Mile High open thread

68
  by: DavidThi808 August 29, 2008 at 12:33 AM MDT

Ok, for those lucky ones there – post what you see. Video from TPM

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68 Community Comments, Facebook Comments

  1. DavidThi808 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 12:35 AM MDT

    from TPM

    An hour before the day’s official convention schedule kicks off — and six hours before Obama is scheduled to speak — a scattering of people are already in their seats above the field. Delegates are filing in. They are seated on the field itself. It’s a bright, sunny, not-too-warm day here, but that’s a long time to be baking in the sun.

  2. Disinterested17 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 1:24 AM MDT

    Wow, that’s almost as cool as watching the punters kick balls before the Bronco games.  

    I’ll probably pass on the speech and catch Jon Stewart’s review of it so I can skip all the hype.

  3. Disinterested17 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 1:33 AM MDT

    I was thinking more along the lines of drinking with some friends after our fantasy draft . . .  But I can grab a sandwich too, if it’ll make you happy.

    I do apologize for being in the mainstream majority of America that won’t watch it.  I know that upsets Ds, though it isn’t my intent.

    He’s just not my chosen one.

  4. Libertad says:
    August 29, 2008 at 2:08 AM MDT

    Streaming John Lewis right now, but very sad to see so few Blue Steel and Blue Dogs on the agenda.

    Actually heard some skull proclaim that POTUS BO would sign E.F.C.A., sad to see such blue meat thrown to the masses.

    Anyway, time to roll to my seat for the live show.

    • cologeek says:
      August 29, 2008 at 4:25 AM MDT

      will be purged from the Party in 2010.

      http://www.salon.com/opinion/f…

      That way the Dems can have their total purity without any dissenting thought at all!

      • DrewKerin says:
        August 29, 2008 at 7:05 AM MDT

        One thing I noticed real quick — while tuning into “Air America” this year — is that liberals are much tougher on Democrats who don’t do their bidding than conservatives are on Republicans who don’t follow the right wing philosophy.

        If those Blue Dog Democrats are looking are looking for a new political home, the GOP will be glad to take them.  Based on where many of their congressional districts are, they could still win re-election as Republicans.  

        • DavidThi808 says:
          August 29, 2008 at 7:07 AM MDT

          They represent about 2% of the left wing fringe of the Democratic party.

          • DrewKerin says:
            August 29, 2008 at 7:25 AM MDT

            I respect Jay Marvin and actually like Ed Schultz.  I, sometimes, agree with Thom Hartmann, especially on campaign finance reform.

            Randi Rhodes is another story.  She sounds like Fran Drescher on steroids, and I swear she and her listeners make up “facts” as they go along.  Now, she I would believe represents 2% of the left wing fringe of the Democratic party.  

            • ThillyWabbit says:
              August 29, 2008 at 5:38 PM MDT

              It’s not so much ‘roid rage that I get from her, it’s more a PCP rage what with the hallucinatory component. Yes, I think Fran Drescher on angel dust is a more apt analogy.

        • cologeek says:
          August 30, 2008 at 3:01 AM MDT

          When a lot of Dems started switching parties after the election.  I’m sure a lot of it was opportunism, but I’m just as sure many of them were finding that the Democratic Party just didn’t fit them anymore.  I didn’t see that happening the other way in ’06.  I wonder how many of the Blue Dogs will find the fit chafing over the next couple of years?

      • Aristotle says:
        August 29, 2008 at 7:16 AM MDT

        If you weren’t being snarky, that is. What have the GOP been doing to their members who weren’t hardline enough about issues like abortion for 20 years?

        • cologeek says:
          August 29, 2008 at 3:29 PM MDT

          compared to how, just an obvious example, the Dems treated Joe Leiberman.  We do have pro-choice Senators and Governors in the ranks, and no one has tried to tar and feather them, and then run them out of the party on a rail.  

