September 4, 2008
With red, white, and blue confetti still afloat, and balloons still bouncing around among the celebrating delegates, Rep. John Boehner has gaveled the 2008 Republican National Convention to a close.
-- Evie Stone
11:22 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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After a balloonless Democratic finale at open-air Invesco Mile-High stadium, the traditional convention finale has made its triumphant return here at the Xcel Center.
There's also patriotic confetti, and at one point gold streamers appeared to be shot out of cannons.
No actual fireworks at this indoor speech, though virtual ones are going off on the giant LCD screen behind the stage.
One element of the balloon-drop soundtrack: Heart's 1977 anthem "Barracuda" -- an homage to VP Candidate Palin, who was known as "Sarah Barracuda" during her high school basketball days.
-- Evie Stone
11:11 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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The speech hasn't been an especially raucous one, but the crowd went nuts with McCain's final refrain: "fight with me."
-- Evie Stone
11:04 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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McCain seldom revisits the details of his time in the Hanoi Hilton, though it's perhaps the most well-known and oft-referenced element of his biography.
The ordeal has figured heavily into almost every major speech at this convention, including his own. McCain told the RNC audience that the experience changed the way he thinks about America:
I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.
-- Evie Stone
10:56 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Twice so far during John McCain's speech, anti-war Code Pink activists have launched protests in the aisles. As security guards dragged them off, the RNC crowd erupted into chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!"
McCain, chuckling, told the audience not to be "diverted by the crowd noise and the static."
-- Evie Stone
10:23 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Cindy McCain walked onstage accompanied by the whole McCain crew (minus the nominee), and introduced the younger McCain generation to the convention crowd -- including adopted daughter Bridget, who rarely makes public appearances. (Mrs. McCain brought the infant Bridget, who needed cleft palate surgery, to the US from Mother Teresa's orphanage. The child was famously caught in the political crossfire during the 2000 South Carolina primary when pro-Bush operatives circulated rumors that John McCain had fathered an illegitimate black child. While her older sister Meghan is a blogger and prominent force on the campaign trail, Bridget -- who is still in high school -- mostly stays out of the spotlight.)
She spoke without a podium from a stage adorned only with teleprompters, using a wireless mic (and looking phenom as always in a turquoise suit). Her performance wasn't rousing, but it was comfortable and classy, focusing mainly on her husband's character and her admirable record of helping those in need. She stressed that service to others comes from personal efforts, not government assistance:
But I have also seen the resilience of the American people. I've heard stirring stories of neighbor helping neighbor, of cities on one end of the country offering help to fellow citizens on the other.
Continue reading "Cindy McCain on Character, Hockey Mommin'" »
9:46 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Minnesota Public Radio reports that police have set off concussion grenades and smoke bombs to disperse a group marching in St. Paul. More than 100 arrests are expected, bringing the overall RNC arrest tally to roughly 800.
-- Michael Olson
9:34 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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The Republican National Convention has nominated Sarah Palin for Vice President by acclamation.
Before Palin's fiery speech last night, the online oddsmakers at InTrade had the chances of her dropping off the ticket in double-digits. Today she's the pitbull-in-lipstick heroine of the GOP.
-- Evie Stone
7:41 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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The fourth night of the RNC comes with a minor set change: the rectangular black stage has been rearranged into a sort of runway. The early speakers are positioned at a podium on the wide part of the stage, but McCain will deliver his acceptance speech from the end of the long outcropping, creating a "theater in the round" experience for the audience.
In delegate fashion news, tonight the Texans have paired their jaunty straw cowboy hats with Texas-flag button-down shirts. Colorado is wearing red western-style shirts. And a sprinkling of Alaskans are decked out in the delegation's signature oil-platform getup: hardhats with "drill here" printed on them and flourescent vests emblazoned with the photo of a caribou grazing peacefully in an oil field.
-- Evie Stone
7:32 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Day three of the GOP convention was watched by more than 37.2M people, according to Nielsen .
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's speech was an especially big draw for women (19.5M). That is 5.2M more women than watched the second day of the Democratic convention, the day of Hillary Clinton's speech. 6.9M more women watched Republican convention coverage last night than the Democratic proceedings last Wednesday -- the night Joe Biden accepted the Democrats' VP nomination.
Obama and Palin continue to be the interest-generating pols of the election. The Palin speech was just over 1M shy of the record-breaking viewership of Obama's acceptance speech.
-- Michael Olson
Continue reading "Huge Viewership For Palin" »
4:04 PM ET
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09- 4-2008
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From Obama spokesman Bill Burton:
The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years. If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define 'change' as voting with George Bush 90% of the time, that's their choice, but we don't think the American people are ready to take a 10% chance on change.
-- Evie Stone
1:36 AM ET
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09- 4-2008
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Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin took the podium to a huge standing ovation from the Xcel Center crowd -- it must have lasted at least two minutes. And after all the recent talk about Palin's so-called unpreparedness for the customary attack-dog role of the VP nominee, she came out tonight with guns blazing. Her speech covered all the bases -- some of her own life story, John McCain's bio, national security, the economy, and a string of well-delivered one-liners mocking and sometimes savaging the Democratic ticket and the media.
Palin opened with some discussion of her family -- a touchy subject this week as many bloggers and pundits have wondered aloud about her mothering responsibilities. She did not directly discuss her pregnant teenage daughter Bristol, but she did tackle another subject that's generated online interest: her baby son, Trig, who has Down Syndrome. Questions have arisen in some circles about whether Palin can sufficiently parent Trig if she is elected. (As Rudy Giuliani pointed out in his remarks tonight -- and we here at VoxPol offer a hearty 'hear, hear' on this one -- that would never be asked about a male candidate.) Palin took the subject head on -- promising that if she's in the White House she'll make a point of working on behalf of special needs kids like Trig.
Continue reading "Palin Takes No Prisoners in Debut Speech" »
12:29 AM ET
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09- 4-2008
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September 3, 2008
St. Paul, MN: Police tear gas protesters in the streets outside the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center September 2, 2008.
Max Whittaker/Getty Images
We previously noted that protesters and journalists have been arrested during the RNC and that many protesters were facing felony charges.
Today St. Paul-based Minnesota Public Radio reports that police have slapped another 8 anarchists with terrorism-related felony charges. Their attorney calls the charges "an abuse of the criminal justice system."
Tear gas has been a key ingredient outside of the RNC. MPR is on top of what is happening in the streets and what the top brass have to say about it. Check out these 360 photos of a protest as it meandered through the streets of St Paul. That protest is one of many which have resulted in the arrest of hundreds of protesters. Ramsey County Court is working overtime to process the defendants.
And what ever happened to the designated free speech zone? Here's a profile of one person that isn't afraid to speak out in the designated protest space; a "deserted, half-block long closed city street."
-- Michael Olson
11:59 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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It was a near-unanimous showing for John McCain in the floor vote, with a sprinkling of stray delegates casting their lots for Mitt Romney (2 votes) and Ron Paul (5 votes). The states in the back half of the alphabet passed on their votes in the first round so McCain's home state of Arizona could put him over the top.
After the roll call, convention chair Rep. John Boehner called for a unanimous nomination by acclamation. With most delegates having trickled off the floor, the motion passed without objection.
-- Evie Stone
11:24 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was originally billed as the keynote speaker of the Republican Convention. After the Gustav-induced scheduling shakeup, his "keynote" designation seemed to disappear, but he still got a prime speaking slot as the lead-in speaker to VP candidate Sarah Palin.
Giuliani gave the crowd plenty of what they wanted to hear, casting the choice in this election in terms of a job search, asking the audience, "who would you hire?" His description of John McCain opened with this:
On the one hand, you've got a man who's dedicated his life to the service of the United States. He's been tested time and again by crisis. He has passed every test.
And Giuliani characterized Obama like this:
On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer...Maybe this is the first problem on the resume. He worked as a community organizer. He immersed himself in Chicago machine politics.
He voted -- he voted "present."
