Live Blogging the McCain Convention (UPDATE: Katie Halper now co-blogging via the Comments Section!)

so I won't do it myself
I know...I am a wimo :), but I just can't stomache any republican talking point.

Lots of time on the agenda dedicated to "remember when Republican presidents were competent, even inspiring" videos, with GWB slipped in there in the hopes that no one notices which one of these doesn't belong.

Teddy, Ronald (cough), Dubya (urp)...and...now McSame/Palin.  They are brilliant at misdirection, packaging, and other carney/snake oil circuit tricks.  I wish all who would watch the best a luck.  I. Just. Can't. Go. There.

...in keeping the TV ratings down for this show!

I am quite shameless in taking advantage of those who are willing to watch the Republican convention so I don't have to.

As a side note, my mom is flying through Minneapolis-St. Paul tomorrow. She was worried that she would be coming through at the same time as the Bush entourage but thankfully it looks like she does not need to worry about that!

Laura M - Fortunately, your mom won't have to use the men's room at that airport while the GOP senators are in town. I hear it's a high crime area!

Video tribute: Richard M. Nixon

Someone from St. Paul (Norm Coleman) welcoming all gets in the first dig. Country first, people. Campaigning we can (cough) believe in (cough).

I like this: What is the Difference Between Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul?

It also says "get off my lawn."

"Offer hope of change that repubs can deliver." Like the last 8 years. Things did change all right.

Robert Duvall is the narrator of their video?  Ah jeez, I used to like that guy . . .

KD

 Al, glad you are watching for us, I will look to your analysis as to how it goes.

Is it me or is this convention on mute?  Compared to Denver, this looks like a convention of undertakers.  So subdued.

Michelle Bachman is FREAKING me OUT!

Say 30 words - pause, turn - say 30 words - pause, turn - say 30 words - pause turn... but always, ALWAYS SMILE SMILE SMILE!!!

I did used to watch when I was younger and didn't give a flip. I remember watching one year with my uncle and we would count up how often the camera went to the same four black people. If it had been a drinking game I would have died of alcohol poisoning.

Another ratings pitfall for the GOOPers:

NFL season opens Thursday night - the Super Bowl champion NY Giants take on their longtime divisional rival Washington in a prime time game.

How many of the GOP's target demographic do you think will be switiching away from football to hear McCain's acceptance speech? 

Is on stage saying that John McCain "knows what freedom needs to grow."

Judging from the bulk of her speech, it's fertilizer...

Fred Dalton* Thompson will kick this up a notch!  I can't waZZZZ...

(Now if I can only get my wife to switch over from Eureka re-runs on Sci-Fi.)

*Definitely not to be confused with the protagonist in Road House.

Geez, more dead people than alive in the lineup tonight.  And that's counting Thompson as alive.

ok catching up. Norm Coleman looks like he was removed with forceps.

With the Republicans the slogan "Country First" should be appropriately changed to "Country First?" ---with the answer being "Yes - Iraq!" ---considering that dollar for dollar they have spent more money there than here.

I'm getting fucking seasick from looking at that flag.

I prefer Andrew Sullivan's formulation:

John McCain: Putting. Country. Last.

I can't bring myself to watch the convention, but I am curious to see what is the general message that they want to convey, because I'm confused. It was so easy for the Democrats last week - it's obviously easy to run against such a crap-filled administration, and then to force the point home again and again that McCain is a continuation of it.  But what does John McCain run on then, in this convention, what is their big message?

If anyone out there watching can divine it, let me know please.

KD

Just tuned in.  Caught the end of the tribute to Teddy.  Next up "Rachel Lampa?"  Wondered who she was so I switched from cSpan to CNN where they had the caption that she is a 23 year old Christian singer.  What do you know?  I don't know why I still get hung up on their blatant disregard for the Constitution... especially separation of church and state.  Not sure how long I can make it through this.

Some of these conservatives live in lala land, here is one from Continetti:

By choosing Palin, McCain has severed his connection to the media, which always has had a soft spot for him. He has set the conservative grass-roots on fire with excitement. He stepped on Obama's huge speech at Invesco field. He has the entire country comparing the Democratic presidential nominee to McCain's choice for vice president - a subtle reduction of Obama's stature. McCain's campaign has raised, to date, close to $10 million since he named his choice for vice president. Not bad for a day's work.

