I'm getting ready to head out today. My bags are pretty well packed, the sheets have been stripped off the bed and placed inside the pillowcase, per Regis' instructions.
I've had breakfast.
Thursday's festivities were incredible, and I'll try to give more reaction as I can.
But with news breaking this morning that John McCain's vice presidential pick appears to be Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, it seems only appropriate to ask a question: What does it mean to be an experienced candidate, and does it matter? I was reading about that topic this morning, and the author was commenting that the McCain camp may get a dose of its own medicine after saying that Obama is inexperienced, and therefore not ready to run the United States. Does Palin's experience as governor differ because of the office, or make her more qualified?
I'm not sure yet. But with more research, I'm sure we can find the answers.
More to come...stay tuned....
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
DNC Day 4: Shawn Johnson, too, MSNBC says
MSNBC is reporting that Olympic medal-winner Shawn Johnson will give the Pledge of Allegiance at Invesco tonight.
DNC Day 4: Buzz about the big speech
It looks like Al Gore, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter are among those speaking today ahead of Barack Obama, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
But for those of you more into music than politicians, it appears that Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, John Legend and will.i.am, of the Black Eyed Peas, will perform tonight, in addition to Jennifer Hudson, of "Dreamgirls" movie fame, who will sing the national anthem. This according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
But wait — there's more! The Denver Business Journal is reporting that Michael McDonald will perform, in addition to Yonder Mountain String Band.
As for Bruce Springsteen? Reports are conflicting as to whether he'll make appearance or not. Tony Harnden, who blogs over at Telegraph.co.uk. The consensus seems to be that he won't, but I guess we'll have to wait and see to know for sure.
Meanwhile, Politico is reporting that the move to Invesco has some Democrats nervous about how the event will be perceived.
And for interesting reading on "The Daily Show," check out this piece from today's USA TODAY. Makes me excited, because even though that piece I was in didn't air, Jon Stewart may well have seen it. Which means I could have indirectly met Jon Stewart. Which is awesome.
If strange news is your thing, check out this piece about an ABC producer being handcuffed outside the downtown Brown Palace Hotel.
But for those of you more into music than politicians, it appears that Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, John Legend and will.i.am, of the Black Eyed Peas, will perform tonight, in addition to Jennifer Hudson, of "Dreamgirls" movie fame, who will sing the national anthem. This according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
But wait — there's more! The Denver Business Journal is reporting that Michael McDonald will perform, in addition to Yonder Mountain String Band.
As for Bruce Springsteen? Reports are conflicting as to whether he'll make appearance or not. Tony Harnden, who blogs over at Telegraph.co.uk. The consensus seems to be that he won't, but I guess we'll have to wait and see to know for sure.
Meanwhile, Politico is reporting that the move to Invesco has some Democrats nervous about how the event will be perceived.
And for interesting reading on "The Daily Show," check out this piece from today's USA TODAY. Makes me excited, because even though that piece I was in didn't air, Jon Stewart may well have seen it. Which means I could have indirectly met Jon Stewart. Which is awesome.
If strange news is your thing, check out this piece about an ABC producer being handcuffed outside the downtown Brown Palace Hotel.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Daily Show skit won't air, but...
It still makes for a great story, right?
I was on the phone with my brother Chad tonight, preparing to leave the secured area near the Pepsi Center, when I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and saw that it was Wyatt Cenac, whom I'd worked with on the Daily Show skit earlier in the week. He asked how I was doing, and I did similarly.
I asked whether they were going to air the bit we had done and he said that, unfortunately, they had decided Wednesday night to cut it. He was very kind, and thanked me for having been a good sport. He said they were going to be doing more filming that night, and already it was after 9:30 p.m.
My hat is off to them. I really enjoyed getting to know them, and I'm hoping that maybe I can catch up with them before they head to Minnesota.
I know now that anything is possible in America. You can run into some of the funniest people in the world, and it turns out they're just ordinary people (I know that's cliche, but it's true) with interesting stories. And it was a whole lot of fun.
Dominique Struye on America's standing in the world
The morning session today was fantastic.
