2:30 pm Update on Turnout - Rochester, NY

2:30 pm EST update for Monroe County [Metro Rochester, New York]. Over 300,000 registered voters, 45% turnout county-wide. City of Rochester turnout is 39%. The county outside of the City is 48%. Information direct from the Board of Elections.

A Rare Sighting (Long Island)

Took a drive around to the various polling places this morning. We counted Kerry and Bush bumper stickers and this being Long Island, Kerry was the clear winner. However, we did find one sticker that stood out among the masses:

First sign of the Libartarian candidate I’ve seen around here all campaign season.

Upstate NY

Over 300,000 registered voters in Monroe County (Rochester, NY metro). 25% have voted as of 10 a.m.

At 10 a.m., 25 percent of Monroe County’s eligible voters had voted, according to the county Board of Elections. That compares to 22 percent by 10 a.m. in the 2000 presidential election, and 20 percent in the 1996 election, according to the elections board.

Democrat and Chronicle

Earlier:WHAM radio is reporting that turnout before work is moderate to heavy in the voting places it visited. Temp is 48 in Rochester, with cold rain. Driving forces: Cong. Tom Reynolds [R] in hot contest in the Buffalo to Monroe County district. State Assemblyman Randy Kuhl [R] vieing with a real cutie pie, Samara Barend [D], to replace Amo Houghton [R] in the Southern Tier Congressional District. Barend is a carpetbagger, moving in to contest the race. Should she win, lib Dem, but will surely qualify as the hottest Congresswoman on the Hill. Turnout in Western New York should be driven by these two races.

Voting in Long Island City, Queens

Long Island City is kind of like the Holy Roman Empire: it isn’t really in Long Island, and it isn’t really a city - it’s a neighborhood in Queens. The languages on the “Vote Here” sign - English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean - reflect the neighborhood’s diverse makeup.

The black structure on the left side of the photo is a remnant of the Queens waterfront’s history as a shipping center. The United Nations and one of Trump’s buildings tower in the background from across the river in Midtown Manhattan.

Today, for once, New York City can’t claim to be the center of everything - and there’s a palpable sense of jealousy in the air.

View From Long Island

We were at the polling place by 5:55 am, hoping to be the first on line. Suprisingly, there was already a long line of voters waiting to get in when we arrived.

I live in an historically apathetic precinct, so I was suprised to see so many people there at such an ungodly hour. A good portion of the cars lined up by the curb were sporting bumper stickers of the “Anybody But Bush” variety (save for that one car with the Badnarik sticker). Well, this is New York.

When we left the polling place, the cars were streaming in and people were arriving in packs. Yes, packs! I’m expecting the turnout today will be HUGE.

I’ll be headed back their later to take a few pictures and do some man-on-the-street interviews.

Weather in the New York Metro area today: Cloudy, high of 59. Rain won’t start until after the polls close.

Tapped

I’m back in the office and putting in a very full day on very little sleep. I’m tapped out physically and emotionally, but I hope you enjoyed the coverage. It was certainly worth the investment of time and energy on my end, and I hope the reading was worthwhile on yours.

I was able to go because of our readers, so thanks to you. If we ever see each other in a bar, the drink is on me.

Flashback: Zell Miller's 1992 Keynote Speech

As commentators discuss the propriety of Zell Miller’s searing attacks on John Kerry and the Democratic leadership in his speech Wednesday night, I thought it would be informative to reprint here his 1992 convention speech, in which he gave the keynote address at another convention in New York, this one nominating Bill Clinton. The text is from here:

Zell Miller’s Keynote Address: Democratic National Convention
NEW YORK, July 13, 1992

Listen to this voice.

It’s a voice flavored by the Blue Ridge; a voice straight out of a remote valley hidden among the peaks and hollows of the Appalachian Mountains - a voice that’s been described as more barbed wire than honeysuckle.

That this kind of voice could travel here from a forgotten corner of Appalachia is a testament to the grace of God and the greatness of the Democratic Party.

This week we are gathered here to nominate a man from a remote, rural corner of Arkansas to be president of the United States of America.

That is powerful proof that the American dream still lives - at least in the Democratic Party.

Bill Clinton is the only candidate for president who feels our pain, shares our hopes and will work his heart out to fulfill our dreams.

You see, I understand why Bill Clinton is so eager to see the American dream kept alive for a new generation.

Because I, too, was a product of that dream.

I was born during the worst of the Depression on a cold winter’s day in the drafty bedroom of a rented house, and I was my parent’s hope for the future.

Franklin Roosevelt was elected that year, and would soon replace generations of neglect with a whirlwind of activity, bringing to our little valley a very welcome supply of God’s most precious commodity - hope.

My father, a teacher, died when I was two weeks old, leaving a young widow with two small children.

