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Old 07-27-2004, 06:36 PM
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Question Mark Anybody Watching the Convention?

I saw Jimmy Carter get introduced while channel surfing last night and was so traumatized by the Mormon Tabernacle/orchestral muzak version of Georgia on My Mind that I simply had to move right along. Don't they have any respect for Ray Charles?

Anyway, I've read a couple of articles about Gore's and Clinton's speeches and judging from the exerpts they looked quite good. Did anyone watch the action live?
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Old 07-27-2004, 06:44 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

I was working last night and CBS was on the tube. I was interrupted during Clinton's speech. Damned employer actually expects me to work sometimes. Anyway, I thought it was a great speech, very eloquent but drove many points home, digs without direct insults, and perfect timing, just a well-crafted oratory. I found myself wishing Clinton was still President. Damn term limits anyway. I'd bet he could've easily beat Smirkin' George in 2000. Damn Constitution anyway. Damn, that last one sounded like Dick Cheney.


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Old 07-27-2004, 06:50 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

Quote:
Originally Posted by warrenly
I was working last night and CBS was on the tube. I was interrupted during Clinton's speech. Damned employer actually expects me to work sometimes. Anyway, I thought it was a great speech, very eloquent but drove many points home, digs without direct insults, and perfect timing, just a well-crafted oratory.
That's the feeling I got from reading the newstories and hearing a teeny bit on NPR this morning too.

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Damn Constitution anyway. Damn, that last one sounded like Dick Cheney.
And Ashcroft. And Thomas.
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Old 07-27-2004, 06:58 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

I guess I should go Cheney myself now.


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Old 07-27-2004, 08:11 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

I thought both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton gave excellent speeches.

Jimmy Carter continues to impress me as both a statesman and a generally honorable man. While I am not a Christian he strikes me as a much better example to follow than our current Christian-in-Chief. He had many spot on comments about our current place in the world including:

Quote:
Today -- today our Democratic Party is led by another former naval officer, one who volunteered for military service. He showed up when assigned to duty -- and he served with honor and distinction. He also knows the horrors of war and the responsibilities of leadership. And I am confident that next January he would restore the judgment and maturity to our government that nowadays is sorely lacking.
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In repudiating extremism we need to recommit ourselves to a few common-sense principles that should transcend partisan differences. First, we cannot enhance our own security if we place in jeopardy what is most precious to us, namely, the centrality of human rights in our daily lives and in global affairs. Second, we cannot maintain our historic self-confidence as a people if we generate public panic. Third, we cannot do our duty as citizens and patriots if we pursue an agenda that polarizes and divides our country. Next, we cannot be true to ourselves if we mistreat others. And finally, in the world at large we cannot lead if our leaders mislead.
And what can you say about Bill Clinton that hasn't already been said? He certainly knows how to work a crowd! He was funny and self-deprecating - essentially calling George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and himself draft avoiders.

Some of my favorite quotes from his speech last night include:

Quote:
John Kerry knows who he is and where he’s going. He has the experience, the character, the ideas and the values to be a great President. In a time of change he has two other important qualities: his insatiable curiosity to understand the forces shaping our lives, and a willingness to hear the views even of those who disagree with him. Therefore his choices will be full of both conviction and common sense.
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Their opponents will tell you to be afraid of John Kerry and John Edwards, because they won’t stand up to the terrorists—don’t you believe it. Strength and wisdom are not conflicting values—they go hand in hand. John Kerry has both.
I thoroughly enjoyed the speeches I heard and look forward to more over the next few days.

- Donald
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Old 07-27-2004, 08:34 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dlanod
I thought both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton gave excellent speeches.

Jimmy Carter continues to impress me as both a statesman and a generally honorable man. While I am not a Christian he strikes me as a much better example to follow than our current Christian-in-Chief.
I agree with you very much. The Carter Center is a gem of effective human rights activism. Jimmy Carter's personal committment to Habitat for Humanity is genuine involvement, not just spokespeopling. Plus, that sinned in his heart thing during the Playboy interview was just a great moment, imo.