          Anyone recall the speech Bob Casey Sr. gave at the ’92 convention?  Oh, right, he was pro-life, can’t have that at a Democratic convention.

          • Phoenix Rising says:
            August 29, 2008 at 4:56 PM MDT

            He lost a primary, kinda like Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, who was voted out by his GOP constituents because he was “too liberal”.

            Unlike Gilchrest, though, after losing his primary Lieberman ran as an Independent with the implicit support of the Republican Party and won essentially on his incumbency and the total horror the GOP had of its own candidate.

            BTW – what’s with all the concern-trolling from the Republican folk here lately?

          • Aristotle says:
            August 29, 2008 at 7:06 PM MDT

            You’re telling me that Club For Growth isn’t actively trying to run out the GOP’s centrists? That these unnamed pro-choice ‘pubs occupy prominent places in the hierarchies of Congress? That they get to address the GOP convention?

            Between this and your “Dems are suppressing criticism” post, I’m seeing just how big your blind spots are. It’s disappointing.

            • cologeek says:
              August 30, 2008 at 2:56 AM MDT

              that the Club for Growth has had much less success than Markos Moulitsas in purging the respective parties.

              • Phoenix Rising says:
                August 30, 2008 at 4:03 AM MDT

                Just perhaps that’s because the Club For Growth is a few old fogies with a lot of money, whereas the Daily Kos is the most widely read Progressive news source in the country and its participants are at the ground level where people understand what’s really going on with voters.

                Just sayin’.

                And since I don’t like empty rhetoric, let’s get serious about this: there are struggles within each of the two major parties in large part because this country is too large for two parties to adequately hold its ideas.  If we had a “centrist” party between the two current parties, many of our districts wouldn’t need to rely on primaries in order to have a viable choice.  E.g. Al Wynn was essentially a Blue Dog in a very Liberal district, and he was easily bought by industry, too; Donna Edwards is a better fit for the district, and happens to be a big win for Kos’s Orange To Blue campaign at the same time.

                • cologeek says:
                  August 30, 2008 at 5:39 AM MDT

                  a true third party.  Unfortunately too many of the alternatives do seem to be just an extreme version of either of the big two.  Or they are a one issue only group.  And of course the election rules are made by the two parties, thus making it all but impossible for a third to get true traction.

                  And I don’t argue your description of the Club for Growth, that’s part of the reason they aren’t very successful, unlike Kos, which has been very successful in marginalizing any Democrat who does not fit in with their groupthink.

                  • Phoenix Rising says:
                    August 30, 2008 at 8:48 AM MDT

                    You might want to check out Kos’s Orange to Blue philosophy – it’s not cut-and-dry.  To summarize, the program will “elect more and better Democrats”.

                    The past couple of election cycles, the emphasis was on “more”, and the Netroots supported a number of those Blue Dog Democratic freshmen you think they hate and want to oust.  This year the Orange to Blue list is moving towards “better” Democrats, but all of the list is still working toward “more” Democrats.

                    This year’s list includes:

                    • Reaching out to the Cuban-American community in Florida: Annette Tadeo and Joe Garcia.
                    • Strengthening the Democratic Northeast: Jon Powers, Dan Maffei, and Eric Massa in New York, and Jim Himes in Connecticut.
                    • Taking on some of the most “annoying” Republicans elsewhere: Darcy Burner (vs. Rep. Reichert), Bob Lord (vs. Rep. Shadegg), Andrew Rice (vs. Sen. Inhofe), Mark Begich (vs. Sen. Stevens), Al Franken (vs. Sen. Coleman), Dan Seals (vs. Rep. Kirk), and Rick Noriega (vs. Sen. Cornyn)
                    • Taking open seats in traditionally Republican territory: Gary Trauner in WY-AL, Charlie Brown in CA-04, and Scott Kleeb for NE-Sen
                    • And finally, supporting our Presidential candidate, Barack Obama – who was also a Netroots candidate during his Senate election.