But with my mother’s faith in God - and Mr. Roosevelt’s voice on the radio - we kept going.

After my father’s death, my mother with her own hands cleared a small piece of rugged land.

Every day she waded into a neighbor’s cold mountain creek, carrying out thousands of smooth stones to build a house.

I grew up watching my mother complete that house from the rocks she’d lifted from the creek and cement she mixed in a wheelbarrow - cement that today still bears her hand prints.

Her son bears her hand prints, too.

She pressed her pride and her hopes and her dreams deep into my soul.

So, you see, I know what Dan Quayle means when he says it’s best for children to have two parents.

You bet it is!

And it would be nice for them to have trust funds, too.

But we can’t all be born rich and handsome and lucky. That’s why we have a Democratic Party.

My family would still be isolated and destitute if we had not had FDR’s Democratic brand of government. I made it because Franklin Delano Roosevelt energized this nation. I made it because Harry Truman fought for working families like mine. I made it because John Kennedy’s rising tide lifted even our tiny boat.

I made it because Lyndon Johnson showed America that people who were born poor didn’t have to die poor. And I made it because a man with whom I served in the Georgia Senate - a man named Jimmy Carter - brought honesty and decency and integrity to public service.

But what of the kids of today? Who fights for the child of a single mother today? Because without a government that is on their side, those children have no hope. And when a child has no hope, a nation has no future.

I am a Democrat because we are the party of hope. For twelve dark years the Republicans have dealt in cynicism and skepticism. They’ve mastered the art of division and diversion, and they have robbed us of our hope.

Too many mothers today cannot tell their children what my mother told me - that working hard and playing by the rules can make your dreams come true. For millions, the American dream has become what the poet called “a dream deferred.” And if you recall the words of that poet-prophet, he warned us that a dream deferred can explode.

Robbed of hope, the voices of anger rise up, rise up from working Americans, who are tired of paying more in taxes and getting less in services. And George Bush doesn’t get it?

Americans cannot understand why some can buy the best health care in the world, but all the rest of us get is rising costs and cuts in coverage - or no health insurance at all. And George Bush doesn’t get it?

Americans cannot walk our streets in safety, because our ”tough-on-crime” President has waged a phony war on drugs, posing for pictures while cutting police, prosecutors and prisons. And George Bush doesn’t get it?

Americans have seen plants closed down, jobs shipped overseas and our hopes fade away as our economic position collapses right before our very eyes. And George Bush does not get it!

Four years ago, Mr. Bush told us he was a quiet man, who hears the voices of quiet people. Today, we know the truth: George Bush is a timid man who hears only the voices of caution and the status quo.

Let’s face facts: George Bush just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t see it; he doesn’t feel it, and he’s done nothing about it.

That’s why we cannot afford four more years.

If the “education president” gets another term, even our kids won’t be able to spell potato.

If the “law and order president” gets another term, the criminals will run wild, because our commander-in-chief talks like Dirty Harry, but acts like Barney Fife.

If the “environmental president” gets another term, the fish he catches off Kennebunkport will have three eyes.

And folks, after January, George Bush is going to have plenty of time to go fishing.

So much for the millionaire. But we’ve still got ourselves a billionaire. A billionaire!

He says he’s an outsider who will shake up the system in Washington. But as far back as 1974 he was lobbying Congress for tax breaks. He tried to turn $55,000 in contributions into a special $15 million tax loophole that was tailor-made for him. Sounds to me like instead of shaking the system up, Mr. Perot’s been shaking it down.

Ross says he’ll clean out the barn, but he’s been knee deep in it for years.

If Ross Perot’s an outsider, folks, I’m from Brooklyn. Mr. Perot’s giving us salesmanship, not leadership. And we’re not buying it.

And so the choice in this election is clear - we’ve got us a race between an aristocrat, an autocrat and a Democrat.

I know who I’m for. I’m for Bill Clinton because he is a Democrat who does not have to read a book or be briefed about the struggles of single-parent families, or what it means to work hard for everything he’s ever received in life.

There was no silver spoon in sight when he was born, three months after his father died. No one ever gave Bill Clinton a free ride as he worked his way through college and law school. And the people at Yale couldn’t believe it when he turned down a good job in Washington to return to Arkansas and teach.

Bill Clinton is a Democrat who has the courage to tell some of those liberals who think welfare should continue forever, and some of those conservatives who think there should be no welfare at all, that they’re both wrong. He’s a Democrat who will move people off the welfare rolls and onto the job rolls.

Bill Clinton is a Democrat who has the courage to lead a real war on crime here at home. And around the world he will be the kind of commander-in-chief this old Marine sergeant would be proud to follow.

That either one of us was able, one growing up in an Appalachian valley and the other in rural Arkansas, to eventually become governors of our states is a tribute to the American dream and yes, the Democratic Party that makes it a reality.