Giuliani said the words "community organizer" with unmasked contempt, and the crowd ate it up, booing loudly. Which is...weird, right? Since when is "community organizer" such a contemptible thing to be?
Continue reading "Giuliani Revs Up the Crowd for Palin" »
11:20 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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As was leaked earlier today, John McCain made a surprise appearance onstage at the RNC tonight -- much as his Democratic opponent Barack Obama did last week at the DNC after VP nominee Joe Biden's speech.
McCain asked the crowd, to loud cheers, "Don't you think we made the right choice for the next Vice-President of the United States?"
-- Evie Stone
11:10 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Former Presidential candidate and Cinderella Iowa Caucus winner Mike Huckabee opened his remarks to the RNC with a scathing critique of the "elite media"'s coverage of Sarah Palin over the past several days. He called it "tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert."
Media digs out of the way, Huckabee went on to acknowledge the groundbreaking nature of Barack Obama's nomination, but added that symbolism is not a reason to elect a President.
I say with sincerity that I have great respect for Senator Obama's historic achievement to become his party's nominee -- not because of his color, but with indifference to it. Party or politics aside, we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country.
But the Presidency is not a symbolic job, and I don't believe his preparation or his plans will lift America up.
Continue reading "HuckaSpeech" »
9:39 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Mitt Romney, the conservative darling during the primary season, received a warm welcome from the RNC crowd tonight. His prepared remarks (quoted below) were packed with exclamation points, but not with subtlety. The word "liberal" appeared 14 times in the course of a less than 500 word speech, as Romney demanded regime change in Washington:
We need change all right - change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington -- throw out the big government liberals and elect John McCain!
Continue reading "Romney: Throw Out the Liberals!" »
9:06 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Perhaps it is because he is unimpressed with McCain's pick of a socially conservative VP, but NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg tells WNYC he's picking Whoopi Goldberg over Gov. Sarah Palin tonight. He's dumping the speech for the Broadway production Xanadu .
-- Michael Olson
8:59 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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The Texans have toned it down tonight -- they're still wearing their signature straw cowboy hats, but today they're paired with staid black blazers. (Last night we didn't post on them, so for those readers who have been on the edges of your seats, the Tuesday dress code was a red polo shirt.)
But don't worry -- the Michigan delegation came through on the sartorial front with some rockin' customized hockey jerseys in GOP/Red Wings red and white. Is it an homage to self-described "hockey mom" Sarah Palin? They've got a map of their home state (not just the mitten -- word up, Yoopers!) on the front and their names and the number 08 on the back.
And happening all week but not yet blogged in this space: the Pennsylvania group waves Terrible Towels printed with "We're Not Bitter " when they cheer. Apparently the Eagles fans among them have risen above their petty NFL divisions to unite behind Steelers-style paraphernalia in support of John McCain. Country first!
-- Evie Stone
7:36 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Scott Horsley/NPR
NPR's
Scott Horsley sent us the following photo of the Palin-McCain meet and greet at MSP to help you follow along with who's who during Gov. Palin's big speech tonight.
View larger image.
From left to right;
Track Palin, 19, in the Army, headed for Iraq on Sept ll.
Piper Palin, 7
Willow Palin, 14, holding Trig Palin, 4-1/2 mos
Levi Johnston, Bristol's fiance and proud papa of a player to be named later
Bristol Palin, 17
Todd Palin, "First Dude" of Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin
Doug McCain and Andy McCain, These are Carol McCain's sons from her first marriage, whom John adopted. Doug is an ex Navy pilot who now flies for American Airlines. Andy is CFO for Hensley&Co, Cindy's beer distributor in Phoenix.
Jimmy McCain, 20, younger son of John and Cindy, a PFC in the Marines.
Sidney McCain, daughter of John and Carol, works in the music industry in Toronto
Jack McCain, 22, older son of John and Cindy, fourth year at Naval Academy
Megan McCain, 23, daughter of John and Cindy, blogette
Bridget McCain, 17, adopted daughter of John and Cindy, high school student.
-- Michael Olson
4:41 PM ET
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09- 3-2008
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Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman made his GOP Convention debut tonight just eight years after addressing the Democrats as their Vice-Presidential nominee in Los Angeles. The Connecticut Senator isn't world-famous for his bombastic speaking style, but he was facing a friendly audience tonight and they welcomed him warmly.
Lieberman decried Washington partisanship, saying that "being a Democrat or Republican is important, but it is nowhere near as important as being an American." And he talked up McCain's credentials as a reformer and an aisle-crosser, contradicting the Democrats' convention-week argument that McCain has gone from onetime maverick to Bush boot-licker.
If John McCain is just another partisan Republican, then I'm Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. And I'm not. And I think you know that I'm not.
Lieberman praised Democratic nominee Barack Obama as "gifted and eloquent." But he immediately added that "eloquence is no substitute for a record." Lieberman said that during his short time in the Senate, Obama hasn't written any important bipartisan legislation or stood up to powerful interest groups.
Continue reading "Lieberman: 'Country Matters More Than Party'" »
12:00 AM ET
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09- 3-2008
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September 2, 2008
It isn't the stuff of, say, Nirvana on MTV's defunct Unplugged , but MPR reports that when security pulled the plug on an impromptu Rage Against the Machine show at the Minnesota State Capitol the show went on.
-- Michael Olson
11:45 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Former Senator and Hollywood actor (and wildly overhyped presidential candidate) Fred Thompson stirred up some enthusiasm among RNC-goers tonight. His speech may have been lengthy, but it evoked frequent applause interruptions, including a few standing ovations.
Staying with tonight's introductory theme, Thompson presented some more detailed McCain bio, complete with a few lighthearted jabs at McCain's rebellious youth -- including his many demerits at the Naval Academy and his exotic dancer girlfriend from his flight school days who went by the stage name "Marie, the Flame of Florida."
He also presented a graphic account of McCain's time as a POW in Vietnam (how often do you hear the word "dysentery" in a convention speech?) and talked up the candidate's "strength", "courage", "humility" and "wisdom." Then Thompson turned to the red meat, unleashing a series of zingers mocking Barack Obama (without ever mentioning the Democratic nominee by name), including this reference to Obama's recent speech in Germany:
The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
The "critics" line got a big cheer from this crowd, which clearly hasn't forgotten Germany's opposition to the Iraq war in 2003.
Continue reading "Thompson Touts McCain With Tales of Exotic Dancers and Dysentery" »
10:36 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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His national approval ratings may be low, but President George W. Bush is still plenty popular with GOP convention-goers, who unleashed a big cheer when he appeared on the jumbotron for a video presentation to the delegates. The arena lit up with camera flashes as delegates and guests took photos of the onscreen POTUS.
The President opened with a quick homage to the victims of Hurricane Gustav. He then presented some John McCain bio, including the story of McCain turning down early release from the Hanoi Hilton because his fellow-POWs would not be released as well. And Bush told the crowd that in his judgment, McCain is ready to be President:
I know the hard choices that fall solely to a President. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation.
Continue reading "Bush Appears By Video To Praise McCain" »
9:45 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Just after Minneapolis fire captain Shanna Hanson was introduced as the next speaker, the RNC crowd turned its attention to the sight, projected on the overhead scoreboard, of former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara making their way to their seats.
Ms. Hanson waited patiently at the podium as the crowd treated the 41st President to a lengthy standing ovation, and then broke into chants of "Forty-one! Forty-one!"
-- Evie Stone
9:06 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Just up on the RNC big screen: a mini-documentary about McCain idol Theodore Roosevelt, our country's 26th President.
The video touted Roosevelt's commitment to the environment and his disdain of "special interests." Not mentioned: that Roosevelt left the Republican Party during the disputed 1912 convention to run for President as a Progressive (or "Bull Moose").
The tag line, a version of McCain's own slogan..."Teddy Roosevelt put country first."
-- Evie Stone
8:48 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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Unlike the DNC, where delegates noisily chatted amongst themselves during all but the biggest headline speeches, the RNC folk mostly sit and listen politely to the folks at the podium, gamely rewarding the applause lines. There's dancing to the interstitial music between speakers, but overall it's a far less rowdy audience than we saw in Denver.