Dominique Struye, the Belgian ambassador to the United States, discussed America's standing abroad, with a focus on Europe. He said he would be careful to generalize about the whole world, but that in Europe, opinion of the United States' government is low.
Europe wants anything but Bush, Struye said, and will be supportive of whatever president is elected in November regardless of party affiliation. But Europeans view John McCain as a man of the Cold War and Vietnam, whereas Barack Obama has a Kennedy flair, he said.
He described the presidential candidates this way: Obama is playing the hope card, as others have in the past, while McCain "systematically exploits" his role as an experienced would-be commander in chief.
There are three powerful forces at work in the 21st century world, he said: Nations, transnational/non-governmental institutions such as Green Peace and multilateral institutions, and the question is which of the three will lead. Every group wants to be a player, but each wants to play by its own rules, he said.
How the United States responds to the situation in Georgia will be key, Struye said. It has so far been unable to protect the territorial integrity of that nation, its ally, he said.
An incredibly intelligent man, and someone I would like to interview further. He stayed for a while and answered other questions about topics such as Turkey and the European Union.
Capitol Bob on the disco floor
Political conventions just aren't what they used to be, said Bob Schieffer, of CBS News' "Face the Nation," who has covered them since 1968. He remembers as an 11-year-old going to see Lyndon Johnson stumping for a senate seat. More fantastic than that was the fact that Johnson had arrived in a helicopter (Schieffer had never seen one before), and a voice resounded a megaphone. This was how Moses must have felt at the burning bush when God spoke, Schieffer said — he and others had no idea where the voice came from, or whether it was that of this man or someone else.
But Johnson came down from the helicopter, delivered a speech and threw his hat into the crowd. Later, Schieffer learned, the hat catcher had been planted. The person would run around to the other side of the helicopter, give Johnson his hat and drive to Johnson's next scheduled stop.
Today, though, Schieffer said that politicians appear at conventions as though they were some new make of car at an auto show. The press arrives and "kicks the tires," and everybody goes home. He got the audience laughing with these words, as he did throughout his talk.
I got the impression that this man loves what he does. He said today that he doesn't want to work for anyone but CBS for the remainder of his career, and he plans to be with "Face the Nation" for about a year, and will help transition to a replacement. That will allow him to continue making appearances for segments on the Sunday morning show, breaking news and special TV projects. Plus, he said laughing, his wife doesn't want him in the house too much when he retires (she was seated in the audience today).
And when he was first asked what he would be doing in the future, he quipped, "I'm just trying to stay on the right side of the grass," and referenced a line by Ronald Reagan about the obituaries being his favorite section of the paper, provided he wasn't in them.
Schieffer said he has made dear friendships with many of his news competitors, but he said most, including himself, have a friendly competition going with each other. Whenever they have the opportunity to stick it to the other person, they will.
One of the funniest stories he told was about a trip that Jimmy Carter took to visit the Shah of Iran on what was then New Year's day in the United States. He and Barbara Walters, both at a party (including a disco) in honor of the new year, had been trying to confirm whether Carter would be visiting Anwar El Sadat in Egypt. So they cooked up a plan: They would dance across the disco floor to Carter and ask him. They did, and sure enough, he confirmed he would be going.
Schieffer said he and Walters nearly broke their necks in the race to the phones to be the first to file the story.
Schieffer on journalism's future
There will always be a need for accurate information, Schieffer said, and for the courageous reporter with the courage to cover a difficult story. He hopes the print newspaper will be around in 5 years — it's the favorite part of his morning routine — but he realizes that people are increasingly reading publications online. But as an example of newspapers' spending, he said, The New York Times was spending $2.5 million on its Baghdad bureau security alone. Papers have been decimated by staff cuts, yet democracy can't exist without a free press, he said. The issue will not be the need for the product, but the medium by which it will be delivered.
My question for Schieffer
I asked Bob what the best strategy was he had at getting an interview back on track. People can get off point, or stop talking altogether, in an interview, so I wanted an expert's advice.