When I was growing up back in the mountains, whenever I felt like one of life’s losers, my mother used to point to the one and only paved road in our valley - a narrow little strip that disappeared winding its way through a distant gap – and she’d say, “You know what’s so great about this place? You can get anywhere in the world from here.”

Thanks to her and to God, the United States Marine Corps and the Democratic Party, I did go somewhere. But I’ve never really left that mountain valley. Shirley and I, our children and their children still live in the Appalachian town of Young Harris, Georgia, and tonight, one of my sons is sitting in front of the television set in the living room of that same rock house my mother and her neighbors built so many years ago.

Tonight, let our message be heard in every living room in every home in America. Wherever families and friends are gathered, let them know this:

We have a leader and a party and a platform that says to the everyday working people of this country: We will fight your fight; we will ease your burden; we will carry your cause.

We will hear all the voices of America - from the silky harmonies of the Gospel choirs to the rough-edged rhythms of a hot country band; from the razor’s edge rap of the inner city to the soaring beauty of the finest soprano.

We hear your voice, America.

We hear your voice. We will answer your call. We will keep the faith. And we will restore your hope.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.

Command Post Chat is Now Open

The Command Post Chat room is now for discussion and punditry on the GOP, the Democratic Party, the Pataki speech, and of course, dubya.

Log in and join the rant!

TCP Bush Speech Drinking Game

Drinking during the speech like Stephen? Play the Command Post G. W. Bush Acceptance Speech Drinking Game!

Each time you hear one of these key words, take a drink:

• Evil
• Terror
• Children (Child qualifies as well)
• Compassionate
• Safer
• Hopeful
• Gas Pump
• Ordinary Americans
• Bin Laden (drink twice)
• Any variation of “John Kerry served his country, and for that I respect him.”
• Liberal (Massachusetts qualifies as well)

Join in … don’t be a teetotaler! But don’t drive, and have fun!

Note: Brian and Mike contributed to this concept.

Agenda For Next Three Years: Bob Bennett (And A Call To Increase National Park Spending)

Just spent some time with Bob Bennett, Senator from Utah. Like the others I’ve spoken with, I asked:

“Presuming a second term for the administration, what should be the administration’s top three priorities?”

His (paraphrased) response:

• Social Security and Medicare reform … the President was starting to make ground here early in his first term, but then was unable to make further progress (war on terrorism and all) … he’d hope to focus more on those issues in a second term.
• Reforming the intelligence communication structure … he’s “intrigued” by Pat Roberts’ proposal, and we have to stop using a Cold War infrastructure for GWOT challenges.
• Trade issues.

I also asked if he thought the Federal Government should increase funding for national parks (Utah has five national parks). The answer: “Yes.” “We’ve added a lot of acres to the National Park system in the past 20 years, and we haven’t had a commensurate increase in funding.”

Tonight's Podium Lineup

From the RNC.

Podium Schedule: September 2

7:45 PM
Convention Call to Order

7:48 PM
Presentation of the Colors

7:50 PM
Pledge of Allegiance

7:52 PM
National Anthem

7:55 PM
Invocation

8:00 PM
Lynn Swann

8:15 PM
Dorothy Hamill

8:30 PM
The Honorable Michael Williams (TX)

9:00 PM
Music - Michael W. Smith

9:15 PM
Governor George Pataki (NY)

10:00 PM
President George W. Bush

11:10 PM
Benediction - Cardinal Egan

Bush Speech Excerpts

Some of what you can expect later tonight; via the RNC.

President George W. Bush; Excerpts from Remarks to the 2004 Republican National Convention

“Tonight, President Bush will talk about where he wants to lead this country for the next four years and lay out a specific agenda to get there.

“I am running for President with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world, and a more hopeful America. I am running with a compassionate conservative philosophy: that government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. I believe this Nation wants steady, consistent, principled leadership and that is why, with your help, we will win this election.”

To build a more hopeful America, the President will talk about the changing world we live in and the need for government to change with it so it is on the side of children, families and workers today.

“The times in which we live and work are changing dramatically. The workers of our parents’ generation typically had one job, one skill, one career often with one company that provided health care and a pension. And most of those workers were men. Today, workers change jobs, even careers, many times during their lives, and in one of the most dramatic shifts our society has seen, two-thirds of all Moms also work outside the home.

“This changed world can be a time of great opportunity for all Americans to earn a better living, support your family, and have a rewarding career. And government must take your side. Many of our most fundamental systems the tax code, health coverage, pension plans, worker training were created for the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. We will transform these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared and thus truly free to make your own choices and pursue your own dreams.”

***

“In all these proposals, we seek to provide not just a government program, but a path a path to greater opportunity, more freedom, and more control over your own life.”