-- Evie Stone
8:26 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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The AP is reporting that Levi Johnston, the boyfriend of Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter Bristol, will join the Palin family when his future mother-in-law receives the Vice-Presidential nomination at the Republican Convention.
Levi's mother Sherry Johnston told the AP that the two teenagers had planned to marry before Bristol got pregnant, and said the pregnancy was "a bonus." Mrs. Johnston also added this understatement of the year:
Sherry Johnston said she was worried about her son dealing with all the attention. She said it was difficult enough for teenagers to deal with any pregnancy, having the entire nation watching made it worse.
The media klieg lights in St. Paul may not help that situation...
-- Evie Stone
7:29 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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In addition to the dozens of NPR folks at the RNC there are an impressive number of member stations covering their state delegations. We're keeping deeper focus over on the NPR-NewsHour Election Map , but here is a snapshot of some public media gems;
It appears that protests are more intense in the Twin Cities than in Denver. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman was arrested yesterday and MPR is reporting that "Police arrested more than 280 people in conjunction with the skirmishes; 130 were booked on felony charges , including one assault on a peace officer." WBEZ's Ben Calhoun caught up with anti-war protesters.
WKSU 's M.L. Schultze and the Ohio delegation share breakfast with Karl Rove. He paints a rosy picture of McCain, calls Ohio "ground zero" and denies voicing opposition to McCain wanting to pick Lieberman. And Michigan Radio reports First Lady Laura Bush enjoyed breakfast with the Michigan delegation.
MPR reports on Ron Paul's "Rally for the Republic" that is set to last NINE hours. Ex-MN Gov. Jesse Ventura is among the speakers.
Our NewsHour friends break down Day Two of the RNC with a vigor that makes it feel like the first day.
MPR and the Humphrey Institute reach for thinking hats and host a panel discussion moderated by the always-classy E. J. Dionne on how conservatism can re-invent itself. Panelists include former Bush speechwriter David Frum and ex-Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK).
All that thinking-hat-business calls for a creative release. WNYC has you covered with Land of 10,000 Bands a profile of the Twin Cities music scene. It seems unfathomable that the final gavel can drop in the Twin Cities before someone offers up a proper Husker Du tribute. -- Michael Olson
4:07 PM ET
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09- 2-2008
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The Republican Convention will resume today, GOP officials announced this morning. But the schedule has been tweaked. Headlining the day's events will be Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, both of whom have prime-time speaking slots. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was originally tapped to speak tonight, will be moved to another night. The AP reports that President Bush will address the convention remotely from Washington DC. He was supposed to speak last night, but that plan was scrapped in light of Hurricane Gustav. Convention officials say that, while the overall theme will remain focused on those impacted by Gustav, today's goal is to reintroduce John McCain to voters.
-- Sean Bowditch
9:53 AM ET
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09- 2-2008
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August 31, 2008
The Republicans have suspended most of the convention activities scheduled for Monday, in light of both Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna. The only activity that will occur is "essential business," including adopting the party platforms and electing officers.
At today's 4:00 p.m. briefing on the state of the Republican National Convention, Sen. John McCain said that "The time for action is now." He used the briefing to also call upon fellow Republicans to dial back political attacks, while "we are facing a great national challenge and the possibility of a great national natural disaster." McCain expressed concern about the ability of emergency responders to communicate with each other, but said that, "I'm happy to report to you that the coordination and the work that seems to be happening at all levels looks excellent."
"I want to thank my fellow Republicans as we take off our Republican hats and put on our American hats" -- John McCain, on the need to focus on the potential disaster from Gustav and Hanna.
Campaign manager Rick Davis added to McCain's comments, saying that the convention would meet the minimal required functions to nominate the candidate. Davis said that the speculation that McCain wouldn't be there for the nomination was just that.
Davis said that all speakers are still expected to still speak at some point. Presumably, that statement doesn't extend to Pres. Bush, VP Cheney and Gulf Coast governors.
-- Michael Olson
4:14 PM ET
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08-31-2008
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The Democrats are also changing their plans (and tone) with the onslaught of Hurricane Gustav. The DNC sent an email announcing the cancellation of its "media welcome reception" in St. Paul "in light of the situation along the Gulf Coast."
The tone of the cancellation note differs greatly from yesterday's snarky release that urged journalists to stop by the DNC "war room" called the "More of the Same Media Center." The Republicans also ran their own war room from Denver, as NPR's Jeff Brady reported last week, calling it the "DNC Rapid Response Headquarters" and staffing it with recognizable party figures such as former Mass. Gov. Mitt Rommey and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
-- Nancy Cook
3:53 PM ET
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08-31-2008
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It's official: both President Bush and Vice President Cheney will skip the Republican Convention here in St. Paul and instead turn their attention to Hurricane Gustav. In a press conference, Bush said he will travel to Texas tomorrow and then on to Louisiana, conditions permitting. Convention organizers and McCain aides are meeting in St. Paul as I write to figure out if the convention schedule will be altered. At this point, it's a go. But clearly the pressure to recognize and respond to Gustav's presence is mounting.
NPR's David Welna just got off the phone with Melissa Subbotin, spokeswoman for the RNC here in St. Paul. Here's what Welna writes, based on his conversation with Subbotin:
The McCain campaign has chartered a DC-9 in the Twin Cities to take those delegates here from the Gulf Coast who want to return to their homestates. The plane is going to Jackson, MS, where McCain and Palin met today with MS Governor Haley Barbour. It's not clear when the plane would fly down to Jackson. Subbotin says "details will follow."
-- Sean Bowditch
12:02 PM ET
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08-31-2008
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August 29, 2008
Nielsen Media Research reports that Obama's acceptance speech reached almost 40M people making it the most watched convention since Nielsen started counting in 1960. In 'o4 Kerry's acceptance speech drew 24.4M viewers, that same year Bush drew 27.5M (NYT ). Michele Obama's Monday speech reached roughly half as many people as her husband's closer (Boston Herald ). -- Michael Olson
5:08 PM ET
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08-29-2008
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All the planning, the fretting over the Clintons and move to a 2nd venue may have paid off. It is too early to know for sure, but the very initial post convention polling looks like a bounce could be in the making.
Not that you should place much stock in daily tracking polls, but the Gallup Daily has Obama up 8.
-- Michael Olson
4:34 PM ET
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08-29-2008
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Gustav is picking up power and could become a hurricane today before reaching western Cuba.
People along the Gulf Coast are preparing for the storm. Gov. Bobbie Jindal (R-LA) has put the state on alert for possible evacuations. Govs. Charlie Crist (R-FL), Rick Perry (R-TX) and Haley Barbour (R-MS) have also made emergency declarations. Republican leaders are considering a delay to the convention.
The Republican convention may go on without the Gulf Coast Govs, but the stage will be colder without the star power of Jindal and Crist. The governors would join a list of Republican candidates that are avoiding the convention at a time when the party's brand is hurting. It is unclear if the storm will keep President Bush away. At yesterday's daily news briefing WH press sec. Dana Perino said it was too soon to make scheduling changes. Bush's presence at the convention three years after Katrina while a hurricane looms off the coast can't be something GOP strategists are excited about.
UPDATE : Gustav becomes a hurricane (NWS ).
-- Michael Olson
12:16 PM ET
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08-29-2008
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Before Barack Obama finished delivering his nomination acceptance speech, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds was circulating this cutting response to reporters:
Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama. When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm's way. The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be President.
Leaving aside for now the allegations in the release, didn't McCain's earnest congratulatory ad say that he and Obama would be "back at it" tomorrow ? So much for acceptance-speech goodwill...
-- Evie Stone
4:02 AM ET
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08-29-2008
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Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Presidential nomination at Denver's Invesco Mile High Stadium in front of a screaming, flag-waving, standing-ovation giving crowd that his campaign estimated at 84,000. His big theme was individual and mutual responsibility, with a heavy dose of patriotism. The candidate, who has been painted by his opponents as an exotic and unpatriotic figure, mentioned America/American/Americans 52 times (by the count of our hardworking editor) in his remarks.