                    None of these candidates, officially endorsed and supported by the Daily Kos staff, are replacing other Democrats.

              • Aristotle says:
                August 30, 2008 at 10:27 AM MDT

                but that doesn’t mean they’re not cut from the same cloth, and it also doesn’t mean that the GOP is any way, shape, or form cleaner than the Dems on that count.

                Noticed you didn’t answer the other points. Can I take that as a concession?

    • Jambalaya says:
      August 29, 2008 at 7:13 AM MDT

      …you must crying in your beer that, allegedly, the Democratic conventioneers didn’t invite particular Democrats whom you don’t like anyway.  How do you go on with such misery?

      • Libertad says:
        August 29, 2008 at 8:34 AM MDT

        Don’t be a winer Jamba, its un-American.

        Tonight was historic and I celebrated stage right above the Ring of Fame.

        I know your death-to-us-all union mentaltiy gets in the way most of the time. If your “mutual-aid only” foundation had an ounce of self-determination and self-reliance built in you wouldn’t be where you are in your horrible life.

        You probably support strict campaign finance, term limits and more trial lawyer rights.

        An ounce of tough love for you is what this doctor ordered.

  6. Skyler says:
    August 29, 2008 at 6:59 AM MDT

    I had some Press Creds, but I didn’t end up going to the event.

    I was on the Colfax bridge and parts of I-25 instead. It was a blast. I ran into Ted Turner, too.

  7. DavidThi808 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 7:02 AM MDT

    I listened to John Lewis and Al Gore (and a couple of others) on CNN radio as I had to drive up to Ft. Collins and back. The John Lewis speech had me crying.

    Got home just in time for the Obama part. That was an absolutely amazing speech. When it was over and they were just playing the music with the crowd there, I was just sitting going over it.

    If his campaign continues like this week went, I do think he might win Texas and Mississippi and the only question on election night will be by how big a margin will he win.

    And to you nay-sayers there, the speech he gave was a speech that spoke to and celebrated all of the good in America. You may not support Obama, but I don’t see how you can find fault with what he said tonight.

    • DrewKerin says:
      August 29, 2008 at 7:17 AM MDT

      Actually, the only thing I disagreed with was the statement that “John McCain said he would follow Bid Laden to the gates of hell, but he would not follow him to the cave he was hiding in.”  

      That was simply unfair.  A senator does not have that kind of authority to direct the military. Only a president can do that.  You can fault Bush on that point.  (I do.)  But it was not McCain’s call to make.  

      Barack Obama did your party proud tonight.  He is a formidable campaigner and a dynamite orator.  He is definitely a better candidate than your party put up in 2004.

      Texas and Mississippi?  Let’s not get too carried away, David.  We are only halfway through the convention season.  

      • Pam Bennett says:
        August 29, 2008 at 8:30 AM MDT

        I heard the very same statement “…simply unfair” by a Repub talking head on ABC when I returned home.

        It is a fair and accurate statement.

      • Half Glass Full says:
        August 29, 2008 at 8:46 AM MDT

        The point is that McCain has followed Bush blindly, putting billions if not a TRILLION of our kids’ inheritance into an ungrateful sinkhole called Iraq – making Iraq safe for Shiite theocracy – while totally losing sight of where the REAL enemy was in Afghanistan.

        Plus, isn’t it just as “unfair” for McCain to make his stupid “gates of hell” remark if he doesn’t have any real authority to do anything about Bin Laden?

        McCain talks tough – just like he was all Mr. Tough about Georgia – but he doesn’t follow through. Better to speak softly and carry a big stick. Obama is a Teddy Roosevelt diplomat.

  8. DavidThi808 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 7:10 AM MDT

    Going from memory here but on CNN they said that they had over 80,000 in the stadium, another 10,000 outside trying to get in, and people were paying scalpers up to $1,000.00 for a ticket.

    Contrast that with the normal political speech where they are lucky to get 1,000 people and people would pay $1,000.00 to get out of being there.

