to defeat the Right. Our movements must converge and unify behind Barack Obama.

2. I ran a hell of a campaign, I bring a lot power and influence, I am steadfast, sturdy and persistent AND I am in it for the long haul.

So, the question remains: Did her supporters leave that hall ready to support Obama? I am sure some of them did, with varying degrees of commitment. Even among those who did emerge ready to elect Senator Obama there remains a sense that Hillary Clinton would have been the better candidate and should have been the party's nominee or, at the least, Obama's VP.

Hillary's supporters are a diverse group. Those with whom I have been most impressed are older, professional, politically astute women, [including some pretty fierce black women.] They are not marching in the street, they are not spewing racist invectives, they are not swearing to stay home or vote for McCain. But they are loyal to their candidate, believe her to have been deeply wronged by the media and by the young, smart but inexperienced and ungracious people who run the Obama campaign.

They are angry, they are hurt. But they are not the types to go into the corner and lick their wounds. Nor or they willing to give this election to McCain. Yesterday's Women's Caucus meeting reminded women voters that a McCain presidency will greatly undermine many hard won advances. (Sheila Johnson Rice delivered an extraordinary address in support of Obama at the Women's Caucus. She deserves a national hearing.)

The most significant assignment Hillary Clinton gave to her follower's last night: "I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage?" These are questions well worth pondering. (Last night provided some pretty compelling answers to these questions, particularly in the speeches of ordinary American's who spoke about their own struggles with pay equity and healthcare.)

However, it isn't just disgruntled Hillary supporters who need to meditate on these queries because they are not the only ones who are dissatisfied with the campaign. The reasons are diverse. Some are concerned about the so-called 'post-racial' nature of the campaign. Others cite the dearth of black faces in its leadership. Still others feel left out because their advice has not been sought or if sought, not heeded. There are some that are bothered by what feels like the campaign's tendency to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Then there are those who are apprehensive by the euphoria that seems to have overtaken so many of Obama's supporters. All of us, including staunch Obama supporters, need to ask ourselves, why were/are we in this. What are the larger issues that drew us to the energy, vibrancy and possibility of this election season?

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

2:29 PM ET | 08-27-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 3: 'Big Game Player'

"Conventional Wisdom" brings you perspectives from both sides of the aisle each day. What did News & Views guest blogger Princella Smith think of Hillary Clinton's DNC address? In short: "a masterful Clintonesque calculation." Smith serves as Chief Advocate for the Platform of the American People at American Solutions, an organization founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

Short notes:
* Governor Warner: Had the keynote, but not extremely inspiring.
* Gov. Brian Schweitzer (MT): Sure to be a rising star in the party. Displayed a gift for rousing the crowd that was a little unexpected.

Hillary Clinton:
"She's a big game player, and that was a big game speech." -- John King of CNN

I agree with John King but for a few different reasons. After Sen. Clinton's address, she had even more of her followers wishing that she were the nominee: wondering what more they could have done to get her elected. I will have to say, that even though I absolutely disagree fundamentally with Sen. Clinton, she deserves her props for being so cleverly shrewd in her presentation. Put bluntly, there are very few people who could have pulled off what she did.

What do I mean? Think about this: It had to be one of the hardest things in the world for Sen. Clinton to stand on that stage and speak at a convention that she felt would be hers for so long. It had to be tough to have to make a speech on behalf of someone she campaigned against so intently, on top of having her own words used in commercials as fodder by the McCain campaign and being accused of only caring about her own self interests and not the interests of her party.

So, what does she do? She made her case for why she ran for president. She espoused her feminist beliefs. She attacked McCain in a way that no one has really done in the two nights of the conventions, showing her heft on the national stage.

Most cleverly of all, she spoke for her party as the best party to change the status quo. All of this WITHOUT speaking to Sen. Obama's readiness to be Commander-in-Chief. (Maybe Bill will tomorrow.) She gave homage to Biden's abilities and said that Ms. Obama would make a great first lady, but she NEVER spoke of Obama's abilities. Quite frankly, her lines about Obama were very generic, but she spoke so cleverly that it passed as an attempt to unify. It was as if she presented Obama as the lesser of two evils: saving face so that her political future wasn't ruined and so she would not produce anymore one-liners for McCain campaign commercials.