The first two-thirds or so of the speech focused on domestic issues, with a heavy emphasis on the economy -- a historically strong area for Democrats in presidential election years, and a particular weakness for John McCain, who has admitted that he's not an economic expert. This was essentially Obama's thesis statement, appealing to blue-collar voters and blaming the Bush administration for their current woes:
Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.
Obama made wide-ranging classic-Dem policy promises, calling for stronger public education, affordable health care, middle class tax cuts, and (his most specific goal) an end to America's reliance on Middle East oil in 10 years. But after defining clear policy goals on those issues, he also mentioned a few more divisive subjects -- guns, abortion, and immigration -- and called on Americans to put aside their dug-in conflicts and find some respectful common ground.
Continue reading "Obama Accepts Dem Nomination with Wide-Ranging Speech" »
1:29 AM ET
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08-29-2008
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August 28, 2008
DNC chair Nancy Pelosi has gaveled the DNC to a close.
-- Evie Stone
11:13 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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No balloon drop in the open-air stadium...but confetti cannons and a fireworks display make up for it.
-- Evie Stone
11:04 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Biggest cheer yet: "this election has never been about me. It's about you."
-- Evie Stone
10:53 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Emergency officials are preparing for the possibility that Tropical Storm Gustav could regain hurricane strength and hit the Gulf Coast early next week.
In part out of fear that politicking and partying while a potential Katrina 2.0 is underway, Republican officials tell the Washington Post they "are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul."
-- Michael Olson
10:40 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Obama says if he's elected the US will end its dependence on Mid-East oil in 10 years.
-- Evie Stone
10:35 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Obama portrays his opponent as not exactly malicious...just out of touch: "it's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it."
-- Evie Stone
10:27 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Obama: "America, we are better than these last eight years. We're a better country than this."
"We love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight."
-- Evie Stone
10:22 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Lengthy standing ovation as Obama walks onstage. Placards with the slogan "CHANGE" have been passed out to all levels of seating, and now intermingle with the American flags in the crowd.
Crowd chants "O-BA-MA" then switches to "Yes we can!"
Crowd is still standing as speech gets under way.
-- Evie Stone
10:15 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Obama's prepared remarks mention Hillary Clinton almost immediately after he officially accepts the nomination -- before he says the names of Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy, or his wife Michelle.
It's another example of the care being paid here to demonstrate that the rancorous days of the Democratic battle for the nomination are over.
--Evie Stone
10:05 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Al Gore took the stage to a riotous welcome from the flag-waving crowd.
The former Vice President invoked his narrow defeat in the contested 2000 election with a cautionary tale. He told of voters who stayed home or chose third-party candidates that year, saying "eight years ago some said there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties, and it didn't matter who became President."
Gore pointed out that, back then, the country was at peace. But in 2008, he said, "hardly anyone would argue that election didn't matter." Gore then ticked off a list of issues that a Gore administration would have handled differently, beginning with the war in Iraq -- a war he said he would not have waged.
Gore told the crowd that the choice today is the same as in 2000, but "more obvious." Saying McCain would be a continuation of Bush/Cheney policies, Gore offered a snappy environmental one-liner: "I believe in recycling, but that's ridiculous."
He talked at length about his pet issues of energy and environmental policy, calling for "an end to carbon-based fuels."
And in looking ahead to the next administration, he also spoke in greater detail about the Supreme Court than we've heard yet from the podium here in Denver.
Gore's 2000 campaign rhetoric focused heavily on the potential threat to Roe vs. Wade from Bush-appointed conservative justices (slogan: It's the Supreme Court, stupid). During Bush's two terms, two seats have opened up on the Court, resulting in a net gain of one vote for what the GOP calls "strict constructionists." But, Gore pointed out tonight, as many as three Roe-supporting Justices could retire in the next President's first term.
--Evie Stone
8:50 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Huge cheers and foot-stomping for popular western Gov Bill Richardson. (He still has the beard.)
Keeps up the assault on McCain's position changes.
"John McCain paid 500 dollars for his shoes. But we're the ones that will pay for his flip-flops"
Big cheers for promises that Obama will uphold U.S. Constitution, respect Bill of Rights, supports right to choose and will close Gitmo.
-- Evie Stone
8:46 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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Stevie Wonder has the crowd on their feet and leads a call and response: "yes we can."
Then announces: I'm gonna do this song for the future president of the US and his wife -- it's Signed, Sealed, Delivered -- Obama often exits the stage to this tune at events.
The crowd is singing along, dancing, still waving those flags..
8:44 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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UPDATE (9:50 EST): Obama CO state director Ray Rivera: 30k txt signups in last hour.
Seats are quickly filling with more than 2 hrs to go. ... will.i.am and John Legend did a live performance of their song that went viral "Yes We Can " ...complete with video samples of Obama speeches. The crowd waved little American flags. As the song wound down a staffer came out to encourage the audience to text the campaign to sign up and volunteer. A massive graphic display conveyed which area codes were sending in the most texts.
-- Evie Stone
7:46 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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A clever move by the Obama campaign and the DNCC...knowing tonight's audience (both in the stadium and in teeveeland) would be filled with non-insiders they've peppered the schedule with civilian-friendly acts to break up the political speeches and keep the crowd engaged.
Bluegrass jam band Yonder Mountain String Band opened the proceedings, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson led the Pledge, and Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem.
Other acts tonight include live performances by Sheryl Crow, will.i.am (with John Legend), and Stevie Wonder. Al Gore is also scheduled to speak. Does he count as a politician or a rockstar?
Full podium schedule after the jump.
-- Evie Stone
Continue reading "Star-Studded Cast" »
6:30 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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CNN Grill in Denver.
Nicole Beemsterboer/NPR
The Denver restaurant formally known as "Brooklyn's" is now the "CNN Grill." That's right, CNN brought such a large team here that they took over a restaurant and made it their headquarters. Upstairs is CNN's media center; downstairs is an open-for-business restaurant for special guests, complete with a special menu by chef Michael Romano of Union Square in New York.
The undertaking included a gigantic CNN = Politics sign painted on two sides of the red brick historic building, beer tap handles replaced with white and red "CNN Brew: Red Ale" labels and a huge blue star sign constructed above the front door (with the CNN lettering, of course.)
FOX HQ in Denver.
Nicole Beemsterboer/NPR
FOX also took over a restaurant: Braun's Bar and Grill. It's not far from CNN, but tucked away and not in sight of the security line. And they're not the partying kind: a staffer told NPR that while there's catering in the basement for the staff, there isn't a public restaurant. There certainly aren't any open beer taps there. The quick peek we got featured several workers hunched over laptops at long tables and poor lighting. A broadcast set can be found in the main dining room, and outside atop some major scaffolding. The Braun's sign is still visible, but dwarfed next to the huge signs of FOX anchors.
-- Nicole Beemsterboer
5:35 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker promised this ad would be "historic." I don't know if I'd go that far, but it's definitely a departure from the McCain camp's recent negative efforts -- including rare DNC-week contrast spots . In it, McCain, talking directly into the camera, congratulates Obama and adds, "how perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day" (i.e. the 45th anniversary of "I Have A Dream"). McCain doesn't overtly mention race, but he's clearly talking about the ground Obama is breaking as he becomes the first major-party black nominee.
So...genuine gesture of goodwill or gambit to grab a little airtime on Obama's big night and revive a fraying reputation for high-mindedness? (Or, well, both? The two don't have to be mutually exclusive, do they?)
-- Evie Stone
5:28 PM ET
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08-28-2008
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NPR's Don Gonyea passed along this exchange between Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod and reporters. It took place on the flight to Denver. The transcript was written up by the campaign...
[Q] Is the speech written?
[DA] The speech is substantially written but as with all Obama
[Q] How long has he been thinking about it?
[DA] I think he started thinking about it before he left on
THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW IS AFTER THE JUMP...