    This is so far beyond the normal. Not sure what to call it but this is powerful.

  9. Aristotle says:
    August 29, 2008 at 7:10 AM MDT

    I see you’re online as I’m typing this. Tell us how it was in person. (And how did you get home so quickly!) 🙂

  10. parsingreality says:
    August 29, 2008 at 7:32 AM MDT

    Great one liner from Barney Smith who lost his long term job to outsourcing.  

  11. RadioFreeDenver says:
    August 29, 2008 at 9:10 AM MDT

    and couldn’t see any of the speakers live, but I would go back tomorrow and do it again if I could. The atmosphere was electric! Mark Udall was up in our section for a while, and John Kerry walked right past me on the way out. I also made some calls to Grand Junction at the phone bank, and picked up the obligatory hat, t-shirt, and bumper stickers.

    It would be hard to beat listening to Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, Michael MacDonald, and Yonder Mountain String Band on the same bill, too.

    For the first time during this campaign, I have real hope that Obama can win this fall.

  12. Muhammad Ali Hasan says:
    August 29, 2008 at 10:20 AM MDT

    but it is important to note that I am very deeply proud to be born and raised in a state that has –

    1. Sent a Native American to our United States Senate

    2. Sent a Latino to our United States Senate

    3. Had a Governor (Carr) who openly disagreed with Roosevelt and fought against internment camps

    and

    4. Hosted the nomination of the first minority to be running for President under a major Party’s ticket

    Tonight is a wonderful night for America and Colorado

    Congratulations to the Democrats and Senator Obama

  13. colojason says:
    August 29, 2008 at 10:47 AM MDT

    David said “post what you see”, so here’s something unique from the DNC that has nothing to do with politics.  I was seated in the upper northwest section, looking southeast toward I-25 after it was shut down around 5:30pm.  As you can see, the seats in that section hadn’t been filled yet by that time.

    I saw five CDOT snowplows come up the northbound lanes, then U-turn to face southbound.  I’m obviously not privy to the details, but I can only assume their intent was to ram and stop any vehicle that breeched security, apparently a last line of defense.  At any rate it’s not something you see every day.

    Photobucket

  14. colojason says:
    August 29, 2008 at 12:19 PM MDT

    Here’s a short clip from the stands as Barack takes the stage.  The quality is extremely poor (made even worse by YouTube video compression) and shaky (tripods not allowed) but it gives you some sense of what it was like to be a part of this and just how packed Invesco was for Barack Obama, the next President of the United States.  The reports I’m reading right now say that we had about 90,000 people there.  

  15. gouko787 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 12:38 PM MDT

     The next generation is the one that will reap the benefits of what a Barack Obama Administration will accomplish.  They will live in a United States that is no longer burdened by the issues that have plagued for years and the will question, “How was there ever ANY doubt that this man was going win?”  I think most of us who lived it will just have to smile and say, “It was different back then.  It will only be then, that we can sit back, relax, and say “Yes we did!” and things were never the same.

    I know this can happen, and I believe it will happen because now is the time that all those who have been defiantly shouting “Yes we can,” take the next step and start saying, “Yes we will.”  They will do this because they now have seen that we have an opportunity to change the world.  At last, we have another Presidential Nominee who understands the meaning of what is to be a representative of, by and for the PEOPLE, not a shill, of, by and for the RICH.

    From the beginning I felt a deep connection with Barack Obama.  Like him, I was raised by a single mother after my father’s death in 1982.  I am also part of the increasing population in America who are the descendants of mixed marriages.  My mother is a member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma and my father was the descendent of Irish immigrants that moved to Oklahoma to farm.  I am the father of 2 daughters, ages 7 and 4, and like Barack Obama my oldest is wide eyed, observant and well behaved, while my youngest never stops moving and asking questions.  And like Barack Obama, in 2006, after I could no longer stand by and watch our country deteriorate so I sought out and attained my party’s nomination as the candidate for the State House in the very District in which I was born and raised because I knew the time had come for change in America.  

