Whitehouse on the Road: The Democratic National Convention, Day 4

The 2008 Democratic National Convention is now in the books

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

Update 1:50 a.m. MST – The 2008 Democratic National Convention is now in the books. Mile High Stadium was filled to the rafters and Barack Obama did not disappoint the crowd.
 
While some will quibble that Obama didn’t fully spell out his economic plan or foreign relations stance, remember that is not the purpose of a convention acceptance speech. One must relate to the crowd, be willing to attack their opponent, and then inspire and motivate. John McCain will do the same thing next week, leaving out “details” that Democrats will criticize him for not including.  Conventions are political theatre, not a lecture hall.
 
Obama’s speech was personal, touching on his relationship with his mother and grandparents and how they shaped his outlook on life. It was political in that he continued to walk the line and show respect for McCain’s character and service to country, but saying that McCain’s policy stances were fair game and “wrong.” And finally it called for action by encouraging those assembled and across the nation to join him in his fight for the presidency.
 
“The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook,” Obama said. “ So let us agree that patriotism has no party.  I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain.  The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag.  They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.”
 
The only person who came close to getting the same amount of applause for his speech was during the “common man” segment of the evening. This is when the party sends some hand picked “Average Joe’s” out to say why they are voting for someone.
 
Barney Smith of Marion, Indiana brought the crowd to their feet when he said, “Republicans talk about putting ‘country first,’ but tell that to Marion, Indiana. They sent my job overseas. America can't afford more of the same. We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys.”
 
This election cycle is far from over and Republican’s are front and center at their convention next week in Minnesota. Just as Obama got his supporters off their feet tonight, McCain will have to do the same next week.
 
I would say more, but it’s getting close to 2 a.m. here and I have a 6 am flight to St. Paul to meet up with and get ready for the GOP festivities. I could probably use one of Hillary Clinton’s famous “3 am” phone calls to make sure I get out of bed.
 
Before I sign off from Denver and head to the Twin Cities, I’d like to thank Gray Sasser, Kim Sasser Hayden, Emily Rosencranz Bryan, Richard Lodge, Wade Munday, and Vionne Williams for all of their help this week. They were invaluable in assisting in everything from credentials to schedules, thank you very much.
 
Well, I better start packing now. See you Monday in St.Paul, Minnesota.

Update 2:45 p.m. MST - I am sitting in section 133 of Invesco Field waiting for tonight's event to start. And for those of you looking sideways at the clock right now: Yes, I know that's a long way off.

Today was the best day of the convention to have a media pass as I and fellow members of the Fourth Estate were bused into the stadium separately, allowing to go through our own metal detectors and in the process bypassing the thousands of others who will soon descend on the venue.

Even though the first speakers are hours away (and featured speakers like Gore and Obama himself will be a few hours after them) it's nice getting here early enough to scope shaded seats and take one of my first opportunities all week to sit down. Plus, it is a beautiful day in Denver without a cloud in the sky.

For the next couple hours, the whole town will remain in a holding pattern as everyone files through the stiff security in anticipation of tonight's festivities.

Until then, I'm just sitting here. I'll be back with more once things get warmed up.

**Oh, and for those of you who know me, you also know that sitting still for this long will shortly bore me half to death. Any funny e-mail forwards, Web sites or other diversions to help pass the time would be greatly appreciated.

Update 12:35 p.m. MST - Things in Denver have slowed a bit. But when I say that, I mean it is slowing down like the slow-motion action scenes in the movie “The Matrix.” Everyone is awaiting tonight’s close and Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field.

Since I have a whole lot more security checkpoint issues to handle today, I’m not sure when the next update will be. But I wanted to give you something that will hopefully entertain you this evening as you watch Obama’s speech.

In politics, once you are around candidates enough, their idiosyncratic phrases or words really begin to stand out. For Gov. Phil Bredesen, it is the word “certainly.” For Senate candidate Bob Tuke, it’s “I’m a Marine.” And with all due respect to former Congressman Bob Clement, it was “my Daddy…”

Look back to a convention update of a few days ago and you will see that an Irish bookie was taking bets on what Obama’s first cliché of the night will be. Well, we have stumbled on another one.