To top it off, as soon as she was done, her Web site updated with a banner reading: "LET US UNITE" at the very moment her speech ended. A true MC -- Masterful Clintonesque calculation.
As I stated earlier, many of her supporters were left with the feeling that Obama would have to earn their votes. They cheered. They cried. They listened -- intently. I watched a tearful African-American female Clinton supporter speculate on camera whether or not she would vote for Obama or stay home. "He will have to show me," she said. "Look, you just saw it! That was presidential," she cried.

One thing is for certain: our argument at American Solutions is validated. Americans want substance from their leaders. Rhetoric alone just won't cut it. Unfortunately for the attendees in the Pepsi Center, neither Clinton nor Obama are championing the views of a truly American Platform of the American People.

-- Princella Smith

Geoffrey Bennett

10:46 AM ET | 08-27-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 2: Will America Accept First Lady Michelle?

Author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin shares her thoughts on Michelle Obama's DNC address last night. She writes, in part, "It is Michelle's blackness that has deeply disturbed many Americans and much of the press, and it is that same blackness that has endeared her to many, but not all, black Americans." Read and respond.

By the time Michelle Obama -- the woman who many hope will be America's next First Lady -- took center stage, the Pepsi Stadium was electric with anticipation. We'd just watched a well-produced video, South Side Girl, documenting her "American" story.

It was followed by her brother's loving introduction. Watching her, resplendent in teal, perfectly made up and coifed, I wondered, "What will it take for Americans to love this woman?" Surrounded by tall placards with her name in bold white print, I thought "What will the pundits make of her performance?" I had no doubt she would be elegant, beautiful, intelligent and graceful. She always is. I wasn't concerned that she might slip up and speak a basic truth about our deeply flawed nation. She has learned her lesson and there are now handlers to assure that she makes no such slips.

It is Michelle's blackness that has deeply disturbed many Americans and much of the press, and it is that same blackness that has endeared her to many, but not all, black Americans. For those of us who share her race, gender and generation, the negative reaction she has inspired is stunning. As with Michelle, we are the daughters of hard working, even struggling, parents.

We are the daughters who were constantly told that we mustn't ever fit the stereotypes "they" have of us. We were raised to take advantage of the opportunities created for us by the Civil Rights Movement (and though rarely acknowledged, by the Feminist Movement as well). We grew up in black communities that were proud of us.

And, when we went off to predominantly white, elite colleges and universities it was with the reminder that we must do better than well, and that we dare not forget those we left behind. Why are black women like Michelle Obama, black women who have been educated alongside and worked with white Americans as equals, so unfamiliar to so many Americans?

Unlike Oprah, a billionaire media mogul who serves as a spiritual mother to millions of American women, Michelle is mother only to her own precious daughters. An accomplished professional, a devoted mother, sister, wife, daughter and friend, Michelle Obama is like countless other American women and yet many white Americans have found it impossible to see themselves or their aspirations in her.

Maybe it is because they cannot imagine her as First Lady. "Lady" is not a designation easily bestowed upon black women. In fact, it is an identity that we have had to fiercely fight for. In an effort to leave behind a legacy of forced labor and forced sex, formerly enslaved women valued ladylike behavior and instilled it in their daughters as if that alone would save the race.

However, in both legal and popular discourses, the privileges of ladyhood were reserved for white females. Many white Americans are comfortable with fictions of welfare and quota queens. Unfortunately a younger generation, encouraged by irresponsible artists and greedy corporate conglomerates, have also grown comfortable with "video hoes." But are Americans ready to bestow that designation -- Lady, First Lady -- on a black woman? And, at what price?