Continue reading "Axelrod Previews Obama's Acceptance Speech" »
11:28 AM ET
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08-28-2008
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From the pool report, c/o NPR's Don Gonyea :
Denver Athletic Club.
Walks from SUV to club entrance and disappears inside.
Leaving the club:
Obama waves to crowd. No interaction or comment. Motorcade rolling.
-- Sean Bowditch
11:10 AM ET
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08-28-2008
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Newly-minted VP nominee Joe Biden addressed the DNC delegates tonight after an emotional introduction from his son Beau. Sen. Biden spent a good portion of his speech talking about family. His mother was in the convention hall, and the cameras showed her (to the delegates' delight) on the huge in-house monitors as Biden talked about the lessons she taught him:
Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable. As a child I stuttered, and she lovingly would look at me and told me: "Joey, it's because you're so bright you can't get the thoughts out quickly enough." When I was not as well dressed as the other kids, she told me: "Joey, you're so handsome honey, you're so handsome." And when I got knocked down by guys bigger than me, and this is the God's truth, she sent me back out the street and told me: "bloody their nose so you can walk down the street the next day." And that's what I did.
At one point Biden appeared to confuse the Republican nominee with the sitting President. Was it really a mistake?
You know, folks, that's the America that George Bush has left us, and that's the America we'll continue to get if George--excuse me if John McCain is elected president of the United States of America. Freudian slip! Freudian slip!
Continue reading "Biden Accepts Nomination, Dings McCain " »
1:02 AM ET
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08-28-2008
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Bill Clinton wrap, a few hours late...
After all the media speculation about how badly the bitter primary campaign damaged Bill Clinton's legacy, his reception from the crowd tonight showed no signs of residual tension.
Clinton acknowledged the hard-fought primary right off the bat:
What a year we Democrats have had. The primary began with an all-star lineup and came down to two remarkable Americans locked in a hard-fought contest to the very end. The campaign generated so much heat it increased global warming.
In the end, my candidate didn't win. But I'm very proud of the campaign she ran: She never quit on the people she stood up for, on the changes she pushed for, on the future she wants for all our children. And I'm grateful for the chance Chelsea and I had to tell Americans about the person we know and love.
But he quickly added this:
Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she'll do everything she can to elect Barack Obama.
That makes two of us. Actually that makes 18 million of us - because, like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November.
Continue reading "DNC Crowd Loves Bill Clinton" »
12:58 AM ET
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August 27, 2008
Joe Biden's wife Jill introduced the nominee as "a very special surprise guest."
The crowd responded as you'd expect...leaping to their feet with a loud cheer as they have many times tonight.
Obama acknowledged the whole Biden clan and said he was "proud" to have the Delaware Senator on board. He also praised the speeches given so far by his wife and both Clintons, saying of his onetime primary rival's performance, "if I'm not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night."
Obama then explained tomorrow's change of venue from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Mile High stadium. He said the campaign is premised on the idea that "change in America doesn't start from the top down, it starts from the bottom up" and said they wanted "make sure that everybody who wants to come can join in the party and join in the effort to take America back."
("Everybody" is a bit of an overstatement; according to DemConWatch the Obama campaign burned through the 60,000 tickets allotted to ordinary Coloradans in less than 24 hours. So it's more of a metaphorical everybody. But it's a grand gesture nonetheless.)
-- Evie Stone
10:55 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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NPR's Don Gonyea says Obama will make a surprise appearance on stage at the end of Biden's speech.
-- Sean Bowditch
10:36 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Joe Biden's son Beau, the Attorney General of Delaware and a soon-to-deploy National Guard Captain, introduced his dad tonight. Beau gave a moving first-person version of the story we've heard so many times since last weekend, about Joe's dedicated single fatherhood after his first wife and baby daughter died in a car crash that left his two sons badly injured. Senator Biden, who had been elected but not yet sworn in at the time of the accident, took his oath of office in Beau's hospital room and commuted home to Delaware by train every night after finishing his work in the Senate.
-- Evie Stone
10:32 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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DNC Chair Nancy Pelosi called for Joe Biden's nomination for the Vice-Presidency by acclamation. The crowd seconded and approved the motion with a big cheer.
-- Evie Stone
10:19 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry was in a tough position as a DNC speaker. He had to deliver a speech criticizing his longtime friend -- a man he once considered as a potential running-mate -- John McCain.
He skirted the problem by differentiating between "Senator McCain" and "Candidate McCain" -- the "myth of the maverick" vs. "the reality of a politician":
Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Senator McCain once denounced as immoral. Candidate McCain criticizes Senator McCain's own climate change bill. Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Senator McCain wrote.
Kerry then added this reference to a gaffe from his own campaign that turned into a huge Republican talking point as they painted him as a flip-flopper :
Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you're against it.
The bulk of Kerry's speech focused on foreign policy and shoring up Barack Obama's national security credentials. He asked repeatedly, "who can we trust to keep America safe?" to the crowd's response of "Barack Obama!" before favorably comparing Obama's foreign policy positions to McCain's. And he offered this scathing dismissal of McCain's anti-Obama talking points:
How insulting to suggest that those who question the mission, question the troops. How pathetic to suggest that those who question a failed policy doubt America itself. How desperate to tell the son of a single mother who chose community service over money and privilege that he doesn't put America first.
Kerry also referenced the Swift Boat ads that torpedoed his own candidacy with assaults on his military record and patriotism:
This election is a chance for America to tell the merchants of fear and division: you don't decide who loves this country; you don't decide who is a patriot; you don't decide whose service counts and whose doesn't.
Four years ago I said, and I say it again tonight, that the flag doesn't belong to any ideology. It doesn't belong to any political party. It is an enduring symbol of our nation, and it belongs to all the American people. After all, patriotism is not love of power or some cheap trick to win votes; patriotism is love of country.
Kerry was badly stung by his 2004 loss, and his speech tonight revealed some lingering bitterness. His message seemed to be: don't let it happen again.
-- Evie Stone
9:51 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Bill Clinton compares Obama to another young candidate close to his heart...
Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be commander-in-chief.
Sound familiar?
It did not work in 1992 because we were on the right side of history. And it will not work in 2008 because Barack Obama is on the right side of history.
-- Evie Stone
9:23 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Clinton tells the delegates: "Barack Obama is ready to lead."
It's a direct response to the McCain campaign's negative ad slogan "not ready to lead" and backtracks Hillary Clinton's primary-season argument that she would be "ready on day one" and Obama would not.
-- Evie Stone
9:12 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Bill Clinton has taken the stage to the tune of his 1992 campaign song "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac.
The crowd, waving little American flags, gave him a thunderous standing ovation, followed by chants of "Bill! Bill! Bill!"
Even more cheers after Clinton's opening line: "I am here first to support Barack Obama."
-- Evie Stone
9:02 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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A slate of VP also-rans -- Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, and former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle -- have come up to bat in the past half hour. The delegates only seem moderately interested, applauding politely but mostly continuing to chat with their neighbors.
Hard not to imagine the different receptions these guys would have received if the choice had played out differently.
-- Evie Stone
8:53 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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NPR's Ken Rudin , who is on the convention floor, has spotted Michelle Obama.
-- Evie Stone
8:47 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Senator Obama was at his hotel with his wife Michelle and his daughters Sasha and Malia as well as extended family when he learned that he was officially the nominee.
-- Don Gonyea
8:08 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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New Mexico yields to Obama's home state of Illinois, which yields to Hillary Clinton's home state of New York.
Everyone in the hall jumps to their feet as Clinton makes her way through the New York delegation to the state's microphone. Huge cheers erupt when she introduces a motion -- after noting that all delegate votes will be counted -- that the convention suspend the rules and give Obama the nomination by acclamation.
Convention Chair Nancy Pelosi calls for a second, and the delegates roar in assent as the song "Love Train" is piped through the loudspeakers. It's a brilliantly choreographed feel-good moment that was all but unimaginable just a few months ago.