Click here for leaked audio of McCain's voicemail to Senator Sandra:

http://www.236.com/blog/w/lee_camp/mccains_voice_mail_to_palin_le_8644.p...

(via Ben Smith)

KD

That tall white man was born a young Indian girl? Is this a reference The Jerk reference?

LOL.  That flag there along with heavy metal music between these Wonder Bread Speakers will surely nauseate every viewer. 

Some pretty red suited woman talking about text messaging like it's a foreign language.  Now taking credit for the levees holding yesterday.  Hmmm...the fact that it was a Category 1 or 2 versus 4 or 5 wouldn't have anything to do with it...

George and Babs upstage the fire captain?

Oh Christ, now it's Gustav for eye candy.

Barbara Bush must be disappointed Gustav didn't do more damage. She knows how much the "underprivileged" enjoy relocation

But it's like watching a roomful of people on Qualudes.

It's all in sloooooow motion and it just doesn't seem to make sense.

I think I just saw one black face in the audience.

Al,

Since you brought it up, at 8:02, do you think they would they still be able to pull together a Romney/Huckabee ticket? 

Unrelated, is there just one African American there? I keep seeing MSNBC showing the same guy.

Not. This. Time.

I have watched every convention of both parties as far back as I can remember, but I just can't bring myself to watch this one.  Thanks Al and Katie for watching for me.

they're totally distracted and talking.

I refuse to watch it-it's just bad for my mental health.. I start yelling at the tv and stuff and my kids think I'm psycho. :) I just broke out laughing at the comment above about getting seasick watching the flag. I wondered how the constant movement of the American flag would feel to viewers and I suspect many others feel seasick too.

On a side note- Barack is going on The O'Reilly Factor Thursday night. Bill O is just so darn happy. Smart move I think. It's the best place to go to reach those low info voters, sadly. Any thoughts on this?

So evidently these Republicans are going to say that John McCain puts country first.

Didn't they listen to last week's speech, when Obama said, "We all put country first"?

I don't think I can bring myself to watch these clowns. But I'll be looking for a good, hard response from the Obama campaign.

What was the point of her speach.  She went on and on about the bridge colapse but I don't see how it relates to how the Republicans would lead our country.  It had no relevance.

About that bridge thing?  Um, what about if your Governor had approved funding for bridges and stuff like that so the big bad bridge wouldn't have collapsed?! Just an idea... 

P.S. Al- Regarding Dick Morris, I read on Kos that Brokaw slipped with a comment like that tonight too. The MSM must be reading tea leaves or something?

I think the idea is that the Republican flag is bigger the small flags that everyone was waving at the Democatic Convention.  Therefore, the Republicans are more patriotic.  And by the way, John McCain was a pow.  Can't touch this.....

Alexa, LOL...your comments had me screaming with laughter.  Thanks, I needed that.

Obama will not let McCain have Thursday to himself....It is reported that Obama will be on Fox Thursday.....it will be interesting to see how much attention will be taken away from McCain....

This man makes Mccain seem young.

5 children and 13 grandchildren. Is he saying they're horndogs.

...that's a lotta white folks... the brown folks are all being trooped up to the podium.

 So glad you are here!

The McCain team has hastily assembled a team of former Bush White House aides to tutor the vice-presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, on foreign-policy issues, to write her speeches and to begin preparing her for her all-important Oct. 2 debate against Sen. Joe Biden--read on

These videos are as wonderfully exciting as the health films we were forced to watch in junior high.

SNL had that great bit way back when, GHWB and wife being interviewed after he won the election, the host turns to Barbara Bush and says, "You must be SO proud of your son..."

I've been wondering when we should start to be on the lookout for Palin being Eagletonianized.

There is just no frickin way I will be counted among those that watched this dreck.  I appreciate those Field Hands taking one for the team here.  Just so long as we don't have to listen to the spin of how excited everyone is about McCain/Palin only because human nature draws all of us to train wrecks.....

They're trying to do the whole B&W Obama movie thing. Bush before Reagan? 

They've stolen every aspect they could from Obama. The McCain/Palin logo, the hand cards.

Time to shave my legs and go out for some serious drinky-poos. I can't take this. I'll bet you they could put on a better show at the Wasilla Multi-plex Sports Center.

