I sat slack-jawed this morning as Pat Buchanan criticized the Dems for not hitting the Republicans hard enough. Someone sitting next to him pointed out that Schweitzer and Kerry both hit McCain plenty hard, to which Buchanan shouted, "but nobody saw those guys, the networks didn't broadcast them!" So, in essence, he was blaming the Democrats for the fact that the networks blow donkey balls in their coverage of the convention. And what a shame, too - Kerry was spectacular.

The Clintons have indeed Redeemed themselves and have united the Democratic party. However, Media wants you to think that Dems Convention was a bust (no red meat - vegatables are so much more healthier to the system, however) But, what the Dems did accomplish and which is stronger than all the red meat/anger in the world is UNITY/Love, because a house divided cannot stand! Watch out and be on Guard for those who want to Divide because make no mistake about it a united group is Powerful, Strong, Unstoppable. Now they want to belittle and divide us by unmeaningful and trivial talks of pillars and temple, some seem even Obsessed by it. They are like rude and jealous children who make fun of a beautiful or gifted person -- making fun of their clothes because they are not satisfied within themselves, all the while secretly wishing they looked like that or had that gift. People of Change, People of the future, be on guard!

For those who want accurate news analysis, do yourself a favor and “watch C-SPAN for convention coverage and get yourself psychically cleared. Stop watching cable news channels. The MSM is desperately working to program us morning noon and night. And creating despair amongst those who are openly hopeful about 2008 politics is very easy. Just bust the bubble that gives you room to believe that change can happen and the rest falls away. Including your own sense of self-empowerment. Believe it.”

I have two strong feelings about this speech:

1) Kerry was great and did the Dems a huge favor.

2) The media, for not covering it, once again did a huge disservice to the country.

More on this speech here:

http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/the-best-speech-you-didnt-hear-john-kerry/

Greatest speech I've heard yet about the nightmare of the Bush years and what it means to be an American. He just spoke directly to my heart -= and he damn near broke it again.

My god - if only Kerry had campaign like that - it was an amazing speech.

Reminded me of Gore. These guys spent four years in the wilderness and suddenly found a voice that would have served them a lot better when running for president. It's a shame.

http://pufferfish.typepad.com/

It was also my favorite speech. Much more damning on McCain. Bill's of course provided the unity and many I speak to that were on the fence have jumped on over to support Obama. They understand NOW that too much is at stake.

Off topic, NJO is trying to clarify its most liberal senator rating of Obama. Anyone who did any digging would have already know what these guys said but to hear it from the horses mouth might grow some legs.

For what it's worth...
http://www.nationaljournal.com/conventions/co_20080825_4458.php

Thanks, Greg!

Ummm...now off topic...heh, heh,

I wanted to share this awesome pic of VA Sen Henry Marsh and Gov Tim Kaine when Hillary suspended the vote. Their expressions are priceless and tears are rolling down Kaine's cheeks. You know, I criticize the Dems a good bit, but there's something special about these big lugs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2008/08/27/GA2008082703588.html?sid=ST2008082704151

It's picture #25 in the Gallery in this link.

Enjoy!

Guys - please do yourselves a favor and switch to C-Span. I can't believe the difference - it's just like being there. No commercials, no commentary - just the convention and the convention is surprisingly watchable - the only boring part was the talking heads squawking and once I got rid of them - man, it's a great show.

In the last election, Kerry was running against a fellow-Bonesman. He could not attack him effectively and never intended to

I can't believe I'm reading this again.

I can't believe that people believe this. These men are grownups, not college boys.

"Where was this man in 2004?" He was there, but what makes Kerry even more admirable in 2008 is he doesn't have to do this, at least not with such enthusiasm. He doesn't have to hear again and again from voters and reporters how he was Swiftboated and didn't fight back-- though he did fight back-- but instead he just smiles and talks about Obama's candidacy and the future of America. Kerry could be off in a corner feeling sorry for himself that he isn't running for reelection to the White House-- instead he's out there on the front lines as one of Obama's toughest surrogates.

Has the Democratic Party gotten rid of the consultants who in the past have suggested that candidates not get too aggressive? What's Bob Shrum doing this year?

Or is it that the whole Democratic Party has been taken over by those who are mad and won't take it anymore?