To build a safer world, he’ll talk about his strategy of staying on the offensive against terrorists and the progress we are making in winning the War on Terror in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. He’ll also talk about the power of liberty to transform countries and lives and bring a future of hope and peace. And that is his goal to build a future where the world is safer and more at peace.

“So we have fought the terrorists across the earth not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our strategy is clear. We have tripled funding for homeland security and trained half a million first responders, because we are determined to protect our homeland. We are transforming our military and reforming and strengthening our intelligence services. We are staying on the offensive striking terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East, because freedom will bring a future of hope, and the peace we all want. And we will prevail.”

***

“This moment in the life of our country will be remembered. Generations will know if we kept our faith and kept our word. Generations will know if we seized this moment and used it to build a future of safety and peace. The freedom of many, and the future security of our Nation, now depend on us.”

Notes From Ed Gillespie

RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie just joined us in the Corner. Some short notes:

• On the communication issue noted earlier today by J. C. Watts, he generally agreed. He also noted that Don King and P Diddy are joining him in his box tonight. Diddy isn’t a Bush supporter, but Ed is a supporter of Diddy’s registration efforts, and Diddy is devoted to ensuring new voters “hear both sides.”

• “Our research teams have not researched Senator Kerry’s medals.” (Any readers care to fact-check that one?)

• To Powerline’s John Hinderaker, who didn’t get the Polaroid reference by the twins the other night: “Come on … get hip.”

Preview Of Pataki's Speech

From the RNC.

Excerpts from prepared remarks of Governor George E. Pataki

“On that terrible day, a nation became a neighborhood. All Americans became New Yorkers.

“So, what I’ve wanted to do for a long time was say thank you — in front of our country, and with our children watching: Thank you America, from the very bottom of New York’s heart.”

• * *

“Every four years people say ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ This time it’s true.”

• * *

“I want to help voters compare President Bush’s record of achievement with Senator Kerry’s. That way they’ll be able to see the difference, which is that President Bush has a record of achievement.”

• * *

“He inherited a recession, and then came September 11th. But George Bush said he would turn around the economy and create new jobs.

He said he’d do it. And he did.”

• * *

“I thank God that on September 11th, we had a president who didn’t wring his hands and wonder what America had done wrong to deserve this attack.

“I thank God we had a president who understood that America was attacked, not for what we had done wrong, but for what we do right.”

• * *

“On September 11th Al Qaeda attacked again. But this time they made a terrible mistake.

“There’s one thing they didn’t bank on.

“They didn’t bank on George W. Bush.”

• * *

“Senator Kerry says, “America should go to war not when it wants to go to war but when it has to go to war.”

“Well, excuse me, Senator: the fire fighters and cops who ran into those burning towers and died on September 11th didn’t want to go to war, they were heroes in a war they didn’t even know existed.

“America did not choose this war.

“But we have a President who chooses to win it.”

• * *

“This is no ordinary time. The stakes could not be higher.

“Fate has handed our generation a grave new threat to freedom.

And fortune has given us a leader who will defend that freedom.

“This is no ordinary time. And George W. Bush is no ordinary leader.”

The last line is an intentional reference to a book he has read by former Harvard professor Doris Kearns Goodwin entitled “No Ordinary Time” (No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II).

Zell Miller And The Dark Lord Of The Sith

All day, Zell has been the buzz. Zell’s speech and Zell’s spat with Chris Mathews. You thought it would fade by noon, but in reality, it was noon before enough people had seen the Mathews exchange for them to have an opinion.

The right-spin:

“Zell killed ‘em in the hall and he Killed Mathews, too,”

The left-spin:

“Zell looked crazy in the hall, and he looked crazy on Mathews, too.”

Much of the left-spin has involved ad hominem … descriptions of Zell as a lunatic who bordered on spiteful (if not vicious). Indeed, Al Franken is the only left-spinner I heard debate the merits of Zell’s speech, getting into it with Medved about who voted against what, when.

But that’s the conversation. I can tell you from my experience in the hall: Zell killed, crazy or not. The crowd took their feet when he took the stage, and didn’t leave their feet until he left the stage. Zell wasn’t the rabid one … that was the delegates.

And the whole thing made Cheney look like your nice ol’ Uncle Ben by comparison … something that I’ve heard some folks on the left today say was intentional.

Not something I believe. Rove is pretty smart, but intentionally having Miller look like the Dark Lord of the Sith so that Cheney looks like Uncle Ben? Now that would be genius, eh? Put that in the file for next time …

Pre-Emergent Professional Journalism

One of the fascinating things to watch here is the emergence of norms of quasi-professional conduct among the bloggers … what one posts, what one does not post, what’s newsworthy, what’s on and off the record. It’s an ongoing conversation, and while I couldn’t lay claim to listing them here … I don’t think they’re universally understood … those norms are taking shape.