I just read the section of Lieberman's speech. Do they really want to call Obama a "young" man, and draw attention to the fact that McCain is 125 years old? Dear God.

Al, as dull as that transcript reads, I'm sure that Lieberman can make it sound even duller (even when he was an actual Democrat, I could never listen to that guy, he makes dry paint look like the event of the century...

But can he appoint more VP candidates next to her? Ashley Alexandra Dupré?

Seriously, they are talking.    like.   this.   the.   whole.   time.  10 words per minute max.

As Joe Biden would say, "And I'm completely serious about this - they are REALLY speaking this way.  I'm not kidding"

Small world

Another big-league move, in my opinion - they're desperate to get him, so when does Obama make the move? During the RNC. Right into the kitchen. I'm telling you, this guy's growing on me...

Both of you may well be witnessing a spectacle for the ages, the implosion of The Party That Wrecked America.. GOP. If you were to review the history of Humanities Great Fiasco's, like the Battle Of Savo Island where McCain's father screwed up orders to maintain robust air patrol scouting and thousands died, you could surely place this 8 year looting fest as one of the greats.

This is like being in on the shriveling of the Whigs. The GOP knows its' Brand' is toast and all their old Rove tricks are falling flat.

They worked when America was fatter and happier but as the inexorable shit hammer of broadscale systemic failure looms in the financials and elsewhere, people are driven to look for the person with leadership to navigate the terrifying waters.

McCain blew it when he tried to shrug it off after his idiot buddy Gramm sucked on his shoe with the whiner speil. He blew it again with an incapacity to know the scope of his gigolo estate. And you get to watch a  gaffe ripe convention of debauched boobs flailing in a mosh pit in front of a band called Hookers and Blow.

Savor the moment and render its flavor to us all. Somewhere, Tocqueville watches from on high and chuckles. You are a wiser improvement on the messy hyperbole of addled Hunter S.

The contrast with the DNC must be stunning from majestic procession of moments to this preposterous farcical collapse.

APB: The HuffPo astrologer says gonna be a bumpy ride for Palin in the weeks ahead. Incidentally, he was dead on about the Dem convention day-by-day and he wrote it a week before the event. You can probably still find it. I was kinda reluctant to get into the astrology angle after my May announcement for those of you who remember. [Think Al in shower with electric weed-whacker. . .even though I was right.]

But I just cruised over to HuffPo to see what new nail they had, and checked the crystal ball out.

If Michael were live, we know how he woud vote

This is too depressing no?

I just can't make myself watch this trainwreck of a convention. I fear that there are people who are EXCITED by people like Lieberman speaking

However, refreshing this page? THE BEST.

OK, I LOVE to complain about the media, but am I the only one noticing how much more of the pre-primetime convention coverage I'm seeing on CNN tonight?  From the "Presentation of the Colors" and the singing of the Anthem to the Pledge to the various speakers and videos, I'm seeing a lot of things that were blabbed and bloviated over during the Democratic convention.

I may just be drinking more, I have to be to watch this, but am I the only one seeing this?

in honor of Obama going on Fox News the night of McCain's acceptance speech.

Take It To Da House by Trick Daddy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QNFwDz8GkQ

Meanwhile on CNN, the panel was talking again about how John McCain doesn't like to bring up his POW experience.  Anderson Cooper tried to point out that he brings it up at the drop of the hat, and that Jimmy Carter said he was milking it, and everyone looked at Anderson like he had just said he wanted to make babies with Sarah Palin.

The Poor People's March was blocked at the nearest gate to the Xcel. Rage Against the Machine was kept off the stage at the Ripple Effect concert, and then joined the Poor People's March. Riot police are reported from indymedia sources to be using tasers for the first time.

http://twincities.indymedia.org/

Thanks for watching so we don't have to, Al and Katie!  The last GOP convention speech I ever watched was Bush in 2000.  My bullshit tolerance level has dropped too far in recent years.  I just can't listen to their bogus talking points any more.

I don't think there's any way they'll dump Palin or McCain.  I'd like to see it because I'd love to see some unique and crazy political theater, but the Republicans are always united when the cameras are rolling.  They may be screaming at each other in the back room, but on TV they'll only admit that McCain and Palin are the two most qualified and experienced candidates for president in the entire history of the republic.

Gary Sinise narrated the RNC video! This is the biggest gig he's had for years. This also explains why the voice over sounded like it was out of a horror movie.