    Unlike Barack, I did not win and though I did not give up I was discouraged.  Though I decided not to seek that nomination again I remained active and was amazed by the record turnout during the Colorado Caucus and proud to be casting my vote for our next President, Barack Obama.  Despite my connection and belief in Barack I still was lacking something that I had had in 2006.  As the process moved on, I lost focus, as the media spewed rhetoric I lost desire, and as the negativity ramped up I lost faith.  

    Last night in a tremendous acceptance speech Joe Biden started to restore that focus and desire, but tonight as Obama gave his momentous address and not only did my faith come back, it reached a level I never new existed.  Barack Obama IS the man this country has been seeking since hope was killed decades ago by the murders of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, Jr.  Barack Obama is the answer to the question, “How are we going to clean up this mess that the Bush policies have left us with?”  He is the answer because as he said so well in his speech tonight, this was never about him, this was about us.  At that moment, I truly for the first time in over seven years, stopped focusing on what had been done to me and you and why, who was to blame and when were they going to be held accountable.  I was able to let go and start focusing on what me and you had to do in order to make sure it never happens again.  

    The only question was, will I help finish what has been started?

    The answer came to me quickly and clearly, YES I WILL.

    Yes I will go and knock on every door in my precinct to not only talk with those voters whom I agree with, but also to show those do not agree that Barack Obama is the answer.

    Yes I will take the next step and knock on the doors of those who are not registered to vote and beg them to make this the year that they say yes I will register.

    Yes I will make sure that not only are voters marking the top of the ballot to vote for President, I will make sure they know that they need to vote in every race because real change starts from the bottom up.

    Yes I will stand up to those who choose to go negative and spread lies and hate by spreading truth and unity.

    Yes I will leave behind my own perceptions of party and patriotism in order to extend the olive branch and start unification process in my own precinct and with everyone I meet.

    Yes I will do everything I can to make sure that we are not once again robbed of our chance to bring about the reform the country and the rest of the world so desperately need.

    And most of all, yes I will continue to stay active after November 2nd so I can make sure those we elected fulfill their promises and we are never again in a situation where the future of America is in question.

    Thank you for taking the time to read this and please join with me so that 30 years from now we can all look back as one nation and proclaim YES WE DID.

    Matt Bryant

    CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN…

    WILL LEAD TO…

    CHANGE ($) YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK!!!!

  16. gouko787 says:
    August 29, 2008 at 12:43 PM MDT

      Yes We Will

    Today is a day Americans will revere for years to come.  When they do, those not yet born will not understand why there was ever any doubt as to whether Barack Obama was going to defeat John McCain.  They will be told how at that moment in Denver, Colorado one man changed the system by saying the era of lies and fear has come to an end, and a future of truth and hope has begun.  The line was drawn at that moment, and even those who resisted and denied what they had been seeing over the last year and a half, let their doubt fall away, if even for just a moment.  We all saw and understood at that time the perfect storm had arrived, and Washington D.C. was directly in its path.

    The next generation is the one that will reap the benefits of what a Barack Obama Administration will accomplish.  They will live in a United States that is no longer burdened by the issues that have plagued for years and the will question, “How was there ever ANY doubt that this man was going win?”  I think most of us who lived it will just have to smile and say, “It was different back then.  It will only be then, that we can sit back, relax, and say “Yes we did!” and things were never the same.

    I know this can happen, and I believe it will happen because now is the time that all those who have been defiantly shouting “Yes we can,” take the next step and start saying, “Yes we will.”  They will do this because they now have seen that we have an opportunity to change the world.  At last, we have another Presidential Nominee who understands the meaning of what is to be a representative of, by and for the PEOPLE, not a shill, of, by and for the RICH.

