Monday, August 25, 2008

Democratic National Convention: Part I

To those of you that don't know me very well, I love politics. I love the sport, the commentary, the rivalries, the debates and the absolute absurdity of the posturing and spectacle. None of which compare to the National Convention held every 4 years about 9-10 weeks prior to a presidential election. I, for one, am a registered Democrat. There were few of us left in Arkansas when I lived there, and I suspect even fewer live in Texas. When I moved to Texas and registered to vote, I thought of registering Independent, but alas I held true to my Democratic point of view and checked the box. Yes, I have not gotten a Texas driver's license, Texas car registration, or a permenant Texas address, but, dammit, I can vote here! I think me and a couple of other people are the only ones that actually voted for Obama in the Arkansas Primaries. Anyway, I'm getting off subject, our convention starts tonight and runs through Thursday. Sweet. I plan on having my TV affixed to CNN for the duration of this evening's events and then listen to the talking heads about their predictions/criticisms. Oh, how I wish NPR were on TV sometimes. That kind of liberal media bias is just my cup of tea. I know, I shouldn't be 28…more like 48. I am constantly mocked by my nearest and dearest for keeping my radio in my car tuned to NPR about 95% of the time. I'm a big nerd, I get it. But, this kind of revelry held for one of the nation's most powerful political figures, and possibly the next POTUS, intrigues me to no end.

Tonight promises to be quite an event, with a lineup of speakers ranging from Margie Perez, a New Orleans jazz singer, to Michelle Obama (whom I love), the keynote speaker for tonight's convention. Tomorrow night, Hillary Clinton is the primetime speaker and I am looking forward to her remarks, but I sometimes feel she doesn't have a clear message and you can't really tell unless you're listening intently. This is what makes her an excellent politician. Play both sides without anyone noticing.

Also, I must say that I think Joe Biden was an excellent pick to be Obama's VP. I really liked Biden before he dropped out for a less than stellar showing in the primaries, but I think his strong background in foreign relations and his years of experience will only help Obama reach the undecideds because of Obama's lack of experience on foreign issues. However, Obama's message is change and Biden has been a heavy hitter in Washington for many years. This may undercut his message. At any rate, it's a good match overall.

Stay tuned.

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