-- Evie Stone
6:43 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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After a bitter and protracted battle over their convention seating, Michigan and Florida have lined up behind the presumptive nominee. Since both states violated party rules by scheduling their contests too early, their delegates were not supposed to count at all. Neither candidate campaigned in the rogue states (in Michigan Obama wasn't even on the ballot), and Clinton "won" both primaries. As the closely-contested primary season drew to an end, Clinton's campaign fought hard to get the delegations reinstated, hoping to lessen Obama's margin of victory and muddy the popular vote tally. Clinton officials and surrogates said the punishment effectively disenfranchised MI and FL voters. The Obama camp argued for a compromise that would give the delegates half-votes each, and the DNC's Rules Committee agreed with them. Ultimately, both states' delegations were fully reinstated. And there didn't seem to be much lingering bitterness toward the Obama campaign today as both states gave Obama a healthy margin of victory.
Florida gave Obama 150 votes, and Clinton 61.
Michigan gave Obama 125 votes, and Clinton 27.
-- Evie Stone
6:07 PM ET
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California and Illinois declined to announce their delegate tallies in their alphabetical spots in the roll call.
According to NPR's Ken Rudin , that's not unusual or a big deal. He says it may have to do with a mathematical calculation that would allow a particular state to put Obama over the top.
-- Evie Stone
6:04 PM ET
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The roll call vote is under way after nominating and seconding speeches for both Clinton and Obama.
So far, Clinton is receiving a measure of support, but nothing reflecting the closeness of the primaries.
But there was heavy symbolism from Arkansas, where Clinton served 5 terms as First Lady. Clinton won 70% of the vote in that state's primary. Today Arkansas was the first state to go unanimously for Obama.
-- Evie Stone
5:43 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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NPR's Don Gonyea reports that Obama's plane just touched down in Denver.
-- Sean Bowditch
5:15 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Never a dull moment here at the Convention... Walking to lunch, I passed a protest of about a dozen people. One guy was carrying a bullhorn. His plea: STOP BIRD-WATCHING... BIRD-WATCHING IS BIRD PORN.
I'm afraid to ask...
-- Sean Bowditch
5:05 PM ET
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08-27-2008
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Salon's War Room derides the Obama camp's Greek temple-style design for the candidate's nomination acceptance speech tomorrow at Invesco Mile High stadium, calling it ammunition for more McCain attacks on Obama's presumptuousness. The post speculates on one potential association:
The set is actually pretty reminiscent of the style used by Trinity Broadcasting, a Christian network. So maybe this is an attempt to draw in evangelicals, something the Obama campaign (and Democrats generally) has been trying really hard to do. But even if that's the case, the set design still seems like a very bad idea.
Meanwhile...a wise friend of Vox Politics points out another columned structure the Obama folks might be trying to evoke on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech ...
What do you think? Too much?
-- Evie Stone
2:44 PM ET
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August 26, 2008
If there was tension in the hall when Hillary Clinton took the podium tonight you'd never know it from looking at her face. After all the hand-wringing about whether Clinton supporters would "get over it", Hillary seemed to be the one person who was indeed over it. Rocking an excellent orange pantsuit, she opened her speech with an unstinting call for unity:
I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.
This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.
I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world . . . to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.
And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.
No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President.
The crowd (all of it, not just the nearly 50% of the delegates who were elected to support her) greeted Clinton enthusiastically, frequently interrupting her with applause and even a few standing ovations. And, in an indication that some of the wounds from the primary have begun to heal, they roared with approval whenever images of Bill Clinton appeared on the monitor.
Clinton turned next to her own failed bid for the nomination, reminiscing about some of the people she had met (she called her supporters "the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits") and the issues she had vowed to fight for if elected. Those goals, she said, are the reason she supports Barack Obama over John McCain. And she urged her supporters to view the election in that light too.
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? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?
She went on to hammer John McCain's positions on a litany of issues: the economy; health care; Social Security; equal pay for women; etc. And she followed the party talking-point of linking McCain with President Bush, firing this zinger:
With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
As NPR's Ken Rudin remarked, it was an Ann Richards moment .
And Clinton cast this year's election in the most urgent of terms:
We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.
Clinton's name will be put into nomination during the roll-call vote tomorrow night. Some reports indicate that the Clinton and Obama camps are working out a deal to prevent a cumbersome tallying of delegate votes from each state, commonwealth, district, and territory. For example, the roll-call could be cut short after a few states with a proposal -- maybe even from Clinton herself -- to nominate Obama by acclamation.
The speech was everything the Obama camp could have asked for, and more. Now it's up to her supporters to decide if they will follow her lead.
-- Evie Stone
10:41 PM ET
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Former Virginia Governor (and current Senate Candidate) Mark Warner had a tough task tonight: follow Barack Obama's widely hailed 2004 convention keynote that ultimately catapulted him to the 2008 nomination. And Warner also had to try to make a mark on a night that ultimately belongs to Hillary Clinton.
Warner told reporters ahead of time that he wouldn't be going negative in his speech tonight. And he stayed true to that promise, offering only one mild rebuke to John McCain:
John McCain promises more of the same -- a plan that would explode the deficit that will be passed on to our kids. No real strategy to invest in our crumbling infrastructure. And he would continue spending $10 billion a month in Iraq.
The speech mainly wove together self-biography (he was the first in his family to go to college and made his fortune as an early investor in wireless telecom); his own record as Governor of Virginia; and high-minded ideas about the American dream. He did mention Obama several times, as here:
Barack Obama has a different vision -- and a different plan. Right now, at this critical moment in our history, we have one shot to get it right. And the status quo just won't cut it.
But nonetheless the remarks somehow had the anticlimactic flavor of a stump speech for Warner's own Senate campaign, rather than a convention keynote celebrating the 2008 Democratic nominee for President. His successors at the podium, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, were both far more bombastic than Warner and were rewarded with greater enthusiasm from the crowd.
-- Evie Stone
10:05 PM ET
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Tonight's theme is the economy -- the official title is "Renewing America's Promise". And Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr.'s speech kept up the assault on George Bush and John McCain. Barack Obama, he said, is "one of us".
Casey summed up McCain's record of frequent votes in support of the President's policies with a quick one-liner: "That's not a maverick. That's a sidekick." And he twice led the crowd into rousing chants of "four more months!"
But Casey's appearance held significance beyond his ably delivered jabs at the GOP. His father, then-PA Gov. Robert Casey Sr., was famously denied a speaking slot at the 1992 Democratic Convention. Rumors at the time suggested that Casey Senior was persona non grata at the podium because he was pro-life, though the Bill Clinton campaign maintained that it was because he was not an early Clinton supporter.
Casey Jr. is pro-life as well, and was one of Obama's most active surrogates during this year's hard-fought Pennsylvania primary against Hillary Clinton. Casey made a veiled reference to the 1992 snubbing with this line:
Barack Obama and I have an honest disagreement on the issue of abortion. But the fact that I'm speaking here tonight is testament to Barack's ability to show respect for the views of people who may disagree with him.
Obama is pro-choice and highly rated by the abortion-rights advocacy group NARAL. But his campaign has made a point of reaching out to Catholics and moderate evangelicals whose positions on other social issues like war, poverty, and the death penalty align with the Democratic platform. Bob Casey Jr.'s appearance tonight is another olive branch to those voters.
-- Evie Stone
9:27 PM ET
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Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius -- once considered a leading Veepstakes contender -- presented a biting ("John McCain believes in country club economics"), if rather soft-spoken, indictment of John McCain's economic and energy policies in her speech tonight.
Now, even though John McCain has spent 26 years in Washington voting over and over again against investing in renewable energy, John McCain does support some renewables. He wants to renew the failed Bush agenda for another four years. John McCain has also renewed the Bush-Rove style of politics built on bringing down your opponent instead of lifting America up.
The pointed language was muted by Sebelius's mild delivery -- suggesting that she might not have been an ideal veep choice; running-mates are traditionally used as attack dogs.
But she did serve up this memorable line, straight out of the heartland:
Now, I'm sure you all remember that girl from Kansas who said "there's no place like home."