A charity group here in Denver has launched an online game called Obama-Bingo.com.

At the site, users buy a 25-square bingo card for $10 and choose their favorite charitable organization from a list. Each square is populated with a word from one of Obama's previous speeches.

Tonight, Obama's convention speech will be captured and synced with the Obama-Bingo.com site. The first bingo card to capture five squares in a row – BINGO! – will be declared the winner. The charity selected by the winner will receive 100 percent of the net proceeds from the site.

It’s kind of funny and kind of cool, but you can also tweak the game for at -home purposes. I am not saying that you should act like you did in college and “drink” every time a catch phrase is used, and I’m not saying what you could drink. However, if you do decide to do that… Baptist readers might want to reach out to their Catholic friends and set up a time to meet for dinner.

Back later with more.

9:05 a.m. MST - I called an audible this morning. Down the hallway to the right was the Tennessee delegation. To the left was Pennsylvania’s. Each was getting ready to feast on fine hotel-quality, banquet-style breakfast food. I turned left.

Forgive me for eschewing the Tennessee delegation this morning, but speaking for them today was Congressman Steve Cohen. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania broke bread with Sen. Joe Biden. All apologies to Cohen for missing his speech today, but I think he’ll be cool about it.

The reason for Senator Biden coming to this breakfast and not Tennessee’s is simple. Pennsylvania is a crucial swing state for Democrats and we are not. Obama’s road to the White House is considerably more difficult without Pennsylvania turning blue on election night.

If Tennessee turns blue, it would likely mean that Sen. John McCain was replaced on the ballot by somebody like Lyndon Larouche. (Obscure reference for non-political types; you can always Google him.)

Biden entered the room and got a standing ovation from about 500 Pennsylvanians, including “Mean” Joe Greene of Pittsburgh Steelers fame. Gov. Ed Rendell, introducing Biden, explained to the room that, when Pennsylvania was represented in the U.S. Senate by two Republicans (current Senator Arlen Specter and former Senator Rick Santorum), Biden was the one who looked out for “working-class Pennsylvanians.”

Next up was Sen. Bob Casey, who reminded the room that Biden was born in Scranton, Pa., and is a son of “coal country.” Calling him a statesman who leads with “intellect and integrity,” Casey called on Pennsylvanians to be there for Biden like he has for them.

Casey then turned the microphone over to Biden, which resulted in another standing “o.”

Biden joked that the stage on which he stood was about as large as his current home of Delaware. He then paused and said, “But you know... Scranton never leaves you. You were the ones that brung me up.”

He said the only reason he ever left Scranton was because only one great Senator could come out of there and, since he grew up seven blocks from Bob Casey, he “got the hell out.” Again, the room erupted in laughter and applause.

He then took his speech on a more serious turn and spoke about growing up and sitting around his grandmother’s table and listening to them talk about how if you work hard and treat people with dignity, then you will get ahead. Biden said the debates at that table over political issues were intense, but always with respect.

“We have too often allowed our differences to prevail.” Biden added and continued the theme of the week by calling for unity.

Obviously comfortable with the room and the reception he was getting, Biden began to joke about the age difference between he and the new leader of his party. He said, “Obama was 11 years old when I went to the Senate, so if he gets out of line I’ll smack some sense into him.” But he then added, “OK, I know that just sounded 'old,' but there are 44 Senators older than me.”

UPDATE: I have been told by colleagues that Ben Smith, who was covering the same breakfast for Politico, heard that last quote differently than I did. On his site the quote goes, "If I hear one more time that [Obama] was 11 years old when I went to the senate, I’m going to smack someone." It's not always easy to hear at these things. Either way, the joke got a laugh, which was the idea anyway.

On his last serious point of the 15-minute address, Biden told the crowd, “Never has the country been in a deeper hole internationally. We must change that direction or we will careen off the edge.”

He called on his fellow Democrats to join him to fight to improve the country both domestically and abroad.

Closing out comments, Biden then promised that the ticket would not win in November without Pennsylvania. “You will have the resources, all the resources you need. That’s the good thing. The bad thing is you will have a whole helluva lot of me ‘cause I’m coming home.”

With that the room erupted and flashbulbs lit the stage.

I’ll be back soon with more from Denver.