Impressions of the Democratic Convention

The Convention is almost over; Kerry will speak tonight. What are your impressions of the convention? Learn anything? Change your mind about anything, anybody? Anything reinforced? Anyone make a favorable, unfavorable impression?

 

I'm convinced more then ever that Bush needs to go. I found nearly all of the speakers so far to be quite excellent and with a definite idea of how things should be run.

I thought it was cool that they showed Clinton's speech from '92 last night.


I agree with what the Gov. of New Mexico said..and that was..we need a president who gives a damn about America and our relationship with each-other and the rest of the world.(nutshelled)rather then a president who only cares about terrorism.

terrorism is just one thing that's important and everything else shouldnt be taking a backseat.

what's worth protecting from terrorists if our children are uneducated, we have no jobs, no health care, and a terrible environment??

A name? a name needs protecting? a concept? No...people should come first before agendas and concepts.

 

My impression is one big fat BLAH! I've watched almost the entire thing because I'm on the fence between the Cobb(Green Party) and Edwards and even thinking about Nader still. I was hoping I could get something out of this that could help in my decision making process, but it was a giant infomercial, a huge waste of time and money. It was so fake, they should have just hired actors and called it a made for tv movie.

The sad thing is, no one even watches it on tv anymore. Basically because there is nothing to report. I want to scream "what the fuck is wrong with you people"! The biggest news there was Ben Affleck and the Clintons getting pissed for being shut out of the skybox.

At least the Green Party Convention was interesting. This crap put me to sleep. God I thought Republicans were boring, these people suck!

 

I saw a photo in the Miami Herald newspaper two days ago. It was of the inside of a commuter rail car in the Boston area.


A cop was standing in front of a seated black male passenger. About seven other passengers were all around. The cop was rummaging through a medium-sized black duffel bag on the lap of the passenger. The caption said that the cop was searching as part of the security measures around the Democratic convention.

This picture made me want to vomit. The Democrats have to be the biggest hypocrites in the world the way they are running "security" at this event. It's more like a fuckin' police state. I'd like to know how, suddenly, being on a train and having a BAG with you is enough probable cause to get it fuckin' searched.

There's a good chance that the cop said, "Would you mind, for my safety, if I look in your bag to make sure you don't have any weapons or explosives?" This is the bullshit ploy they use all the time lately, like when you get stopped for speeding in your car. It's a fishing expedition to hopefully get something found in your possession that's illegal. They have no reason to search you, no probable cause, nothing you've done has indicated that you might be in the process of committing a crime or in possession of anything illegal. So they ask you to voluntarily give up your Fourth Amendment right against warrantless search and seizure.

So technically this poor passenger was probably either ignorant of his RIGHT to refuse to be searched, or was scared of what might happen if he said, "You know what? No. You have no reason to search me, so I refuse to allow you to." Even said respectfully, that probably woulda got the guy put face-down on the filthy floor with plasticuffs around his wrists. "NOW he's 'suspicious,' because he doesn't want us searching him! His exercise of his right is what makes us have probable cause to search him!"

So this is all going on in order to protect the safety of the Democratic candidates, and the Clintons, and the Hollywood "elite"; it is necessary to trample people's rights in order for the Democrats to survive so that they can protect people's rights, I guess.

Blue skies,
-Jeffrey

 

The democrats were not personally searching the guy's bag!!!! John Kerry wasn't demanding that people empty their purses and pockets on the table before him!!!


It was Boston police/government...and they have every right to take any security measures they want. Things like political conventions and international ceremonies are hotbeds for violent activity. The republican convention will have just as strict security if not worse because it's NYC which,frankly,has paid it's dues on the violence front.

Remember the '96 Atlanta Olympics? remember the bomb? security was laxed because the Olympics are supposed to be a positive world event..and the Olympics hadn't experianced any trauma since 1972. Perhaps bags and trash cans should have been searched then.The Olympic Committee and city inwhich the games are held did not make that mistake since.

You cannot jeopardize basic public safety for the sake of some ideal...not when you have kooks of all types trying to use these events as platforms to cause chaos and kill people.


It's not about the Democratic party being hypocrits. We have the International Children's Games(the kids' olympics) here in Cleveland starting today...believe you me, they have shut down freeways, there are security checkpoints all around the city,people are being inconvenienced and searched.My husband has to wear his bullet proof vest all day..and he's a paramedic not a cop.


But what's worse? having your purse searched as you attempt to enter a major downtown building(when you have nothing to hide anyways) or having some monster bring a bomb in his gym bag into the city square and kill thousands of people during a positive world event?

It's not some vast conspiracy...it's just making sure that,in this day and age, people can go to a convention or to an international soccar game without having to worry about getting killed.

 

the search seems reasonable to me.

even without homeland and their terror alerts it's obvious tht the dnc and rnc are tempting targets for terrorists (foreign and domestic).

id rather go thru a week of bag searches than risk having some of the most politically powerful politicians (say tht 3time fast) blown to bits.