Ask the obvious questions, he said. The times he has been scooped were the times he figured he knew how the source would respond to a question. When candidates start to go down "the rabbit trail," he said, it's his job as a moderator to clear things up. But there's plenty to talk about, he said, including taxes and health care.
"It's also fun," he said.
I believe him.
Another notable Schieffer quote
"The government is us."
I was on the phone with my brother Chad tonight, preparing to leave the secured area near the Pepsi Center, when I heard someone calling my name. I turned around and saw that it was Wyatt Cenac, whom I'd worked with on the Daily Show skit earlier in the week. He asked how I was doing, and I did similarly.
I asked whether they were going to air the bit we had done and he said that, unfortunately, they had decided Wednesday night to cut it. He was very kind, and thanked me for having been a good sport. He said they were going to be doing more filming that night, and already it was after 9:30 p.m.
My hat is off to them. I really enjoyed getting to know them, and I'm hoping that maybe I can catch up with them before they head to Minnesota.
I know now that anything is possible in America. You can run into some of the funniest people in the world, and it turns out they're just ordinary people (I know that's cliche, but it's true) with interesting stories. And it was a whole lot of fun.
Dominique Struye on America's standing in the world
The morning session today was fantastic.
Dominique Struye, the Belgian ambassador to the United States, discussed America's standing abroad, with a focus on Europe. He said he would be careful to generalize about the whole world, but that in Europe, opinion of the United States' government is low.
Europe wants anything but Bush, Struye said, and will be supportive of whatever president is elected in November regardless of party affiliation. But Europeans view John McCain as a man of the Cold War and Vietnam, whereas Barack Obama has a Kennedy flair, he said.
He described the presidential candidates this way: Obama is playing the hope card, as others have in the past, while McCain "systematically exploits" his role as an experienced would-be commander in chief.
There are three powerful forces at work in the 21st century world, he said: Nations, transnational/non-governmental institutions such as Green Peace and multilateral institutions, and the question is which of the three will lead. Every group wants to be a player, but each wants to play by its own rules, he said.
How the United States responds to the situation in Georgia will be key, Struye said. It has so far been unable to protect the territorial integrity of that nation, its ally, he said.
An incredibly intelligent man, and someone I would like to interview further. He stayed for a while and answered other questions about topics such as Turkey and the European Union.
Capitol Bob on the disco floor
Political conventions just aren't what they used to be, said Bob Schieffer, of CBS News' "Face the Nation," who has covered them since 1968. He remembers as an 11-year-old going to see Lyndon Johnson stumping for a senate seat. More fantastic than that was the fact that Johnson had arrived in a helicopter (Schieffer had never seen one before), and a voice resounded a megaphone. This was how Moses must have felt at the burning bush when God spoke, Schieffer said — he and others had no idea where the voice came from, or whether it was that of this man or someone else.
But Johnson came down from the helicopter, delivered a speech and threw his hat into the crowd. Later, Schieffer learned, the hat catcher had been planted. The person would run around to the other side of the helicopter, give Johnson his hat and drive to Johnson's next scheduled stop.
Today, though, Schieffer said that politicians appear at conventions as though they were some new make of car at an auto show. The press arrives and "kicks the tires," and everybody goes home. He got the audience laughing with these words, as he did throughout his talk.
I got the impression that this man loves what he does. He said today that he doesn't want to work for anyone but CBS for the remainder of his career, and he plans to be with "Face the Nation" for about a year, and will help transition to a replacement. That will allow him to continue making appearances for segments on the Sunday morning show, breaking news and special TV projects. Plus, he said laughing, his wife doesn't want him in the house too much when he retires (she was seated in the audience today).
And when he was first asked what he would be doing in the future, he quipped, "I'm just trying to stay on the right side of the grass," and referenced a line by Ronald Reagan about the obituaries being his favorite section of the paper, provided he wasn't in them.
Schieffer said he has made dear friendships with many of his news competitors, but he said most, including himself, have a friendly competition going with each other. Whenever they have the opportunity to stick it to the other person, they will.