Quote:
And what can you say about Bill Clinton that hasn't already been said? He certainly knows how to work a crowd! He was funny and self-deprecating - essentially calling George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and himself draft avoiders.
I heard that snippet on NPR and loved it. He really is an exceptional public speaker.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the speeches I heard and look forward to more over the next few days.
Thank you for excellent review. I hope you'll keep sharing your impressions.
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Old 07-28-2004, 03:32 AM
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Comedy I Said to Myself: "Self..."

I can't believe Chris Heinz actually just said that. Now he's being all dignified and noble about his mom, but for some reason he did air quotes around the NYT's description of her as "leading" philanthropist.
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Old 07-28-2004, 04:07 AM
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Default Re: I Said to Myself: "Self..."

Teresa Heinz Kerry just impressed the hell out of me. She has more knowledge of international history and languages in her little finger than the entire Bush cabinet put together. And her Italian is to die for. :)
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Old 07-28-2004, 09:03 AM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

I missed Carter's speech, but damn, I love that man. Sometimes, when I'm overwhelmed, I pretend he's still president, and tell everyone to wear a sweater in the house instead of turning up the heat because President Carter said to. I'll have to look up his speech, and pretend he's president now. Cause it's summer, and don't nobody want to wear sweaters.

Clinton rocked the house, he did. I have to say I hated his smooveness when he was in office, but now I'm all nostalgic for him. He did a beautiful job of putting Kerry in the spotlight and playing supporter. Lumping himself in with Bush and Cheney as avoiding service, going on at length about how he's getting big fat tax refunds now that he's in the top 1%. He did a beautiful job of working the crowd without stealing the thunder.

Teresa Heinz-Kerry's speech today didn't do much for me, but I have to say that she's one of the straws I grasp at in my attempts to like Kerry. I like him better as a person, anyway, because he married an interesting, intelligent woman, rather than some bland little bag of meat. And if she's some kind of Svengali, controlling him with her purse strings, well, I can deal with that.

Barack Obama did an excellent job, too, from what I saw. (We were switching between the convention and "Trading Spouses" on Fox, just to be like renaissance guys and shit.) The Dems are hitting hard on the politics of privilege angle, which I think is probably their best strategy to sway undecideds who maybe voted Shrub in 2000, and to encourage first-time voters. (Prediction: MASSIVE turnout from 18 to 25s. They could very well own this election.) Obama played it well, with just the right optimistic spin to energize the demographics who could swing the election.

Another nice move: Max Cleland's introducing Kerry Thursday (Thursday, right?) Cleland. That is so perfect.

I want this whole thing over. I'm tired. I want the Democrats back in office now so I can start hating them again.
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Old 07-28-2004, 06:30 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

Quote:
Originally Posted by lisarea
Teresa Heinz-Kerry's speech today didn't do much for me, but I have to say that she's one of the straws I grasp at in my attempts to like Kerry. I like him better as a person, anyway, because he married an interesting, intelligent woman, rather than some bland little bag of meat. And if she's some kind of Svengali, controlling him with her purse strings, well, I can deal with that.
Did you hear her Portuguese? I was pretty impressed from the first minutes she started talking. When she got to the protesting apartheid in 1950's Johannesburg, I was thoroughly impressed. On the whole the speech was eh; she's smokin' though.

