Dateline, Charlotte, NC
Gotta catch a plane soon so I’m going to eschew any deep analysis of the big speech for now, and my piece in progress about the National Jewish Democratic Council’s panel discussion with the Panglossian title of “Panel: Why American Jews Will Support Obama/Biden” will also have to wait.
However, before I get out of Dodge, I will gather yesterday’s Convention-related Facebook posts, including my live-blogging from last night’s proceedings (If I have the time, I might come back later and clear out my local FB posts as well).
This morning, in the process of post-convention triage and packing, I had to ask myself why it seemed so funny to me to put my Costco card into one of my credential holding lanyards during former CEA Jim Sinegal's speech.
Please Azi, the fact that a bunch of Dem pols squeezed in to be in front of the camera when Shelly cast the State's votes does not indicate that Silver is not in trouble; it indicates that they like being on television. In Charlotte, Democrats stand with Sheldon Silver | Capital New York www.capitalnewyork.com
The conventional wisdom zealously protects its turf from an invasion by the facts. Fact: AP Unclear on Definition of ‘Fact’ nymag.com
I don't usually go for this sort of thing, but this is a great pop-psychological analysis of the candidates. Clash of the Archetypes www.tnr.com
Goldberg, a committed Zionist thinks the Jerusalem issue is "Meaningless" and "The height of silliness."
Money quote: "There are huge things going on in the Middle East, revolutionary things, and this is what people are talking about? How much time are they spending in Charlotte debating what to do about the terrible crisis in Syria? None" The DNC Regains its Cunning, Ceases to Forget Jerusalem www.theatlantic.com
Goldberg later adds that "the whole set to is about nothing…" and notes: There are better issues on which to judge Obama's record on Middle East issues than Jerusalem (though, just to underscore this point, he's never suggested that Jerusalem wasn't the capital of the Jewish state), including joint missile defense work, military-to-military cooperation, the robust defense of Israel by the U.S. at the United Nations, and, of course, on the Administration's handling of Iran, which is the actual pressing, existential threat facing Israel. Obama has done more to thwart Iran than any other world leader (and more than his predecessor, who identified Iran early on as a member of the Axis of Evil), and he has publicly committed himself to stopping Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold by whatever means necessary. Obviously, more needs to be done, and on other issues, he's made serious missteps — the demand for a unilateral settlement freeze with no thought to follow-up. But overall, there's nothing in Obama's record to suggest some sort of deep hostility to a strong Israel, safe from Iran, with Jerusalem as its capital. How to Understand the DNC's Jerusalem Imbroglio www.theatlantic.com
Another Governor famous for his fiscally conservative moderate Republican ideology makes a strong speech for Obama.
No, I don't mean Lincoln Chafee, and it's not Charlie Crist either.
Andrew comes home for the Democrats. Press Reviews Cuomo’s 2016 Preview ‘Unusually Partisan’ Address politicker.com
Checked out a floor pass to see Barney Frank’s hilarious speech (perhaps the closest we will get to Eastwood) and, like the honorable fool that I am, came back to the Non-Traditional Media Floor Pass table at the end of my allotted time to rotate it in order to see John Lewis.
I got the last pass they gave out before the Secret Service locked down the floor and then only let in delegates. If I'd only stayed after Frank, I could have stayed on the floor all evening, provided I agreed to forego my elimination functions.
However, given that my last meal before getting to the arena was "Low Country Southern Cooking," I probably wouldn't have lasted anyway.
Perhaps in consolation, celebrities have been coming into the unassigned media room at a furious rate. I told Mike Dukasis that "The Advocates" (a PBS show he hosted before gaining political celebrity) was my all-time favorite public affairs show and let Jesse Jackson know that I loved him in “Wattstax” (a concert documentary which is really the black “Woodstock”).
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others Department:
Debbie Wasserman Schultz's three kids are named Rebecca, Jake and Shelby.
A neighboring blogger in the Unassigned Media bullpen Granholm:
"If she had blue and yellow pompoms, I'd swear she was doing the Michigan fight song."
Gate: I think that, in a way, she is.
Neighboring Blogger: I hear they were going to do a hologram of Reagan at Tampa, but someone got smart and nixed it.
Gate: They don't need a hologram; they nominated a hologram.
I'm sorry, but I don't get Kerry. He doesn't energize the base. He doesn't appeal to the uncommitted and he's not from a swing state. What is he doing on at 8:45 PM?
My apologies, but thirty seconds after I posted that last item, while I was in the process of trying to think of something snarky to say about Charlie Crist, the Unassigned Media Floor Pass table, which had closed down out of futility, re-opened because they heard a rumor that, for a limited time, they letting Press in at the Event Level.
It was fish or cut bait time and I grabbed the last pass before they closed the table again, took the elevator and found myself on the convention floor, just an elementary school auditorium’s distance from the stage and a few feet from Lawrence O’Donnell’s bald-spot.
I blended in along a velvet rope with a crowd of NBC staff, but eventually they were all given things to do, and I look pretty conspicuous in my miniature Schnauzer cap clutching a lap top.
I was told to move on and began a haj, which ended with myself sitting on some empty floor space among the delegation from my home state of Jersey (whose view was far better than the one afforded to my adopted state of New York).
I knew I was home and hunkered down as the Vice President began to speak.