"when we talk about service, it doesn't get much better than this"

Had the current speaker not mentioned it I would have had no idea. </snark>

to hear that he would be doing something via satellite, which he calls outer space

had to turn down NPR (not seeing visuals. not getting seasick on flagwavery jiggery pokery).

Just got a GOP talking point email to the Faithful. For some crazy reason, I'm on a GOP mailing list. They neglected to follow through with my unsubscribe request, so I'll take my oppo research/comedy opportunities as I may. Anyway, it just showed up.

The 4 big talking points:

1. Dems want to raise your taxes.
   
2. Dems want to pull outta Iraq before the U.S. has an orgasm job is finished.
   
3. Dems want to grant Amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants
   
4. Dems stood in the way of dealing w/ high cost of fuel. Ding dang dems wouldn't let us vote to drill more oil. They took a vacation, unlike we republicans who've been obstructing all legislative process for the whole damn congressional session. Must! Filibuster! Everything!
   

Note: I took liberties with their talking points. But you oughtta get the idea. We'll see if this is echoed in what they say at the convention.

Health care? You're on your own.

"eh, uh, enduring love for the United States of America."

Bush has "eh, uh, enduring love for the United States of America."

W loves America like Lenny loved his bunny rabbit.

Saw a short video on DKos provided by TPM Media that shows the convention center half full - maybe 3/4 full at best. 

Oh goodie - my favorite Stepford Wife - Ms. Laura B is up!  Sadly, she might be the best speaker yet for no other reason than she is speaking at a normal speed.  She just gave a shout out to Condi.  Talking 'bout all the educatin' programs that GW put into place.   

I'm still looking for a 2nd AA in the audience.

Just saying. She's kinda fumbling.

What do you think those people in afghanistan and Iraq think of their freedom?

 You guys are cracking me up! This is the way to enjoy the Repug Convention with my cocktail in one hand and my puter in the other.

Like Gustaf Hitler?

Bush shout out to us!  The "Angry Left!"

What Angry Left? The Republicans for Obama?

GWB: Hanoi Hilton didn't break John McCain's resolve. The angry left never will.

But.. but... what about John McCain's own, you know, gambling habit and weird judgement? The Gleeful Left is just standing by and watching the Veep meltdown.

Gave Bush the line "John Speaks his mind... Believe me. I know." Comic GOLD!

And did Bush just say "Rahhther"?

Arms broken but not honor.  Missed the whole line about Angry Left.  big cheer for that.  Defend human life (if they fit the Republican criteria for life, excluding Iraq citizens, military, etc.

GW says John saved the Surge!  It worked!  Yea for everybody!

Clinton saying "He is ready on day one" was much more convincing than Bush saying "McCain is ready on day one."

how many times have they mentioned it thus far? Anyone keeping count?

Also, how many POW mentions. I'm in PDT time zone, too early to start drinking.

On the tax issue, this one is definitely worth forwarding to any swingy friends you might have:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST20080609...

KD

Bush: "Americans have always lived on the sunny side of the mountain? "

I've lost count of how many times they have paid tribute to and asked George Sr. and Mrs. Bush to stand up!!! 

Just caught George H checking his watch!  hilarious!

with Van Halen et al who told the repubs to knock it off, it sounds as if they've quickly slammed some stock musak under this video?

"A fat little dutchman" as his racist and fattist dad woud.

He also he eber forgot he was a "Californian Nutcase"

The White Plague of the 80s.  Oops sorry - it's about Ronnie and his lovely wife Nancy.

Not only did things run long so that the broadcast news anchors were talking over the president in the background as they started their coverage, but now at least CBS and ABC are both replaying Pres. Bush's address instead of the Reagan tribute scheduled to be at the beginning of primetime.

The Soviets!

(Regan hated tax cuts, inflation, and Soviets)

at Indecision 2008. Definitely worth checking out.

(NPR talkies are, alas inane.) 

He sounds as hammered as she did.

or has Fred Thompson's southern accent grown six sizes this day?

I hope he pukes on the podium.

I can't believe how good he is on the set and how uncomfortable he sounds in this forum.

Sarah Palin - from a small town with small town values.  And her biggest qualification per Mr. Thompson - she knows how to field dress a moose!   Damn - don't they come naturally field dressed?

for live blogging this...I could never watch it on TV...plus they'll get no ratings bounce from me!