Pataki Looks Grim

Some time ago we watched Governor Pataki do his stage and sound check. The TV behind us has no volume for such things, but he looked awfully grim on the stage. I figured he’s distracted with the reality of the GOP’s 2008 nominee …

Another Suggetion That The Rs Run Better Conventions

Yesterday I suggested that the RNC has run an operationally more effective convention than did the DNC. Today the New Zeland herald agrees:

Poor old Boston. Whatever it does, from baseball to political conventions, John Kerry’s home city always comes off second best to New York. In terms of organisation, this week’s Republican shindig has been streets ahead of the Democrats’ get-together last month in Beantown, which seemed to bring the city close to nervous breakdown.

Al-Jazeera & The GOP

The S. F. Chronicle profiles Al-Jazeera’s convention coverage. Here’s a tidbit:

“The U.S. cares a lot about explaining America to the world. We’re telling the American story without any cost to taxpayer money,” al-Mirazi said in a playful stab at Al-Hurra, the U.S.-funded Arabic-language network unpopular in the Arab world, where many perceive it as a White House mouthpiece.

See … there you go: AJ is “telling the American story.” (You knew that already, right?)

Second Term Agenda: J.C. Watts And Black Outreach

Former Congressman and GOPAC Chair JC Watts just spent some time with us at the Corner. My question:

“Given a second term for the administration, what should be the top three priorities on the agenda for broadening the appeal of the GOP among the black community?”

His response:

1. The war against terrorism … It’s important to every community, and it should be an important part of the GOP face to the black community. His general take was that if the black community needs to understand that the GWOT is a long-term obligation and that the GOP is the best party for winning the war.
2. Communication, especially in a manner that demonstrates the accomplishments of the party. It’s almost as if “the Democrats are great on symbolism but do nothing substantial, while the Republicans do things that are substantial but are terrible on symbolism.” Examples: 8-A contracting, minority healthcare priorities … the GOP needs to get better at talking about their record.
3. Promote the “ownership society” … use communication to make the case for increased “ownership” within the black community, including increasing entrepreneurialism and home ownership.

An interesting aside as we closed the conversation … JC noted that the GOP needs to be better at longer-term thinking—4 to 7 years out—regarding how to engage the black community. I said it’s almost as if the process is defined by the election cycle and that the focus is always on get-out-the-vote efforts rather than “building Republicans,” and he thought that was indeed the case.

Two final interesting quotes: First, JC believes men of the cloth need to keep party politics out of their proselytizing … that they should not “prostitute the pulpit.”

Another interesting quote:

“Most black people don’t think alike … most black people just vote alike” … and the GOP needs to better understand why.

Bush Doing Run-Through

On the TV behind us we can see the President doing his stage-check for the nomination speech in the hall. Karen Hughes is on the spot, as is the First Lady. The President looks quite relaxed, joking with officers in the upper deck and giving them two big thumbs up. I understand it’s on CNN now as well.

Mathews / Miller Slugfest Video

Here’s a link to the streaming video at MSNBC Hardblogger. I’m trying to get a version online that we can stream from here now.

It’s the talk of the corner (that and Butt Ointment jokes), and most of the staffers haven’t seen it. We just ran it here on one of the laptops, and a crowd gathered.

If you haven’t see it, you must. Oh … and Zell defends Malkin to boot.

Of Green Berets And Ann Coulter

Just got back from spending some time on the floor with the Utah delegation.

Utah?

I grew up there. It’s a personal thing.

While there, I spent an interesting few minutes with delegate Jim Bischoff. His story: He’s an intelligence office for the Special Forces, and was running for County Commissioner in Utah County when he was called up to Afghanistan. He spent four months there, during which the election took place.

He won.

His wife hit the stump, apparently … but really, who could vote against the Special Forces guy off defending his country? He’s on the floor after serving as an alternate for the past two conventions.

There was also this notable: Ann Coulter was, for some reason, sitting in the Utah delegation. I’m not engaging in star-gazing here … but if your curious for details, I might post ‘em in the comments.

Both experiences illustrate something unique about the political conventions. Both here and in Boston, you have the sense that you’re in this immense swirl of notable people and noteable stories. Anyone could literally be anyone. Who’s that guy sitting next to me? Oh … Terry MacAullife. Who was that that I just bumped into? Oh … Ann Coulter. It’s not about being near these people … I stopped being star-struck years ago. It’s about the close quarters and unpredictability. Be careful in the john … you might pee on Karl Rove’s shoes.

More striking to me, though, is the swirl of amazing stories from people who appear otherwise nondescript. You have to be special to get here, in some way: special in your passion for politics, special in your intellect, special in your work ethic. Jim Bischoff is a great example: just another delegate … who’s a Green Beret, and intelligence officer, and local politician who won his campaign from Afghanistan.