Last night, Michelle Obama was all that one would have expected of her. She was articulate and empathetic. She was patriotic and visionary. She stressed the importance of education without emphasizing her own educational pedigree. She was elegantly dressed, replete with portrait collar and flattering 3/4-length sleeves. Her hair was "appropriately" straight. She acknowledged her debt to past struggles for social justice, both those for racial equality and gender equality. She was magnanimous towards Hilary Clinton. She was not threatening or loud. She did not raise an eyebrow. She painted a vision of a glowing future led by her husband. And she gave Americans a picture of themselves as a people striving together toward a better tomorrow. She gave no specific policy points (Americans tend not to like that in their first ladies) nor did she acknowledge any ongoing racial tensions. She was soft and feminine.

By the end of her speech when she was joined on stage by her daughters and the stadium erupted in thunderous applause, my heart was full but my mind was still aflutter with questions:
Did she successfully do what the campaign wanted her to do? Will working class white Americans feel any closer to her and, by extension, to her husband? Will middle-class white professional women and stay-at home moms see themselves in her? Will self conscious (and a few self-hating) black Americans think she represented the race well?

I can almost say with certainty that elderly black women, the church and neighborhood mothers, were indeed proud. And the rest of us who have loved her from day one can only pray for her protection, her safety and her sanity on this mad journey.

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

11:16 AM ET | 08-26-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 2: 'Heart Strings'

Yesterday, we heard from Farah Jasmine Griffin about her impressions of the DNC's opening day. Now, Princella Smith gives her account. She serves as Chief Advocate for the Platform of the American People at American Solutions, an organization founded by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. This entry is titled Sightings, Stars, and...Protests?

The weather? Beautiful. My hotel? Grandiose. The streets? Well -- it depends on where you were. ... At first I thought it was mainly media hype: "The Clinton backers are still upset that she didn't win." "There will be unrest at the convention." But then I saw it for myself! There were protests from various groups including P.U.M.A. which stands for "Party Unity My @#!" outside of the capitol and on surrounding streets.

They actually still plan to make a fuss about Hillary not being the nominee and hope to continue the fight to place her on the ticket. I even overheard super delegates saying that they had to make up their minds once the convention played out as to whether or not they would support Obama on the convention floor. MANY of the delegates still say that they plan to vote for Hillary...

At my hotel, I spotted various members of the Democratic congressional leadership including Speaker Pelosi, Henry Waxman, and others. John Stewart made it down to the lobby for pictures, and Alan Colmes and I ran into each other in the doorway.

Tom Brokaw walked into the John Elway steakhouse where I was enjoying delicious fillet and was of course immediately surrounded by admirers. As is true to form of the Democratic Party's huge functions, there were stars everywhere. Oh, and randomly, I ran into the guy who was sitting next to Jesse Jackson when Jackson was caught making disparaging remarks about Obama while a hot mic was on his lapel. He was catching a flight OUT of Denver...

I made it onto the floor today and observed the various rehearsals. R&B favorite, John Legend practiced with a choir, and drew quite the press and media draw...

Heart Strings And What Was Missing

Ideology aside, the tribute to Ted Kennedy was touching. To see him take the stage when even up to the hour there was uncertainty about his abilities due to his illness was definitely a heart-string tugger. Michelle Obama's biographical video followed by a "look at my repackaged, motherly, graceful, strong, gorgeous image" speech was one for the books followed by the trotting out of the her two beautiful daughters, who seemed more than eager to take the microphone from Mommy to speak to Daddy via satellite.

This imagery game is exactly what the Obama camp felt it needed to do to make middle America feel comfortable with him. The middle-class working white citizen -- especially the females need to feel "comfortable" with this unknown anomaly called Barack Obama.
The issue with this is that the Democrats spent hours of a prime-time infomercial for their candidate and their party and used no opportunity to highlight the fact that they rolled out their platform today.

They failed to answer the questions about solving the energy crisis, the mortgage crisis, the future of education, and a plan for a secure America as leaders of the free world. Noted Democratic strategist, James Carville said it best tonight on CNN: "If this party has a message it's done a hell of a job hiding it tonight, I promise you that."