Question: did that AA (I use that term loosely) preacher say that Obama said to NOLA on Sunday "you're on your own"?  BLATANT lie...Nagin said that to anyone who was going to stay in town...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

McCain was tested. He was born into a military family.Had to pull himself by the miltary decorations!

on L & O is MUCH better than watching Senator Thompson!

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

"McCain was in the war?  Which one?  WW2?" (Katie that was the BEST moment in your PUMA vid...)

"If John McCain's mother Roberta had been captured the Vietnamese Would Have Surrendered"

Ouch. Disses McCain AND disrepects his mother.

awesome stuff
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/includes/templates/library/flash_p...

The Repubs plan is to talk about 'troublemakers' and 'demerits' and dating exotic dancers???? I turned on the convention and my boyfriend asked "is this the comedy act?"

He seems to fancy himself a military historian and Doctor.

Funny, this sounds like GTMO!

in "It's A Wonderful Life"  - that's the voice Fred is speaking now about Johnnie's POW experience.  Tell us one more time please? 

.... right here in Panama. I didn't think his Panamanian citizenship really was an issue, but over the last weeks I've had to review that idea. He's obviously trying to keep the tradition of banana politics alive.

I would wrather he field dressed a moose.

Thank you for the warning to not be drinking when I read your 9:10 pm update.  I have to assume snorting whiskey would have been a very unpleasent experience.

Al's 9:10 update says it all for me.  I am not watching, or listening, but checking in before going to sleep to see how you all are doing! Katie Halper - YOU ARE A GIFT!!!!

It is a real pleasure having you reporting - and I think you both deserve some kind of awards for doing it.  Will be interesting to do a 'roll call' later in the week to see how many Field Hands refused to watch!

Just back from the Wyoming high country, and I really don't feel like enduring the pablum emanating from the right-wing mausoleum in MN, particularly after the grand slam that was Denver!  So thanks so much for the play-by-play and hilarious commentary.  Too damn funny you guys are -- clever wags, one and all!

And Chris Rich, the phrase "inexorable shit hammer of broadscale systemic failure" has me gasping for breath!  Classic!

Keep up the great work, you guys.  Jon Stewart would be proud. ; )

Vote for John McCain: He's All Mavericky and Stuff

Thompson said it: "Being a POW doesn't qualify anyone for being President."  Thank you! End of subject.

going through puberty? His voice just broke.

This guy is an actor, right?

Fred: Being a POW doesn't qualify you to be president... does reveal character

So does telling about it and telling about it and telling about it and using it as a campaign trump card at each opportunity. That, too, reveals character.

how & why I feel torn? A truly harrowing story, deeply affecting, is told by an actor/politician, and is told or referred to for the umpteenth time in the context of politics. The umpteenth time factor makes it an old story. But it's not. And yet there are others who've gone through a similar experience who shy away from describing it to any and all. And this telling is another in a series of the John McCain doesn't like to talk about his POW experience and how many times has he told you that this election season? 

where John leaves his crippled wife for an affair with a young flight attendant from a wealthy family!   Should be coming up any minute.

 besides dressing a field moose, Palin personally line item vetoed the keep the funding for 'Homes for unwed teen mothers'.

stomach doing scenes with this smack-talking, pubescent alcoholic? It makes me appreciate his portrayal of  Jack McCoy even more.

You can tell it's empty because the camera never pans to the upper areas nor do the speakers ever look up there.

And Katie - yes, he seems absolutely hammered!

Hohoho, let's not go there. We don't know what really happened, so let's not jump to conclusions. It might have been a dirty toilet seat. Or a blowjob gone horribly wrong.

a cough drop?

How Fred twists Obama's words. The Q was when does life begin, and the determination of it, theologically, is above Obama's pay grade.

Fred's statement was that we need someone for whom protecting the newly born and unborn is above his pay grade. Which is not what Obama said. At all.

"God Bless John McCain and Job Bless America!"  Man, was he toasted or what!?!?

Fred Thompson either said

"God bless America and Joh-God bless John McCain"

or

"God bless America Jah Bless John McCain"

This one sounds sloshed as well?

Joe thinks we're all Americans. Except, I guess, for the gays who, according to Joe's BFF Pastor Hagee, caused Katrina.