A big, political, swirl of colors, like bright paint mixed into a neutral base, these conventions … and the color, all around you, is unique, poignant, and special.

Being here, I know I must watch with eyes wide open.

Agenda For The 2nd Term: Tax Policy With Pam Olson

Pam Olson, who until recently was Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at Treasury, spent some time on Bloggers’ Corner.

I’m trying to surface a variety of perspectives on what officials believe should be priorities for a second term. So you’re going to see the question I asked Pam Olson a lot:

“What do you believe should be the top three agenda items for tax policy in a second administration?”

Her response (paraphrased except where in quotation marks):

1. Make the President’s enacted tax cuts permanent.
2. Reduce the disincentive for people to save.
3. Try to make the tax code less complex.

When I asked her if a second-term Bush administration would have to raise taxes to address growing deficits, she noted that current deficits are a very small relative percentage of total receipts ($3.1 trillion) coming to the Treasury. As such it’s hard to say “let’s take a radical” change of direction in response.

Indeed, she went so far as to suggest the current deficit, and the surplus and deficits that preceded it, are “rounding error” given the size of deficit to receipts.

Are The Democrats “Better” Political Bloggers?

An interesting conversation breaking out here on Bloggers’ Corner, centering on this question (generally stated):

“Are the Democratic bloggers doing better (at supporting their party and cause) than the Republican bloggers?”

The consensus from most of the folks is “yes,” based on the traffic and money that Kos and Duncan Black have been able to generate.

Personally, I think it’s a false comparison. My hypothesis is that Democrats generally prefer to engage in collaborative activism while Republicans generally prefer to engage in individual activism. The stuff Kos is doing … and the level of activism he’s been able to foster … is collaborative stuff.

Think of it this way: When was the last time you saw a half a million Republicans take to the street in protest? When was the last time you saw Democrats establish a massive, national network of Pioneers, Rangers, and other individuals drawing esteem from their almost completely independent, but branded, participation?

It’s not that the Dems are “better” in blogging—it’s that they’re playing a game Republicans aren’t inclined to play.

To that point, someone asked what I think was an even better question: “Which … Dem or Repub blogs … better drive media attention to particular stories?” That, I think, is a good question …

Which Raises The Question ...

The prior post raises this question:

“Will bloggers be invited to the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions?”

The poll’s in the right-hand column of the main 2004 page.

RNC v. DNC For Bloggers: The RNC Wins

I spent the past hour seeing where my badge could, and could not, take me. The answer is that it can take me just about anywhere other than some parts of the floor, directly behind the stage (I can walk there, but not stay there), and into places like the Governor Cloakroom, Senate Cloakroom, etc. (although I’m free to roam the hallways outside and between these places).

This is a very different situation than the DNC, where we were free to roam the main halls of three levels of the Fleet, but had no access to the radio/TV press areas (the entire 3rd floor of the Fleet), no access to the floor, and only limited access to the lower “bowl.”

This access, combined with the greater liaison attention I noted here, cements my previous inkling: the GOP, while only inviting 15 bloggers to the convention, is treating those bloggers a hell of a lot more legitimately than did the Democratic Party.

And whatever you may think of their policies, for this they deserve credit. It’s almost as if the DNC said “we’re going to act like you’re legitimate, but you’re really not,” and the RNC is saying “we’re going to treat you like you’re legitimate, and it’s up to prove whether you are or not.”

You may draw your own conclusions if this reflects a refrain that may be familiar from last night:

In this country, it doesn’t make any difference where you were born. It doesn’t make any difference who your parents were. It doesn’t make any difference if, like me, you couldn’t even speak English until you were in your twenties.

America gave me opportunities …

The GOP is giving the folks on Bloggers’ Corner the opportunity … it will be interesting to see what we make of it.

Another Comparison

The RNC blogger-facing media operation is significantly more efficient, and impressive, than the DNC. In Boston, we had some very good-hearted and hard working media folks, who were clearly near the bottom of the food chain, trying to bring us interviews, and trying to find out who we wanted to see. And they, at times, delivered.

But the RNC has Betsy, a very professional and impressive person who, in the past hour, has brought us the winner of the MTV “Holla” contest, Jim Towey, and Alan Simpson, and she’ll have two more Senators here by 4:30.

Here’s the key difference: The DNC treated us as oddities … the RNC seems (at my first blush) to be treating us like journalists. Not CNN, but journalists still. The placement on Radio Row is the first indication of this … my seating is no worse than Sean Hannity’s … and the liason they’ve assigned is another.

I still think most of us are here to amplify spin (just as in Boston), but they have indeed made us part of the press machine in a manner to which the DNC can’t compare.

I leave it to you to decide if that makes blogs a “legitimate” rat in this race, but it’s a different race in New York nonetheless.