    From the beginning I felt a deep connection with Barack Obama.  Like him, I was raised by a single mother after my father’s death in 1982.  I am also part of the increasing population in America who are the descendants of mixed marriages.  My mother is a member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma and my father was the descendent of Irish immigrants that moved to Oklahoma to farm.  I am the father of 2 daughters, ages 7 and 4, and like Barack Obama my oldest is wide eyed, observant and well behaved, while my youngest never stops moving and asking questions.  And like Barack Obama, in 2006, after I could no longer stand by and watch our country deteriorate so I sought out and attained my party’s nomination as the candidate for the State House in the very District in which I was born and raised because I knew the time had come for change in America.  

    Unlike Barack, I did not win and though I did not give up I was discouraged.  Though I decided not to seek that nomination again I remained active and was amazed by the record turnout during the Colorado Caucus and proud to be casting my vote for our next President, Barack Obama.  Despite my connection and belief in Barack I still was lacking something that I had had in 2006.  As the process moved on, I lost focus, as the media spewed rhetoric I lost desire, and as the negativity ramped up I lost faith.  

    Last night in a tremendous acceptance speech Joe Biden started to restore that focus and desire, but tonight as Obama gave his momentous address and not only did my faith come back, it reached a level I never new existed.  Barack Obama IS the man this country has been seeking since hope was killed decades ago by the murders of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, Jr.  Barack Obama is the answer to the question, “How are we going to clean up this mess that the Bush policies have left us with?”  He is the answer because as he said so well in his speech tonight, this was never about him, this was about us.  At that moment, I truly for the first time in over seven years, stopped focusing on what had been done to me and you and why, who was to blame and when were they going to be held accountable.  I was able to let go and start focusing on what me and you had to do in order to make sure it never happens again.  

    The only question was, will I help finish what has been started?

    The answer came to me quickly and clearly, YES I WILL.

    Yes I will go and knock on every door in my precinct to not only talk with those voters whom I agree with, but also to show those do not agree that Barack Obama is the answer.

    Yes I will take the next step and knock on the doors of those who are not registered to vote and beg them to make this the year that they say yes I will register.

    Yes I will make sure that not only are voters marking the top of the ballot to vote for President, I will make sure they know that they need to vote in every race because real change starts from the bottom up.

    Yes I will stand up to those who choose to go negative and spread lies and hate by spreading truth and unity.

    Yes I will leave behind my own perceptions of party and patriotism in order to extend the olive branch and start unification process in my own precinct and with everyone I meet.

    Yes I will do everything I can to make sure that we are not once again robbed of our chance to bring about the reform the country and the rest of the world so desperately need.

    And most of all, yes I will continue to stay active after November 2nd so I can make sure those we elected fulfill their promises and we are never again in a situation where the future of America is in question.

    Thank you for taking the time to read this and please join with me so that 30 years from now we can all look back as one nation and proclaim YES WE DID.

    Matt Bryant

    CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE IN…

    WILL LEAD TO…

    CHANGE ($) YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK!!!!

  17. Gilpin Guy says:
    August 29, 2008 at 4:52 PM MDT

    I doubt I’ll ever be at an event with that many liberals ever again.

    An amazing week ended on an amazing night.  

    Anyone who thinks Obama is going to be a patsy pushover isn’t paying attention.

  18. Gilpin Guy says:
    August 29, 2008 at 5:18 PM MDT

    As I walked through the perimeter security towards the Pepsi Center Monday, my brain was in one of those endless phrase loops and kept repeating, “The liberals have Landed”.  Except for the collection of anarchists and religious fanatics competing for attention on the other side of the fence, liberals of all shapes, sizes and colors could be seen converging on the Pepsi Center for the first night of the Democratic Convention.  When Debbie offered me the assignment, I jumped at the chance to join this throng.  These kinds of events are as rare as attending the Olympics so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to witness history live.