The two are not mutually exclusive, of course.

Or are the Democrats in Denver just eating some special Colorado Chile peppers? (If so, we want them branded and sold nation-wide to Democrats!)

OK. Seriously, I think that until 2004 most Democrats really didn't think that there was that much to be upset about if the Republicans ran the White House. Some anti-war types, sure, but everyone knew they were just left-over hippies from the 60's and irrelevant in the modern world. The stealing of the 2000 election was not the first time in American history and we survived. But then Bush went after Social Security and Bush and FEMA flubbed Katrina disastrously and didn't even care. Iraq clearly was not what was advertised, and Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld didn't care. 2006 was the first real national demonstration of real anger at Republicans - not just by individuals, but by people banding together to do something - and it was almost literally a waste of time.

I think that the Democrats as a party have finally figured out that they cannot compromise with the movement conservatives and still govern. I think the frustration from the last two years of total Republican/conservatism obstructionism is now coming back to bite the conservatives.

The "real serious" Democrats have finally realized that they have been part of the problem, and that nothing is going to work in America until the conservatives are removed from office. That's what yesterday's speeches demonstrated.

Of course, they are Democrats. No one is going to believe them. They are, after all, the same people who have been the "real serious Democrats" in the past, focused on governing and trying to compromise with the conservative idiots who want power, not effective governance. The polls will be slow to move.

I liked yesterday. I hope it lasts. I can't say I really think it will. They are Democrats, after all, and they will probably slip right back into their old habits, if not before the election almost certainly by December. Individuals don't change. To get real change, you have to change the people.

Okay, I am really tiring of the "where was this man in 2004?" routine. There is no way in hell he could have given that speech in 2004. 9/11 had only happened 3 years before, and the country was still traumatized by it. The President hovered at a 50% approval rating throughout 2004. The American people still backed the Iraq War. The economy was still chugging along reasonably well. Most importantly, Katrina and its aftermath had not happened yet. Let's not even begin to get into all the GOP corruption scandals that surfaced mostly after 2004.

Look, I thought Kerry made mistakes in 2004, but people need to put themselves back into the time and place of that election year. I think the better question was why another Democrat in 2004 didn't give an attack dog speech of the caliber of Kerry's speech last night. Maybe what was missing for Kerry in '04 was a surrogate like Kerry today to do some of the tough contrast work for him.

Hear hear to all those praising the C-Span. It's true. Personally, I jump from PBS to C-Span and then over to MSNBC to get a sense of the punditry.

It's too bad the MSM had to bloviate about Bill Clinton's speech because most of America missed John Kerry. So ironic when Buchanan and all the others cry about "where's the red meat?!?". Ugh, give it up guys, shut up, turn around and look down onto the stage. There he is, laying it out for you.

At the very least Kerry is sure the hell firing us up. Last night was brilliant, just brilliant. Overall the convention was like a slow burn, getting hotter each day, and tonight we'll be boiling!

Even if Kerry's speech was not seen by a bunch of people, he provided (what I believe to be) an invaluable strategic attack theme for the campaign going forward...

"CANDIDATE McCain vs. Senator McCain".

This is a absolute GEM and should be use relentlessly to demonstrate who McCain really is.

Don't be so discouraged, good people. Or don't fall for the trap of sitting in the stands telling the players to listen to you instead of the coach whose strategy has shown itself so successful while going against the conventional political "wisdom."

One of Andrew Sullivan's readers thinks he/she sees what's going on. These are the lines I've been thinking on myself:

I have this feeling Obama is holding back for the debates. Rope a dope.

This convention was about healing the party, activating the team - don't forget his secret weapon, his ground game - and making himself and his family part of our general cultural consciousness, part of our American family. People fear what they do not know (ever noticed that?). We have to get familiar with Barack - Barack has to become Barack - and then we'll accept his attacks on McCain. They will be equals. I think Barack knows that, and he's playing his game.

Let McCain and his Rove-dogs bark all they want now. Let them punch themselves silly, until they can't manage one more swing... in the meantime, we fall in love with Barack. Do you remember Ali coming off the ropes in Zaire? Did you see him in the crowd last night?

Hi All,
If you have DISH network, there is a channel 211 that must be paid for by the DNC....NO TALKING HEADS!!