Bush To Deliver Speech "In The Round"

This from the RNC:

The Convention Floor at Madison Square Garden will be closed from 11:30 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, September 1st, until tomorrow, Thursday, September 2nd at approximately 2:00 p.m. for the construction of a theater-in-the-round. This unique stage will the first of its kind ever used at a national political convention.

The stage is being constructed for the use of President George W. Bush when he delivers his nomination acceptance speech on Thursday night, September 2nd.

Also referred to as an arena stage, central stage or island stage, a theater-in-the-round is a form of theater construction in which the stage is completely surrounded by the audience. The setting is another way the 2004 Republican National Convention will be the most unique in the Republican Party’s history.

Initial Reactions

RNC compared to DNC:

• Smaller: The hall is smaller, the stage is smaller, the crush not as intense.

• Madness Among Normalcy: In Boston you could have missed the fact that a convention was in town. Not here. Cops. Everywhere. From the top of the 7th Ave. stairs at Penn Station I counted 63 police officers within eyeshot. But as I walked to the 50s and back on 7th avenue, New York continues on unabated. While the terrace at Penn Station was nearly empty, the sidewalks remain crowded with the local citizenry, and life goes on as normal. Easier than normal to get a cab, though, and the cross-town traffic is nothing like usual. New York’s attitude toward the convention is like that of an uncle to an unruly nephew … he might be annoying, but you can temper your displeasure with the knowledge that he’s not staying with you forever (and that his behavior isn’t your responsibility).

• More Flirtation: Boston had plenty of young, attractive people, but my gut reaction here is that at least 20 percent of those in the hall here are trying to get laid. Target number 1: female GOP congressional staffers. Target number 2: GOP communications staff. Complicating twist: they are hot.

• More At Ease: Not more formal … and not more relaxed … more at ease. The crowd, small as it is, is less hectic, but not less intense. Boston felt like college enrollment: lots of lines, nobody really sure where they were going, plenty of questionable bureaucracy. New York? In New York I get off the train, call our press contact, say “I’m here,” and she’s kind enough to run down, meet me outside, and hand all my credentials to me at once. In Boston, we had to start each day with a $25 cab ride across downtown to the press office to get our single credential for that day. You need something here, someone takes care of it. You need something in Boston, you walk through the bowels of the Fleet to find it. Not that the IT folks at the DNC weren’t helpful … they were … but this is a less strained, more relaxed staff environment.

• Further From The Action: Blogger’s Roost was in the hall itself, although at the top of the hall. Blogger’s Corner (that’s the official name … signs all over that say so) is part of “Radio Row,” the staging area for all the radio shows broadcasting from MSG. We have a 27-inch TV on which to watch the action (unless we make our way to the upper deck, which I’ll likely do, blogging from my Treo).

• More Comfortable: Being away from the action brings with it padded chairs, air conditioning, Sean Hannity (who is doing his show some 15 feet from here), and a bar, MSG’s Play By Play, which is, too, just 15 feet away. All in all, it’s not a bad trade.

• Media-Trained Bloggers: Media gadflies, we are. And everyone’s already figured out how to give a good interview, just like Boston.

On the whole, the DNC felt like college enrollment crossed with a rock concert. The RNC feels like the Young Republicans crossed with a large professional association convention … maybe the American Management Association, or a real estate convention … money, with just touch of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” (but with the world’s best delivery Chinese food just down the street).

I’m going to walk the hall and get a better feel for the vibe …

Faith-Based Priorities For The Second Term

Jim Towey, Director of the White House office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, just spent 10 minutes here in Blogger’s Corner. My question: “What are the top three items of the faith-based agenda for a new term?”

His response (paraphrased unless in quotes):

1. “Ending discrimination against faith-based groups at the state and local level.” There are 21 governors actively supporting faith-based programs in the states … the White House wants to “get to 50.”
2. Maintain and protect the initiatives the President has started … one in particular, mentoring children of prisoners.
3. Start looking at initiating more voucher programs. The Office of FBCI started with vouchers for drug treatment, for example, and he would look to expand that type of programs to other needs given four more years.

Less Than Satisfying

Is that all there is?

Branding 101

Look for these on your limited RNC TV coverage:

In particular, I’m gonna’ try to pin one on Franken and Hewitt (although Hugh will likely wear one anyway) as an expression of non-partisan brotherhood.

In Case You're Wondering ...

… why I’m not in NYC: as with the DNC, my real (and paying) job requires that I be in Minneapolis today and tomorrow. Think of it as an “undisclosed location,” except that it’s just been disclosed. But Michele’s on the scene, as are many other CP contributors, and I’ll be in the hall bright and early Wednesday morning.

Until then, keep reading.

The National Journal

National Journal Magazine, which is read by every politico in the United States and typically available only for a stiff subscription fee, is providing full access to its site during the RNC.