 

edited for content

 

Glad to be a Dem. FINALLY. The Dems are getting it together, and I think the Convention went well.

New thoughts: I am SOOOOOO GLAD I voted for Barak Obama in the Primary! He is fantastic, and he WILL be Illinois' new Senator. (He's pretty hot, too!)

 

Why does that make Dems hypocrites? Have you ever been a victim of a terrorist attack? There were, supposedly, some very specifc terrorist threats against the Convention. I don't like it either, but we live in a different world than before 9/11.

I was searched before going into rock concerts in the 60s 70s 80s and 90s. I didn't think Jerry Garcia was a "hypocrite" because the Security unit wanted to make sure I wasn't brining a gun into the arena. And this was WAY before 9/11.

 

Barak Obama is the future of America...you are lucky Mag to get to listen to him on a more regular basis...He is a fantastic speaker and I know he will be a big part in the future of the US!!!

And Jeffery.....I live n Boston and I will say that I appreciate the extra security and noone I know and noone Ive met has had a problem with it. Boston is a great town and people are sooo nice that they would probably even let YOU look through their bag if you asked!!!

 

Kerry gave a great speech last night. I believe that he is sincere. The guys who served with him aren’t lying.

Yes it matters, who wins. Even if there is still a Republican majority when Kerry is president- he will have the veto. Right now Bush is trampling our civil liberties into the ground and Kerry will appoint a new Attorney General, a new head of the EPA (a real environmentalists), a new secretary of defense, and probably a few new supreme court justices. Kerry will sign the Kyoto Treaty and reinstate our commitment to a teast ban treaty.

cutelildeadbear, if you want to throw away your vote on the Green Party or Nader that’s your business. But to be honest, you really are sounding stupid!

I think we, all of us, need to unite to get bush out of office. This country is on the edge of fascism and this may be our last chance to take back our country. We no longer have the luxury of idol cynicism. This threat is real.

 

I enjoyed what i seen. Kerry speech was excellent. Al sharpton was the best by far. I live in Canada so i watch at a distance. But for the worlds sake i hope most of you americans will vote democratic.

 

I was talking to someone from arizona last nite. Ex military guy his father was in the military. I find alot of Americans i talk to say Democrats are lazy, they let society support them. Where does this concept come from? I have seen no evidence of it.

 

LOL that was mature, I think you are stupid too, old man. Too stupid to see that Kerry hasn't got a clue as to what he plans to do. So stupid you believe everything any politician tells you. Too stupid to hear someone say I'm for war, I'm against war, I want to deploy more troops. Too stupid to believe that "anyone but Bush" crap they are shoving down your throat instead of voting for someone who is actually worth a vote and will actually make change for the good. I said I was on the fence and still deciding, which I have time to do. I am keeping an open mind and figuring out what is best for me and who will represent me to the fullest. As a matter of fact, until you started with your ridiculous comments, I was seriously considering voting for Kerry, because of some information that some very nice and non judgemental people gave me here.

If voting democrat means I will be like you... then I've got absolutely no desire to associate myself with them and I assure you I will never vote for one. However, I am not stupid, so I know that all democrats aren't like yourself. I am actually well informed and currently gathering all of the information I find necessary, from many different sources, not just watching one convention and making an opinion based on a bunch of propaganda. I mean what the fuck did you people expect from this convention? We all knew the outcome before it began. Like I said it was one big infomercial.

Mostly, I commented on the fact that the convention this year was pretty much a canned event. Which you can argue with all you want, but you cannot prove wrong, because the democrats themselves said that they pretty much knew what was going to happen. They had to approve all speeches given, hell, they already knew that Kerry was going to not only be nominated, but also accept. All I was saying is that it was rather boring in my opinion(which we've got an entirely different thread discussing, btw). I'm also not the only one who thinks that fewer people are tuning in to watch it, mostly likely because everyone already knew what was going to happen. Check the ratings out, they are lowest they have ever been. Reporters were even suggesting that at the next convention there will not be half as many reporters there, simply because it does not sell anymore.

But I'm stupid for having and expressing an opinion, for which I was asked. And you call yourself a democrat. Interesting. Last time I checked I have the right to vote any which way I want, and I think you are pretty stupid to make so many assumptions about people that you do not even know. So 'shove it!'

 

I think that it comes from years of negative corporate owned press. The Democrats gave us Social Security, Medicare, Voting Rights for African Americans, Civil Rights, the right for labor to organize and much more. This is just of the top of my head.

Most Republicans believe that government should only pay for the military and everyone else is on their own. They say that they don’t believe in regulations but in reality they only believe that for corporations.

Under Bush and the Republican majority in congress they’ve taken away many of our basic civil freedoms.

Under Bush and the Republican majority they’ve taken away nearly all environmental regulations. Right now lumber companies are out cutting down out national forest with no regards to the environmental impact.

Bush and the Republican majority have created the largest debt in American history. Most of it went directly into the pockets of a few multi-billionaires.