Quote:
Barack Obama did an excellent job, too, from what I saw. (We were switching between the convention and "Trading Spouses" on Fox, just to be like renaissance guys and shit.)
A few folks on IIDB thought he went a bit heavy on the we believe in god stuff, but from what I've read he was great. Did ya hear this tidbit (from Salon's ultra-money War Room):

Quote:
For all the hype and preparation that went into this four-day ballyhoo in Boston, Lou DiNatale, a Democratic political analyst holding court for the New England Cable News network, apparently didn't get the memo on Tuesday night's much-anticipated keynote speaker Barack Obama. Like just about everyone else in Dem country, DiNatale loved the stirring speech delivered by the charismatic young candidate for Senate from Illinois. DiNatale had been less than thrilled by Howard Dean's oratory minutes before, and proceeded to marvel at the disparity of the Dems' trotting out the lackluster Dean only to turn around and "crank out this guy Osama." Not since "maybe Cuomo in the '80s," DiNatale continued to gush in his thick Boston twang, had he seen a speaker so compelling as "this guy Osama."

The other three anchors stayed poker-faced, and a commercial break a moment later provided the mercy killing. After Ron Reagan next delivered his speech in support of stem cell research, the cameras dialed back into the NECN booth inside the FleetCenter and DiNatale got "Obama" right the third time, perhaps with a helpful off-camera nudge. It's a good thing he wasn't in the employ of USA Today.
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Old 07-28-2004, 06:52 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

Quote:
Originally Posted by livius drusus
Did you hear her Portuguese? I was pretty impressed from the first minutes she started talking. When she got to the protesting apartheid in 1950's Johannesburg, I was thoroughly impressed. On the whole the speech was eh; she's smokin' though.
Exactly. I thought it sounded weak compared to her more extemporaneous speeches. I hesitate to make a broad judgment on her, based on the fact that I don't know much about her past (including her recent Republican past), but I do like her, at least viscerally.

And I got a got a little queasy when she was talking about being called opinionated, too. Dang it to heck, why is this still going on in 2004? Are we really that hopelessly misogynistic that we still haven't made it over that psychological hump in all these decades? I mean, she's right. In some ways, it's getting worse, even. I guess the misogynist demographic isn't all that swingable, though, so maybe she'll get the non-voting single women energized. Apparently, that's a big target.
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Old 07-29-2004, 12:51 AM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

[QUOTE=livius drusus]Did you hear her Portuguese?[QUOTE]

I was greatly amused by her opening reference to "a família portuguesa e Brasileiras também" in recognition of the fact that Brazilians and Brazilian speakers consider themselves separate and distinct from the old world Portuguese. I thought it was a nice touch.

I am fascinated by her accent when she speaks English. It vaguely reminds me of Ingrid Bergman. A friend of mine says it reminds her of older European women she knows who learned English in boarding/finishing schools.

I think naturalized Americans often have a better concept of what America stands for, what it actually projects to the rest of the world and what our rights and responsibilities are as Americans.

Try this test to see what you have to know to become an American citizen. Maybe we should require all native born Americans to take the same test before they are admitted into adulthood.

- Donald
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Old 07-28-2004, 02:24 PM
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Default Re: I Said to Myself: "Self..."

Quote:
Originally Posted by livius drusus
Teresa Heinz Kerry just impressed the hell out of me. She has more knowledge of international history and languages in her little finger than the entire Bush cabinet put together. And her Italian is to die for. :)
I heard a sound bite from her this morning on the news. Saying something to the effect that people may call her opinionated, but she longs for the day when women will be called 'smart and well-informed', just like men, not 'opinionated'.

I liked that. Why isn't she running for President? ;)

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Old 07-28-2004, 03:13 PM
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Default Re: Anybody Watching the Convention?

Gawd I miss having an articulate and intelligent person speaking to me from the TV about important things affecting us all. I missed Clinton, so had to read his speech...damn the man is a brilliant speaker.

I like Teresa Heinz Kerry very much. She is strong and smart and was out there protesting apartheid when she was younger (being the child of a couple of hippies has made me hold "crazy activist" as a positive trait ;)). I must say I miss having a strong woman in the White House too...Laura Bush is just a nonentity.

I thought Ron Reagan did a good job explaining the benefits of stem cell research as well as the mechanics of it, so many people believe the right wing propoganda about just where those stem cells come from.
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