One of the funniest stories he told was about a trip that Jimmy Carter took to visit the Shah of Iran on what was then New Year's day in the United States. He and Barbara Walters, both at a party (including a disco) in honor of the new year, had been trying to confirm whether Carter would be visiting Anwar El Sadat in Egypt. So they cooked up a plan: They would dance across the disco floor to Carter and ask him. They did, and sure enough, he confirmed he would be going.
Schieffer said he and Walters nearly broke their necks in the race to the phones to be the first to file the story.
Schieffer on journalism's future
There will always be a need for accurate information, Schieffer said, and for the courageous reporter with the courage to cover a difficult story. He hopes the print newspaper will be around in 5 years — it's the favorite part of his morning routine — but he realizes that people are increasingly reading publications online. But as an example of newspapers' spending, he said, The New York Times was spending $2.5 million on its Baghdad bureau security alone. Papers have been decimated by staff cuts, yet democracy can't exist without a free press, he said. The issue will not be the need for the product, but the medium by which it will be delivered.
My question for Schieffer
I asked Bob what the best strategy was he had at getting an interview back on track. People can get off point, or stop talking altogether, in an interview, so I wanted an expert's advice.
Ask the obvious questions, he said. The times he has been scooped were the times he figured he knew how the source would respond to a question. When candidates start to go down "the rabbit trail," he said, it's his job as a moderator to clear things up. But there's plenty to talk about, he said, including taxes and health care.
"It's also fun," he said.
I believe him.
Another notable Schieffer quote
"The government is us."
DNC Day 3: Bits on Bill
I'm here in the media pavilion awaiting something to do (and, of course, 9 p.m., when "The Daily Show" airs), so I figured I'd search around for information on Bill Clinton's soon-to-be-delivered speech. A sampling:
The Irish Times reports that Barack Obama called the Clintons and spoke to Bill on Tuesday "to say Mrs Clinton could not have made a better case for change."
Over at Time.com, Michael Grunwald comments on what Bill Clinton should say, observing: "It would be hard to imagine a more compelling proponent of Obama's claim to a new politics than a legendary victim as well as an adept practitioner of the old politics."
OK, I'll stop for now. I see people celebrating in preparation for Clinton's appearance onstage.
The Irish Times reports that Barack Obama called the Clintons and spoke to Bill on Tuesday "to say Mrs Clinton could not have made a better case for change."
Over at Time.com, Michael Grunwald comments on what Bill Clinton should say, observing: "It would be hard to imagine a more compelling proponent of Obama's claim to a new politics than a legendary victim as well as an adept practitioner of the old politics."
OK, I'll stop for now. I see people celebrating in preparation for Clinton's appearance onstage.
DNC Day 3: Invesco logistics
Today we've been trying to work out who's going to go over to Invesco and who will stay at the tent to start tearing things down and generally staff home base.
It appears that I'll be staying here tomorrow night, which is fine with me because I'll have my choice of televisions and won't have to deal with the enormous crowds expected there, the busing and all of that.
Paul and I walked over there on Tuesday and it took us at least 20 minutes, I'd say. A nice walk, if you don't mind crossing light rail tracks, going under the highway and repeatedly showing your credentials.
It should be a big event. It sounds like organizers may want the public there as early as 2 p.m., and the event starts at 7 p.m. It's great that the media will be able to shuttle back and forth, at least until the speech starts.
Traffic could be interesting come Thursday.
I made it onto the floor today to interview pledged Clinton delegates, and you can read more about my experiences at my Missourian blog.
It appears that I'll be staying here tomorrow night, which is fine with me because I'll have my choice of televisions and won't have to deal with the enormous crowds expected there, the busing and all of that.
Paul and I walked over there on Tuesday and it took us at least 20 minutes, I'd say. A nice walk, if you don't mind crossing light rail tracks, going under the highway and repeatedly showing your credentials.
It should be a big event. It sounds like organizers may want the public there as early as 2 p.m., and the event starts at 7 p.m. It's great that the media will be able to shuttle back and forth, at least until the speech starts.
Traffic could be interesting come Thursday.
I made it onto the floor today to interview pledged Clinton delegates, and you can read more about my experiences at my Missourian blog.
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