Under Bush and the Republican majority we (for the first time in history) started a war.

 

Thats a little harsh. But i agree one should vote on who they believe would be the best party to lead the goverment. All this talk about wasting votes and if you vote something other then reb or dem you throwing your vote away. Nothing will change if people follow this line of thinking. I live in canada and i voted for the green party, because i believe there policies would make a much better country then the alternative. And guess what they did not win. But my vote was not wasted.

 

brothersun, normally I’d agree with you. I like the Green party and under normal circumstances your vote (in this country) would be a valid protest vote against the status quo. However this isn’t a normal election year.

Bush is driving this country to the verge of fascism. For real!

We need to be strategic and take advantage of this moment to get rid of him. We may not have another chance. He stole the election of 2000 and I believe that he (the right-wing) will do anything to stay in power.

I know I’m being a little harsh- I’m just frustrated with people who will vote for a party because of an ideology that doesn’t exist. My father-in-law is one of them. Sometimes I think he’d vote for Bush even if he commits murder on camera. He’s always voted Republican and he won’t change. Funny thing is that he’s not even that conservative.

Peace

 

could be worse Mushroom.

you could have my mom...she was a die-hard liberal all her life..we are a family chock full of liberal democrats.

now..she's licking up every word Bush spittles..and has even gone so far as to totally bash Clinton whom she voted for twice.She'll be voting for Bush this year.

I can't discuss anything political with her anymore.It makes me nausious to even think about it.

she tries to say..."well I'm pro-choice,pro-gay...blah blah blah!!" but she's voting for the guy whose against all of that?????

explain that logic to me please.

 

Gee that was a little harsh.


I think Kerry sounded honest intelligent and thoughtful. I just kept thinking how Bush will look like a spoiled frat boy when (if?) debating him. Sure, the whole convention is canned, but what do you expect from a powerful leadership group (any political party) which has spent 200 hundred years studying the political implications of saying the wrong word, leaving the wrong impression, blinking too much, using your hands too much, or leaving the wrong sound bite. For better or worse our votes are based on a very loose perception that can be ill-served by the simplest of gestures. It's not the parties fault, it's human nature and our tendency to judge people on the most innocent of mistakes.

I liked what I heard. I am always tempted to vote green or independent, but I hear some real conviction in the democratic party. I think the nation needs a strong leader right now who is interested in improving things incrementally and I have real concerns about the independent parties producing 'strong' candidates at this point and time.

 

I don't think my post was harsh at all. I was teasin with mushroomdreams there, hence the little smilies. I think he understood, because he didn't say his feelings were hurt. But if you felt that my post was harsh, oh well, I can't help how others feel, that is something you choose. Did I expect it to be any different than it was, no not after September 11th and everything that happened last election. Do I agree with a lot of what was said sure I do, I just have a little bit of trouble right now at this point believing Kerry when he changes his mind constantly. I know he is trying to run an election, and sometimes I get the impression that he is much more liberal than he lets on, but he is afraid that if he shows his true colors that he will not get enough votes. I completely understand that. It is just my personal opinion that in general the democrats are not liberal enough for me. It seems they are edging a little too close to the center for me and compromising on things that should not be compromised on. I do not want to send more troops to occupy a country or "finish" a war that I have been against from the beginning. I don't understand why he wants to send them there and no one can give me a straight answer.

Mushroom,
Believe me I'm not voting for some hippie ideology that doesn't exist. I'm well informed and keeping an open mind. I'm not going to vote Green just because I'm a Green party member and I've always voted Green or out of some grand protest gesture, I personally do not believe that is what voting is for, if you have a problem with the establishment, change it, that is why I write to my representitives at least once per week. If I choose to vote Green or for another independant it will be because I wholeheartedly believe that they will be the best for the job of leading this country. I'm not some dumb kid who just wants to have a happy tree hugging hippy pot smoking world. I really hate that sterotype that everyone puts on us Green party members. You want to know the most important issues to me? They are education first and foremost because I believe that is a core problem and with that corrected, we could solve many other problems. Another issue is healthcare. The next is getting our goddamn troops back home to their families before more of them die, fighting for nothing. Not sending more over there. I don't want a wishy washy president either who claims to believe in the things that I do while running a campaign and then do something completely different after elected. At least if I were to vote for Nader or Corn Cob (who I'm no fan of) I feel that they will do what I want them to do. Like I said I'm still making a decision, and I do completely understand the consequences, which is why I'm definitely considering voting for Kerry. But don't make assumptions about us Greens and try not to get so frustrated with us, a lot of us know what we are doing and just believe something different than you do. Getting frustrated, isn't going to change that, just get your panties in a bunch babe!

Otter,
That sounds like my mom too. Of course she has been brainwashed by her church who is telling her what to think and who to vote for, but she is still going to vote for that stupid shrub and she is pretty much against everything he stands for. Sometimes I don't think my mom is all there in the head. I'm not kidding.