NPR comedy, as Joe Lieberman approaches: "Joe Lieberman was extensively vetted for the job of Vice President"

connect. the. dots.

. . . . .

(McCain's enamored by the internets. After all, he talked about vetting using A Google. So the fact that no one in Alaska knew that he was leaning toward Palin doesn't meant she wasn't vetted. She was vetted using A Google, is all.)

Katie, Katherine, Susan, Christi, Okke, everyone.  This kind of unbiased commentary should be mandatory on these here internets.

What's a nice Democrat like me doing in a Republican place like this?

We don't want him back.  "It really "herts" all of us, right?  It shouldn't take a heruhcane...  wurried."

I think I figured it out.  He has such a whiney voice - maybe that's what whatshisname was talking about with whiney Americans- he had been listening to Joe Lieberman every damn day hanging around McCain.

"What's a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention?"  Joe - you're an idiot. Secondly, you're an Independent, remember???

Heroic actions in hurricane season? Was he taken prisoner in New Orleans?

Let me finish, please...

It shouldn't take a natural disaster... to get a Homeland Security Committee chair to hold hearings about the failures of an administration to put our countrypeople first after hurricane katrina.

And lo, Joe did not, not even after Katrina. Nope. No hearings. No oversight.

When Joe said "what is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican Convention Like This."

Democrat, is, of course, Joe's word for Jew. Was the audience clapping because they appreciate Joe's presence? Or because they agree he shouldn't be there?

I think he's spending too much time with Hagee.

Thank goodness.

LOL!  What the hell??  How can he outright lie about being a Democrat?  

He sounds like Mr. Rogers speaking to 4 year olds.  "Now boys and girls, John is a true American hero"

When you have to clarify the punchline of your joke.

Racist? Not when you consider Joe's original speech said "a gifted and eloquent boy-- for a Black"

This is the most boring speech ever.  I am so glad that this only goes on for 2 more days.  Joe sucks as a human being.

Nope. He and Coleman (I believe) co-sponsored a bill to open up Government spending in a way that's transparent to all. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act was a bipartisan effort. But according to No-hearings Joe, that's just  not good enough.

Nope. he hasn't done anything bipartisan. Hasn't accomplished anything. No record. You can go to USAspending.gov for yourself and see how it's nothing, really. Not an accomplishment. just the same old thing, really. What a loser.

Not.

Now I'm sure the MSM will do non-stop questioning of this Joe guy's patriotism. 

"...No pen to hold these two mavericks..."  wtf?  McCain/Palin are supposed to be in a pen? 

He now addresses a demographic that doesn't exist!

sponsors: "Senator Tom Coburn, for himself and Senators Barack Obama, Tom Carper and John McCain" [source]

"Honor" --if they come home if John says they can come home.  If they come home on a Democrat's timeline - dishonor, huh? 

Joe - you are a sick person and an Ass of the Highest Order.

"Country First", it sounds really scary when these people chant it.

all went out drinking right before tonight's convention.

 White folks first.

That was fun! Let's do it again. Thanks to Al & Katie and all who watched, so I didn't have to.

Correction:  Rich white folks

Newt is gloating over the fact that Zell Miller, like Joe Lieberman, spoke at the RNC. I would have thought Miller would be something Newt would rather forget.

Boozed up, they're dragging themselves through this ritual.

This was the best convention I never watched or listened to.  I wanna not watch these Rethug Conventions with Al and Katie in 2012 too.

Thanks Field Hands.

He actually said she's like "A breath of fresh Alaskan Air."

I saw it C-Span on realplayer and net congestion got me down to one frame per second which was still royally overdone given the pace of the proceedings. But I'm green with envy over the journalists who are actually there covering it. The total disarray. The backstabbing. That audience. Nobody knows where the eye of the hurricane is. I once had to film at the atelier of a Belgian artist who put dead animals in hermetically sealed glasscubes so that you could see them slowly degrade. This convention is the political version of it, but much more fun to watch.

From this post.

Transcript:

"As far as I'm concerned [Barack Obama] is a 'Baruch,' which means a blessing. He is a blessing to the United States Senate, to America, and to our shared hopes for better, safer tomorrows for all our families. The gifts that God has given to Barack Obama are as enormous as his future is unlimited. As his mentor, as his colleague, as his friend, I look forward to helping him reach to the stars and realize not just the dreams he has for himself, but the dreams we all have for him and our blessed country."

