I've just tuned in to DNC Day 2 coverage from Denver. The theme so far is working America, and speaker after speaker is talking about how Barack Obama will help middle-class families prosper while John McCain will perpetuate the reckless economic policies of George W. Bush. I keep hearing how we Democrats are going easy on McCain, but - made over and over again - these points eventually have to stick.
I caught a little bit of The Ed Schultz Show this afternoon (it airs 4 to 7 p.m. in Boise on KFXD 630 AM ... check it out), and he said that people shouldn't expect four nights of ripping on McCain. Obama is trying to set a new tone, he noted; the Republicans are the party of smear and fear, divide and conquer, and we are different. The cynics sigh: Can this really be true? Can we win that way? Many people worry we cannot, but as Barack said in a speech that's being revisited on video just now, "When you walk away, the same old politics wins all the time."
We're not walking away; we'll be live blogging here now through the rest of tonight's events. Please add your thoughts in the comments as we hear from Janet Napolitano, Ted Strickland, Mark Warner, Brian Schweitzer, Hillary Clinton, and more. Let's roll!
6:08 p.m. MDT: Say cheese! They're taking the official panoramic convention photo. It's taking a while, and people are passing the time with chants of "Fired UP! Ready to go" and "Yes We Can."
6:27 p.m.: Gov. Napolitano says Arizonans are proud of their political traditions, from Barry Goldwater to Mo Udall to Bruce Babbitt, all of whom ran for president and lost. "Now speaking for myself and at least for this next election, this is one Arizona tradition I'd like to see continue." ... says McCain doesn't understand how the policies he supports "have terribly mis-fired." ... touts Barack Obama's plan for clean energy and developing 5 million green-collar jobs ... blasts Phil Gramm for saying we are a "nation of whiners." Obama,she says, knows no one is whinng, but we're all looking for better answers "to fix the failed ways of Washington."
6:41 p.m.: Tonight's "town hall" panel is under way. I'm not sure how well these are working at the Pepsi Center; there seems to be a lot of crowd noise, as if the delegates aren't paying much attention. But tonight's topic - our current, outdated energy policy and its impact on the economy - couldn't be more important.
6:51 p.m.: Jim Whitaker, the (Republican) mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska, says he came not to speak against John McCain but to express his support for Barack Obama: his keen intellect, his wise foreign policy, and his dedication to clean American energy sources. "In the end, I'm here because I know the change we need requires a leader with steely resolve ... and a passion for helping working people."
7:26 p.m.: Go Senator Casey! As someone who grew up in Pennsylvania, it''s good to know that Obama has such a strong champion in the Keystone State. He's giving great props to native son Joe Biden and Senator Hillary Clinton as well. Casey, who opposes a woman's right to abortion, says he has an honest disagreement with Obama on that issue, but that he knows Obama respects all views and will seek common ground. Casey says we can's afford four more years of Bush policies, "more like four more months." The crowd loves this! "Four more months!"
7:41 p.m.: Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is giving his keynote address. He says the most important campaign of our lives has begun, and that it's not the presidential race, "but the race to the future. ... It won't be won with a president who's stuck in the past." ... Says that, for too many Americans struggling to keep their homes or go to college or hold a family together during repeated military deployments, getting a fair shot "is looking like more of a long shot." ... Alluded to the Olympics and how China is "going for the gold" in the global economy as well as in sports. But with the right policies, the United States can win the economic race, too ... "In four months, we will have an administration that actually believes in science." ... says "we're all in this together," my all-time fave Democratic slogan. And he's framing this really well: It truly is a race between the past and future.
8:01 p.m.: ... and we're in prime time. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is paying tribute to Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the Ohio congresswoman who died last week. The hall responds with a brief standing "o" in her memory. .. Strickland is resonating with the crowd ... says it's time for a president who wasn't born on third base but who understands everyone deserves a shot at the plate ...
8:18 p.m.: Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts quotes Rep. Barney Frank: "Government is simply the name we give to the things we choose to do together." He urges everyone - Democrats, Republicans, Libertarian, independents - to put cynicism aside and vote for change and renewing the American dream.
8:21 p.m.: Gov. Brian Schweitzer is singing the praises of bipartisanship, noting how he chose a Republican as his lieutenant governor. He's also recounting how he and the Montana legislature have cut taxes, expanded health care and energy research, and created the largest budget surplus in the state history. ... Says McCain voted against alternative energy sources 25 times, costing America more than 100,000 jobs. ... Schweitzer would make a great Energy Secretary, if he'd take the job. ... Now he's urging everyone to "get off your hind end ... stand up ..." He's got everyone going ... this is a great segue to Hillary. I'm gonna open a new thread for Hillary.
Just got home and am settling in for the festivities...
Posted by: Tara Rowe | August 26, 2008 at 07:17 PM
Alright, I'm an idiot. I didn't know Lily Ledbetter is a real person!
Posted by: Tara Rowe | August 26, 2008 at 07:39 PM
Hi Tara. Hope you got some good news today. Here's a handy cheat sheet for tonight's schedule:
http://www.demconvention.com/tuesday-schedule/
a.k.a. we can't know the players without a scorecard.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | August 26, 2008 at 07:48 PM
What should Governor Warner's score be do you think? He's not holding my attention well. I'm ready for Hillary!
Posted by: untamedshrew | August 26, 2008 at 07:51 PM
I think he's doing OK, but I don't know why he started before 8, when the prime time coverage was supposed to start.
Brian Schweitzer is up soon. They probably should've given HIM the keynote.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | August 26, 2008 at 07:54 PM
Warner is wearing me out--just not what I expected from him I guess.
Posted by: Tara Rowe | August 26, 2008 at 07:57 PM
If you come to whup my ***, Julie (per Sis's threat), can you bring me an industrial strength set of Dr Scholls and some duct tape? Tomorrow's gonna be the suxxx.
Other thoughts: iphone hatery du jour: sending a flickr shot, I typed Steny Hoyer, got Stent Boyer thanx to the typing-correction dictionary.
Warner's doin' pretty strongly, loved Lily's speech -- egregious case law merits the attention.
Oh, and posted a comment about a tiny isolated raft of Texans waving Hillary signage. Maybe a dozen or so. Nothing huge, but congregated together and ... just odd.
Posted by: d2 at 43rdstateblues | August 26, 2008 at 07:59 PM
Looking at the schedule, there are a lot of "remarks" to listen to before HRC. I'm hoping remarks are short! Looking forward to Schweitzer though.
I've been thinking tonight about prior conventions. In 1984 I remember watching the convention outside with my dad on his patio. Jesse Jackson brought us both to tears.
Posted by: untamedshrew | August 26, 2008 at 08:00 PM
d2 I've got loads of duct tape...
Posted by: Tara Rowe | August 26, 2008 at 08:03 PM
Stickland seems to be hitting it out of the park, more so than Warner.
Posted by: Tara Rowe | August 26, 2008 at 08:05 PM