-- Evie Stone
9:04 PM ET
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08-26-2008
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Two-time Presidential candidate OH Rep. Dennis Kucinich gave a fiery speech to the Democrats in Denver this evening, railing against the Bush Administration and repeating the energetic refrain, "Wake Up, America!"
Kucinich spoke in his trademark strident style, verging on conspiracy theory without quite crossing the line. The crowd ate up his Bush-bashing rhetoric:
Now, this administration can tap our phones; they can't tap our creative spirit. They can open our mail, but they can't open economic opportunities. They can track our every move, but they lost track of the economy while the cost of food, gasoline and electricity skyrockets.
Kucinich, a netroots favorite who never registered substantially in the polls, falls to the left of mainstream Democrats on most issues. He has introduced articles of impeachment against both President Bush and Vice President Cheney on the House Floor, arguing that they misled the country on the Iraq threat during the run-up to the war.
His speech tonight was a bonanza of populism, with little mention of Barack Obama; the single nod to the 2008 Democratic ticket came almost as an afterthought during his blazing conclusion, which he delivered with so much energy that he actually jumped up and down as he said it:
Up with the rights of workers! Up with wages! Up with fair trade! Up with creating millions of good-paying jobs, rebuilding our bridges, our water system, our sewer system, our port! Up with creating millions of sustainable energy jobs to lower the cost of energy, lower carbon mission and protect the environment! Up with health care for all! Up with education for all! Up with homeownership! Up with guaranteed retirement benefits! Up with peace! Up with prosperity! Up with the Democratic Party! Up with Obama-Biden!
Wake up, America! Wake up, America! Wake up, America!
The speech did not mention UFOs .
-- Evie Stone
7:24 PM ET
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08-26-2008
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While it's the Democratic Convention this week in Denver, some big-name Republicans are in the Mile High City to cast doubt on Barack Obama's ability to lead the country.
Former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was at his party's "Rapid Response Headquarters " just about a mile from the arena where the Democrats are conducting their business.
Romney seemed to slip easily into the attack-dog role. "Barack Obama is a charming and fine person--a lovely family--but he's not ready to be President of the United States of America." The former governor of Massachusetts, predictably, pointed to John McCain as someone who does have that experience.
Obama typically has responded to statements like this by saying experienced political leaders got the U-S into the Iraq War and it's the quality of a leader's judgment that counts.
After Romney, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is expected in Denver Wednesday. Then it's Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on Thursday. All three have been mentioned as potential vice president picks for John McCain. Could they be auditioning for the job?
-- Jeff Brady
6:26 PM ET
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08-26-2008
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For those of you who have tuned in to the wall-to-wall coverage of the Convention here in Denver, you've likely caught a few of the musical interludes . It's an impressive line-up: Lenny Kravitz, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden...
Alas, that star-studded group is only here in spirit. The NYC-based band "Ray Chew & the Crew" is the one cranking out the covers. Chew is best known as musical director for the mainstay music program "Showtime At The Apollo". He's also in charge of the music for Donald Trump's various pageants.
The big-ticket acts come later...
-- Sean Bowditch
4:30 PM ET
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08-26-2008
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NPR's Dina Temple-Raston has a few more details on the incident:
One of the suspects -- 32-year-old Nathan Johnson, an out of work truck driver -- told a local CBS affiliate in Denver that the others involved in the case had discussed killing Obama on Thursday, when he accepts the Democratic nomination at Invesco Field. Law enforcement officials cautioned about putting too much stock into this being a "plot" to kill Obama. One official said the guys were white supremacists, who were "meth-heads trying to impress their girlfriends." The US Attorney will have a press conference about the arrests this afternoon. The trio are expected to face federal charges.
NPR's Jeff Brady has the back story here and here .
-- Sean Bowditch
1:50 PM ET
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08-26-2008
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Democratic Vice Presidential hopeful Joe Biden said today he's excited to be on the team with Barack Obama, even though it's an unfamiliar role. "I've never been a team," Biden told members of the Delaware delegation. "I've sort of been a one-man band."
"There's so much at stake," he said. "But there's such an incredible opportunity."
Biden will address the full convention Wednesday night, followed by Obama's speech on Thursday. But the Delaware Senator said Michelle Obama's speech Monday night will likely be remembered as one of the highlights of the event.
"She gave a window for the American people into who she is and who he is and what really is the American dream," Biden said.
Biden wiped away tears as he thanked Delaware's delegation for their support during his long public career. And he joked with the state's governor about the challenge of adjusting to round-the-clock Secret Service protection.
"This is new to me. I was kidding her. I said, 'This is the first time I've ever had security. Senators don't matter.'"
-- Scott Horsley
11:18 AM ET
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08-26-2008
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We're learning more about some suspicious arrests just a few miles away from the site of the Democratic convention.
Here's how Aurora Police Detective Marcus Dudley described the events that happened very early Sunday morning. At about 1:30 a.m. police pulled over a man who was weaving across lanes of traffic. Tharin Gartrell, 28, had a suspended license and he was driving a truck that was rented under someone else's name. The officer found two rifles (one with a scope), boxes of ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, walkie-talkies and methamphetamine. One of the guns had been stolen in Kansas.
Aurora Police called in the FBI, Secret Service and ATF to investigate. A few hours later Gartrell led them to Nathan Johnson, 32, at a hotel. And then Shawn Robert Adolf, 33, at another hotel. "He jumped from the sixth floor window of the hotel to evade arrest and was eventually located in the area," said Det. Dudley. Adolf was treated for relatively minor injuries and then booked on $1,000,000 bond.
Authorities remain mum on whether the men had any plans related to the convention. "We can say this: We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," said Troy Eid, U.S. Attorney for Colorado.
-- Jeff Brady
12:22 AM ET
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08-26-2008
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August 25, 2008
C-Span distributes the Ted Kennedy tribute video, produced by famed documentary filmmakers Ken Burns and Mark Herzog:
-- Evie Stone
11:06 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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Michelle Obama's remarks to the delegates drew heavily on her biography, as well as her husband's, in a push to embed the story of the candidate's family firmly in the context of the American dream. The Clinton campaign in the primaries, and now the McCain campaign in the general election, have tried to paint Barack Obama as an out-of-touch Ivy League elitist. This speech aimed to debunk that message and make the Obamas relatable.
Mrs. Obama talked at length about her working-class roots on the Chicago's south side and her relationship with her late father, who worked at a water treatment plant and struggled for years with MS. And she discussed her own initial skepticism about husband's background, seemingly as a parable for voters who may view him as too different or exotic to understand what their families are going through:
And you know, what struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he had this funny name, even though he'd grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine. He was raised by grandparents who were working class folks just like my parents, and by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills just like we did. Like my family, they scrimped and saved so that he could have opportunities they never had themselves. And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them.
She also hit the campaign's overarching theme of hope, and the importance of working to improve the world:
All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do -- that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.
That is why I love this country.
And in a move that clearly showed her political smarts, she also invoked Hillary Clinton's "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling" to some applause from the crowd. But she drew a bigger cheer when she mentioned VP candidate Joe Biden,
who's never forgotten where he came from, and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again.
Her poised -- and at times almost emotional -- delivery provided quite a contrast with the 'angry black woman' meme that seems to have grown up around her during this campaign.
Full remarks after the jump.
-- Evie Stone
Continue reading "Michelle Obama: She's Just Like Us" »
11:00 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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Barack Obama joined the convention via satellite from Kansas City. Appearing on the huge LCD monitors just after his wife's speech, he told the crowd, "Now you know why I asked her out so many times, even though she kept saying no."
Sasha and Malia Obama had joined their mother onstage, and the candidate asked his daughters how they thought Mom had done. 7-year-old cutie Sasha's response to her daddy: "I think she did good."
-- Evie Stone
10:56 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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Michelle Obama was introduced by her brother, Craig Robinson, the basketball coach at Oregon State. When Michelle and Barack Obama were first dating, she had him play ball with her brother so Craig could get a feel for Barack's character through his on-the-court style. Craig passed along his take in tonight's speech:
If you're looking for a political analysis based on his playing, here it is: he's confident but not cocky, he'll take the shot if he's open, he's a team player who improves the people around him, and he won't back down from any challenge.