More Lieberman prebuttals at the Connecticut website, My Left Nutmeg

What happened between this video and tonight? Obama's support for Lieberman in his 2006 Democratic primary race for the Senate wasn't enough for Joe to win. Ned Lamont beat him. So he changed parties and ran as an independent (Connecticut for Lieberman party) and won the general election. He's been pissed at Dems ever since.

Wow. That was weird. I watched the whole thing. From the lack of visible emotion in Fred Thompson's completely predictable review of McCain's POW(tm) story (there's wasn't a wet eye in the house) to Ronald Reagan being exhumed from the beyond once again to remind Republicans of who they pretend to be to the empty seats throughout the convention center to quick pans of Cindy McCain, who manages to look absent even when she's present, to Joe Lieberman's very appearance, feebly appealing to PUMAs and independents, and the audience itself - a crowd of typically neutered white Republicans who look like they wear pocket-protectors and eat paste. The whole thing was spooky, kind of like a David Lynch movie, where you're disturbed by what's happening but you're not entirely sure why. Gregorian chant would have been a mood elevator in this environment.

And there are two more nights of this!

Oh, and by the way, I was correct in an earlier post today here on the Field. Every speaker has attempted to prop up Sarah Palin. This will surely go down in history as the first convention devoted almost entirely to validating the VP.

Catherine Cain, you can fill in for Katie any day.  Hysterical stuff.  This whole blog tonight has had me laughing harder than I have for *weeks*.  Oh, and Christi...your image was priceless: "...dressing a field moose..."  Perfect.  Let's do this again tomorrow, k?

And the thing is that after reading all these posts straight through, I got it perfectly. I got all squirmy from some waving flag on a big screen.  I could smell the "old man smell" that Chris Matthews was so fond of.  I could taste the martinis served in the green room. And I could hear the tinny echo of a nervy herd of Nixon enthusiasts clattering about all the empty seats beneath the lobbist-encrusted skyboxes. And I never got angry once.  THANK YOU!

Forgot this thing was happening in Minnesota tonight, but reading here was better than it could have been watching. We had a phone bank calling undecideds and apparently a large number of other people weren't watching either because they picked up the phone and seemed glad to have some one to talk with.

About Joe tonight, did he do that little engine that could fist pump for Joementum.

Maybe tomorrow night Cindy will hand out free beers.

I have a Nielsen box so my viewing habits really do get counted.  This is much more fun anyway.  Funny though, after I comandeered our one TV last week for the convention, one of my 4 year olds got hooked on PBSKids.org and now I have to battle him for the computer!

I guess what we are seeing is the Bull Moose Convention 2008. Bull tonight, Moose tomorrow.

 It must be time to get a new/used computer for the next generation. Make sure you have parental control tho. ;) The Grandma in me talking.

 After re-reading all the comments today/night, you totally cracked me up again. Go Girl!

Any bets on when Obama rolls these endorsements out? Likely timed for maximum insult to injury after this train wreck, yes?

I am sorry, but I have to say that Liebermann is a total creepo.  His speech last night was uninspiring and lacked substance.

Vacuous platitudes.

Republicans only have tax cuts, vouchers, drilling, and.....tax cuts.

Really,they play on the most sophmoric, uninformed and knee-jerk nostrums that are pounded into our heads by rightwing radio in perpetuity.

Really, what can you say?  It's just that bad.

I am no Democrat--but, hell, their speechifying was so far above the Republicans.  They at least have interesting initiatives and ideas to attach to their much more sonorous rhetoric.

The two corporate parties of two sides of the same coin, of course.  But why do we have to lose everytime we flip the freak'n coin?

No!  O'Biden '08

And, is it just me--or was law enforcement at the DNC more civil?

This is pure gestapo shit going on in the twin cities.  (In case none of you here focusing on the vile personalities noticed.)

What a weird convention. The economy is the number one concern of Americans and people want to know what the candidates will do to help them and the Republicans focus on McCain as a POW and Iraq.

Last week Chuck Todd said that normally parties like to have their conventions second but that this time, the Dems would be a very hard act to follow. That was quite prescient.  And the drama of the Dems was part of a narrative of tension and healing. This week's drama is the continual evolution of the Sarah Palin story.