    There were two levels of security surrounding the Pepsi Center and police at every street corner.  I had to show my convention pass to the perimeter security guards and then I had to go through metal detectors before entering the Pepsi Center.  It reminded me of going to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.  If the security in February of 2002 could be characterized as nervous and tense, I would say that the security around the Pepsi Center showed the professionalism of many years of experience.  Once inside I had this sense of absolute safety.  Security must have been a huge part of the convention budget but it was awesome.

    Once inside, I roamed the halls looking at all the news organizations and campaign paraphernalia stands.  I had a list of family and friends who wanted tee shirts and bumper stickers.  Noticeably absent were Bush joke items but there were still some pretty funny bumper stickers like “McCain=Bush”.  News organizations seemed to take up every empty corner in the building and power cables ran everywhere.

    The arena was packed with delegates in sections on the floor while the stage was on the east side.  The stage and the news organizations took up a lot of space but the crowd occupied every available seat and some even sat behind the stage and watched the proceedings from giant screens hanging from the ceiling.  I started in section 372 but kept moving west until I could see the stage.  Security might have been the bulk of the budget but the sound system must have been a close second.  Even the frailest voice at the podium could be heard.  

    The proceedings were carefully scripted like a Super Bowl with a combination of speakers and videos.  Whoever was running the teleprompter was a virtuoso at their craft.  The speakers didn’t need to carry notes or papers with them and they often spoke for ten to fifteen minutes.  I really liked the mixture between ordinary people talking about their lives and the politicians who spoke about their vision of a post-Bush America.  All the speeches can be read at http://www.demconvention.com.  Click on speeches and then click on the day.  Here are my recommendations: (08/25 Edward Kennedy, Jim Leach, Michelle Obama; 08/26 Lily Ledbetter, Deval Patrick, Brian Schweitzer, Hillary Clinton; 08/27 Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Tammy Duckworth, Joe Biden).  The speakers varied in their abilities but they were all consistent in what they talked about:  Prices are up on everything while wages are flat for those who are fortunate to have a job.  The national deficit has doubled in the last eight years from five to ten trillion dollars and the country can not afford to continue such poor fiscal policies.  The politics of division will never unite us and we need to be united to retool our economy for the 21st century.  The demands of the 21st century require an economy that is based on sustainable green technologies instead of oil and war.  Our global problems require partners and we have a responsibility to work with them to protect our planet and our populations.  The challenges of our times require a mighty change and that change needs to start now.

    By Tuesday night, I had my routine down.  I found I could park on 13th and Speer for two bucks and walk down the Cherry Creek bike path to the center.  Finding a seat with a view was still a challenge but it was just as easy to start a conversation with the person in the next seat.  The first night I spoke with a fellow who referred to himself as a Republican for Obama.  He was as committed to supporting Obama as anyone I spoke to.  The second night I sat next to two Hillary supporters who talked about their disappointment but also their shared values.  Wednesday night I sat next to a fellow that works in my same building and we talked about the coincidence of meeting each other under such circumstances.  Wednesday night the place was packed and rocking.  People who couldn’t get a seat were clustered around TV screens in the halls.  I was able to snag a floor pass on Wednesday and walked around the convention floor absorbing the enthusiasm and the diversity of the people.  It was a once in a lifetime experience for me.  Thursday night at Invesco should be another amazing evening.

    When the proceedings were over and the crowd made their way back through the perimeter gate they were chanting “Yes we can”.

  19. Dan Willis says:
    August 29, 2008 at 10:45 PM MDT

    Pity I couldn’t see the stage itself expcept on the jumbo-tron

    • Phoenix Rising says:
      August 30, 2008 at 12:07 AM MDT

      Lots of folks thinking that last night.  Since you were sitting just above and to the left of me last night, I know your pain.  (Saw you hiking by me on the way up the stands at one point…)

      • Dan Willis says:
        August 31, 2008 at 1:14 AM MDT

        I tried to sneak into the 3rd tier seats to the extreme stage left but was thwarted by a plainclothes FBI agent. Luckily I was still wearing my sunglasses and was able to fain having read my by credentials seating wrong (my seat number started with a 3).

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