It’s crack for political junkies … use wisely.

Tancredo to fight over immigration

From The Hill:

250 Arrested In NYC Bike Protest

CNN reports that NYC police arrested 250 in a N.Y. cycle protest. For the record, I plan to walk, not bike, the streets.

For what it’s worth, the RNC bloggers email list recieved this Friday afternoon:

The Critical Mass bicycle ride tonight will be the first real demonstration of NYPD tactics during the RNC. Critical Mass was going to have a post-ride party, but the cops and the Coast Guard intimidated the owners of the space into cancelling it.

Furthermore, the police hand-delivered a lovely letter threatening the riders with mass arrests — for a ride that has gone on every month for the last 10 years without incident.

If you to be involved or monitor the proceedings, you should head over to the Time’s Up space at 49 East Houston Street (btw Mott and Mulberry) during the day or go to Union Square at 7 pm.

The letter: http://www.times-up.org/images/nypd-to-ta-re-cm.jpg
Posts on this: http://the-cunctator.dailykos.com/story/2004/8/27/121244/624, http://nyc.indymedia.org/feature/display/103268/index.php

"GOP Platform Draft Turns Left"

From the 8/27/04 NYT’s “Committee Adopts Draft; Some Grumble”

From the 8/26/04 NYT report “Conservatives Grumble on Planks Reflecting Bush Agenda”:

See also the 8/26/04 Washington Times report “Bush team keeps conservative agenda in check.”

The 8/24/04 Washington Times has excerpts from the section dealing with immigration:

See also “Splintered Plank: The White House spins and misses on immigration” and this article about Zell Miller.

You can provide the GOP feedback on the platform using this form.

UPDATE: Yes, as spotted by keen-eyed commentator dsmtoday, the original first excerpt that was here was from the NewsMax article “GOP Platform Draft Turns Left” and that article was from 2000. And, no, that was not intentional. So, I added the two more up-to-date NYT articles in place of the NewsMax article.

Suggest questions for the RNC bloggers!

If you were going to the RNC, what questions would you ask of the delegates, politicians, locals, and those working at the convention?

Please post your questions or suggested coverage below.

Gatlin Bros. to Perform at GOP Convention

AP: Gatlin Bros. to Perform at GOP Convention

Contemporary Christian musician Michael W. Smith and country music performers the Gatlin Brothers will entertain delegates at the Republican National Convention in New York City that starts Aug. 30, party officials said.

More than a half-dozen musical acts announced by the party range from country to classical to blues.

Bill Harris, chief executive of the Republican National Convention, described the group as the first to join the convention. Republicans say they will announce more performers in the coming days.

I hope Michele isn’t heartbroken over missing the object of her secret ambition, Michael W. Smith.

(You know, I once got roped into seeing him in a concert at Houston’s Astroworld… a cranky drunk Jew at a contemporary Christian “Rock” concert? Yeah, that went over well, although it was amusing sticking out my leg and tripping the long running chain on glow-stick wearing larvals.)

We've Got Creds For The RNC

We’ve been issued credentials to the RNC in NYC:

July 26, 2004

Dear Michele Catalano,

The Committee on Arrangements (COA) for the 2004 Republican National Convention invites you to cover this year’s convention from August 30 through September 2 in Madison Square Garden.

For the first time, bloggers will hold an on-site presence at the Republican National Convention called “Bloggers Corner.” Positioned near Radio Row, credentialed bloggers will have the opportunity to connect with delegates, guests and other surrogates for interviews, and to provide original content, including multimedia, to their audiences. Through this behind-the-scenes look at the convention’s proceedings and events, bloggers will play an important role in telling the story of the 2004 Republican Convention.

Bloggers Corner will be located in Madison Square Garden’s Theater Lobby in the corridor adjacent to Radio Row. Electrical outlets, tabled work stations and necessary hook-ups for laptop and other portable computers will be available for high-speed Internet and Intranet access. Main TV monitors will also be accessible in all convention common areas including Bloggers Corner and will carry closed circuit coverage of all floor activities.

Bloggers will be credentialed to move about all media areas with access to the Media Center and the news conference center for briefings.

Notification of attendance must be received by July 29, 2004. Please reserve your place by completing the attached form to Megan Mollmann ([email removed]).

Signage demarcating Bloggers Corner will be provided. Each blogger may bring, but is limited to one sign or placard to place at their individual stations. You will be notified on specific credential procedures as well as the dates and hours when credentials will be issued. No credentials will be mailed.

A copy of our Spring Media Walk-Through Handbook will be mailed to you upon the completion of your form. In the meantime, please feel free to contact our Communications Office at [number removed] with any additional questions.

We are very excited about your participation in the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Mark Pfeifle
Communications Director
2004 Republican National Convention