Lieberman was awful - the way he punctuated everything with his sad sack smile, I felt kind of sorry for him.  I did like the way he almost choked when he said Obama wanted to cut off funding to the "American troops on the ground".  Didn't he sound a little scared about uttering those words?

Anyway, I predict that Palin will give a good speech tonight.  I think Obama surrogates should stop playing into the experience argument, because all they'll get back is a childish retort about Obama.  I think the real argument is that Obama earned the nomination by laying his case out to the people these last few years and getting them to, like, actually vote for him.  I'd have no objection to Palin (experience wise, that is) if she had done the same.

The best part of the night has to be that guy in the audience screaming "Yeah, Yeah!" at all the applause lines. 

From yesterday's Anchorage Daily News "Governor makes ethics complaint against herself to force action."

http://www.adn.com/front/story/514163.html

They are trying to squelch Branchflower's investigation. Why can't we get her complaint? A summons for her to appear pre-election looks like it may be issued before long. Fruitful lines of attack, here, to say the least. 

I mean how filing an ethics complaint against yourself to stop an on-going ethics investgiation? well that writes itself. Hard to resist going there, despite Al's dismissiveness.

That being said, people's tolerance for all Palin all the time is going to wear thin soon.  

Hi Al,

I'd love to see you do an analysis of the evangelical vote.  In particular I'm wondering in which states will the evangelicals make a big difference, especially in which of the 18 tipping point states?

It seems with his pick of Palin, that McCain has retreated to the Rovian strategy of turning out the base (who were never particularly enamoured of McCain, but may be very enthusiastic about Palin). I was reading this 2004 article on this strategy for Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32793-2004Nov7.html

So McCain's srategy is tear Obama down personally, and then give the base some candy with the VP pick.  But what kind of numbers are we talking about in terms of these voters?  It looks like from the exit polls of 2004 that Bush won really highly in Virginia for example with those who identified themselves as "Protestant" but it is not broken down into Evangelical.  But McCain did lousy in the VA primary in 2008.

KD

A speech saves Sarah Palin tonight, but "eloquence is no substitute for a record" when it comes to Obama.

If Sarah Pain nails the speech, she's ready for anything. All Obama can give is a speech, and experience be damned.

Was Spiro Agnew VP compared to Hubert Humphrey Prez in 1968? Anyone know?

  Howard Kurtz-Has a column titled "The War against the Media" today. It is a good read.

I too am hoping that Palin fatigue sets in quickly.  On that score, I'm in the advance guard.  (I wouldn't be surprised to see Guns n Roses reunite for a little pre-Sarah convention crowd pumping--She's so retro.)

I can't imagine how moderate Republicans (of modest means) must be feeling right now ...I assume such people do exist.  After these last 8 miserable years, to see the GOP fully, irrevocably hostage to the no-neck monsters in all their ignorance, superstitution, and delusion -- It must suck.  

Joe Lieberman needs to go back to Connecticut and open up his own ABC store.

Although, the bicycle chief would probably describe it as Stadium Half Full, no doubt. I'd like to add my thanks to the chorus for the wonderful job the live bloggers did in watching the wheels come off the clown car so I didn't have to. It is much more enjoyable reading about it here than actually having to gag my way through it first hand. I was able to watch the US Open instead... I'm pretty sure there were many more people in that stadium.

(h/t philip weiss)

The Forward reports that Michelle Obama is related to a Chicago rabbi who is a black Israelite, Capers Funnye. "Obama is supposed to be close to Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, who was Hillel Rabbi when I was at Yale," says Joachim Martillo. "Because Wolf is radioactive among certain segments of American Jews--ala Robert Malley-- Obama probably will not make much of his relationship." Wolf's book is here.

Rabbi Wolf's synagogue is right across the street from Obama's current house. Wolf was deeply involved as a Chicago social activist for decades. Lynn Sweet reports that "The synagogue welcomes Obama's Secret Service agents inside to use the facilities."

Mike Murphy (ex-McCain strategist) calls is a bad idea. Says Palin has no experience, McCain shouldn't be going there.

Why do I say it's racist? You dont compare a white female political official who did not garner one single national vote against a black male with federal experience who is running for a higher office and won over 18 million national votes in a 20-month heated contest.

This is a stupid stupid move.