-- Evie Stone
10:37 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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NPR's Audie Cornish scored an interview with Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank on our live show right after Senator Kennedy's speech to the delegates. Congressman Frank didn't use any names when talking about what Kennedy's presence in Denver should mean to Democrats, but the message here was pretty clear:
In the face of his illness for him to come here, it makes it awfully hard for anyone else to weep and moan about anything else.
(Hmm...can you think of anyone who might be weeping and moaning about something this week?)
According to Frank, there is no time for things that are "trivial." He told Audie the stakes are high, and Democrats should "get off your rear end" and get to work for Obama.
-- Evie Stone
10:06 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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As recently as yesterday, DNC officials were saying there was only a 50/50 chance that Senator Ted Kennedy, who has been battling brain cancer, would even make the trip to Denver. This afternoon they told reporters that he was here, but would not speak. But as Kennedy said in his speech, "Nothing -- nothing -- is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight."
The audience was clearly thrilled by the surprise appearance. And Kennedy didn't disappoint. He didn't speak for long, but it was a barn-burner. (As the Chicago City Clerk who followed him in the program said, "How would you like to be me?")
Kennedy spoke with passion about his pet issue of health care, which he said should be a universal right for all, not a privilege for the few. He invoked his brother John's ambitious promise to put a man on the moon. And the ailing Senator promised -- to a standing ovation from the crowd -- to "be there in January" for Obama's inauguration.
Kennedy's closing lines echoed his defiant concession speech at the 1980 convention, when he promised the crowd that "the dream shall never die" after losing a hard-fought insurgent primary against incumbent President Jimmy Carter. Tonight, Kennedy ended with this:
The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on.
The crowd went wild.
-- Evie Stone
9:43 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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A routine traffic stop by police in a Denver suburb has attracted the attention of federal investigators. The case comes as security in the city is very tight for the Democratic National Convention.
The traffic stop happened Sunday in Aurora, Colorado, which is just outside Denver. U-S Attorney Troy Eid in a written statement says firearms and methamphetamine were seized and a number of individuals are in state custody. Federal charges are anticipated but no further details are being released.
The F-B-I and the Secret Service are among the federal agencies investigating. Secret Service agents can be seen all over the city as part of their effort to protect high profile people attending the convention, including Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
-- Jeff Brady
9:26 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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The Illinois delegation takes center stage tonight at the Democratic National Convention, but one of the office holders you'd expect to have one of the most prominent roles isn't even there.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, State Comptroller Dan Hynes, Treasurer Alexei Gianoulious and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr are all friends and colleagues of Illinois Senator Barack Obama who will give speeches tonight to help tell part of Obama's life story and his biography in Illinois politics.
Conspicuously absent from the event is Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Usually sitting governors are the de facto leaders of a political party's state delegation, but not Blagojevich, who is back home. The second term governor's administration has been up to it's eyeballs in corruption investigations. Blagojevich was named in media reports as "public official A" in the corruption trial earlier this year of one of his most prominent fundraisers, Tony Rezko. A handful of others with close ties to Blagojevich and his administration have been indicted; some have pleaded guilty, and many Illinois political insiders consider it only a matter of time until the scandal reaches up closer to the governor himself.
Continue reading "Mile Low: Public Official "A"" »
5:26 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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Today's convention activity will begin with some administrative business from the Credentials and Rules & Bylaws Committees, who we expect will officially reinstate the votes of the Michigan and Florida delegations. (In fact, according to the DNCC's Delegate Seating Map both contested delegations have garnered prime locations on the convention floor. An olive branch of sorts?)
We'll also see tributes to President Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy, who is expected to appear tonight but (via DNC sources) is not likely to speak. Kennedy made a last-minute decision to come to Denver despite his medical struggles.
The primetime speaker is Michelle Obama, and her husband will follow with brief remarks via satellite from his convention watchpost in Kansas City.
NPR will have special coverage of the convention starting at 8pm Eastern.
The full podium schedule is after the jump.
-- Evie Stone
Continue reading "DNC Monday: 'One Nation'" »
12:50 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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NPR's Scott Horsley reports that VP candidate Sen. Joe Biden has arrived in Denver. He doesn't have any public events scheduled today, but will watch Michelle Obama's speech tonight from a box seat at the Pepsi Center.
-- Evie Stone
12:33 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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The DNC opens in Denver today without the presence of two of Michigan's most-prominent Democratic party leaders.
Much to the relief of Democrats, Kilpatrick is also a no-show at the convention. He can't travel out of metro Detroit because of bond restrictions related to two felony counts of shoving a police officer. He is also facing eight perjury and conspiracy charges in a separate case.
The mayor had already hinted he would not be going to Denver -- and a statement from his office says Kilpatrick's attention is on running Detroit and not on presidential politics. The Barack Obama campaign has been urging him not to attend the convention and cause a distraction. Kilpatrick is one of three super-delegates representing the National Conference of Democratic Mayors.
-- Rick Pluta from Michigan Public Radio Network
12:02 PM ET
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08-25-2008
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"In a last-minute surprise move," Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) "is expected" to speak at the DNC tonight. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) "electrified the Massachusetts delegation when he broke the news at a party late Sunday night" (WBUR ).
--Michael Olson
8:24 AM ET
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08-25-2008
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August 7, 2008
Barack Obama is trying to dismiss this morning's media hubbub over possible discord between his supporters and those of former rival Hillary Clinton at the Democratic convention later this month. This afternoon Obama told reporters on his campaign plane that he has talked to both Hillary and Bill Clinton this week, and they all agree that the goal is a smooth convention. But he sidestepped specific questions about whether Clinton's name would be placed in nomination, saying several times that their staff members are "working it out."
Clinton was also asked about the convention today, during a web chat in which she repeatedly praised Obama's policies and reiterated that she is "completely committed to helping Senator Obama become the next President of the United States and urging you to do the same."
The chat garnered more than 500 comments from ardent Hillary fans, many of them still mourning Clinton's primary defeat and begging for the chance to have their voices heard in the first round of convention balloting. Clinton's statement on the subject:
Senator Obama and I share the goal of ensuring that the voices of everyone who participated in this historic process are respected. I want to assure everyone we are working together with Senator Obama's campaign and the DNC, and I am confident we will have a successful and unified Convention in Denver.
It's difficult to imagine that having Clinton's name put into nomination wouldn't revive some of the high dudgeon of the primary season. But if her delegates are somehow prevented from submitting her name there's the risk of an uproar as well.
The Clinton and Obama staffs have two and a half weeks to work out a solution that works for them and that their respective delegates will agree to.
-- Evie Stone
2:42 PM ET
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08- 7-2008
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What will it take to keep thousands of RNC protestors at bay for four days?
As the Star Tribune reports , the City of St. Paul thinks $1.9 million of "public order agents" (pepper spray and the like), $500,000 in barriers, $20,000 in latex gloves, and $2,500 in bullhorns will do the trick. And if things get out of hand, they've got $1 million worth of gas masks. These are just a few of the purchases police officials have now made public. The city is using part of a $50-million federal grant to cover the cost .
Meanwhile, in Colorado, the ACLU is still fighting with the City of Denver to disclose its shopping list for Democratic Convention security. First amendment advocates fear the $50-million buy, the details of which remain a secret, includes an extensive collection of crowd control equipment. To date, the city has only provided a very general list of expenditures .
The $50-million grants are twice as much as either New York City or Boston initially received for the 2004 conventions. (Both cities lobbied Congress at the last minute and were each given an additional $25 million.) But even with federal help, the crushing cost of security -- often foisted on local tax payers -- could be scaring away potential convention hosts. According to the Wall Street Journal , nine cities each bid for the Democratic and Republican conventions in 2000. In 2004, that number dropped to five each. And this year, only four cities put in bids for the Republican convention, and three cities vied for the Democratic convention.
-- Sean Bowditch
2:12 PM ET
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08- 7-2008
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