If the Obama camp truly wants to make a difference, they will have to do more than talk about change and do heart-warming speeches. So far, that only worked for a limited amount of time, and then it wore off because the American people want ANSWERS. They want true leadership. The fact about rock stars is that soon people tire of them and run on to the next thrill. If the Obama camp isn't careful, their candidate can turn into that "old CD" that the young people will burn out on, and the rest of America will choose the alternative candidate who by appearance, substance, and resume appears safer and more substantive.

**Note of interest: What we did on behalf of American Solutions

I arrived early to the convention floor accompanied by our company president to present the 1.5 million names on the American Solutions petition to Congress to act immediately to lower gasoline prices and diesel and other fuel prices by authorizing the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries. The time is now for the leaders of both major political parties to listen to the voices of American people who are struggling each day in this energy crisis when they say: "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less."

-- Princella Smith

Geoffrey Bennett

10:29 AM ET | 08-26-2008 | permalink

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DNC Day 1: Inside the Interfaith Worship Service

Each day, during the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, our two guest bloggers will be offering insight and reporting from the convention floor. First up is author and Columbia University professor Farah Jasmine Griffin. Here, she writes about the "jarring but not surprising" aspects of yesterday's interfaith worship service.

This will be a convention of firsts: it will showcase the New Democratic Party -- one led by the first African American, Barack Obama, to receive the nomination of a major party. And yet, we know it is a convention that will be marked by tension as well, particularly the tensions and challenges brought by those who supported his fiercest rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, ironically, who is the first woman to have been a serious contender for the office of President of the United States.

Sunday saw the first official activity of the Convention, the Faith in Action Interfaith worship service, conceived of and hosted by Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, herself a Pentecostal minister. This event was scripted to demonstrate unity in diversity. It was the first such faith event to be held at a Democratic Convention, a kind of culmination of the party's recent efforts to win over and welcome people of faith. There are millions of religious people who vehemently disagree with the religious right on economic issues, the war and the environment (though many do share with the Right convictions against a woman's right to choose and homosexuality). The forum provided a platform for airing some of these countering views.

It was jarring but not surprising that a few anti-choice protestors sought to disrupt the service. What was surprising was when one of the most effective and compelling speakers pronounced from the podium that he is a dedicated pro-life Democrat. Bishop Charles Blake is the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, one of the largest and most powerful Pentecostal denominations. In one powerful gesture, he both proclaimed his opposition to a major part of the Democratic Party Platform (choice), while at the same time launching a scathing critique of the Religious Right's disregard for the lives of children already born who live in poverty and hunger today.

Sister Helen Prejean, anti-death penalty activist and author of Dead Man Walking, was perhaps the most powerful and passionate of the speakers. She urged us to consider the dignity of those we send to death row; linked our disregard for their lives to our nation's disregard for the rights of poor people and people of color; and made a connection between our practice of state sanctioned murder and our willingness to turn a blind eye to state sanctioned torture against our enemies. Hers was also a pro-life stance, guided by a vision of her faith not shared by the religious right.

There was Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb -- who advocates educational vouchers -- and Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America, who spoke of Muslim Patriotism and acknowledged the role of Christians and Jews in helping to ensure the Muslim Civil Liberties in the wake of intense scrutiny and harassment faced by Muslims since 9/11.

Though the service was ecumenical, it was largely focused on the three Abrahamic faiths. There was one Buddhist reading by a student, Kathryn Ida. Although the speakers represented a diversity of faiths, the service itself seemed largely Christian because of the musical selections and the exuberant shouts of "Amen!" from the audience. Nonetheless, it successfully showcased the religious diversity of the party, articulated a common vision of justice and equality and painted a portrait of the party as a place welcoming of religious people.

However, left unspoken were the challenges that this new direction will pose for a party that has long supported the right of women to choose what happens to our bodies by opposing state intervention in this most personal matter. Also left unspoken were the rights of gay people who have found the party a place welcoming of them and supportive of many, if not all, of their legal and civil rights. Although this latter issue was not raised yesterday, it is surely yet another point of difference and tension between Democrats at this convention and in the future.

-- Farah Jasmine Griffin

Geoffrey Bennett

2:50 PM ET | 08-25-2008 | permalink

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