Conventional let-down
Jul. 31st, 2004 09:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
likethebeerWe were pretty useless on the Democratic National Convention this week. We don't watch much TV. I should clarify this statement: we don't watch much tv b/c we don't have cable, we're on the internet a lot, and we only get 4 of the possible 6 stations in this area. PBS is one of those stations, but b/c we don't watch much tv, we didn't know that PBS was doing coverage every evening. Additionally, I got home on Monday & Michael was watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind--right around the time Clinton started talking. Which I thought he was doing the next night. I kept trying to look for tv schedules & couldn't find them. We went to c-span.org to load the streaming media, but it wasn't working.
So I tried to listen to the radio as much as possible, and on Wednesday I discovered that PBS was running the coverage. Before this, I heard Al Sharpton. I know the man's a nut, but I stopped what I was doing (practicing flute), because I heard this guy talking and I was really excited. "Who is this guy?" "We didn't get the mule, but we're gonna ride this donkey all the way to victory!" In retrospect, I'm glad the guy talked at the time that he did :)
Edwards? bleh. He was ok, but by this time, I had heard about Theresa Heinz Kerry, Clinton, and Barak Obama (and of course heard Sharpton). I wanted to be fired up, like everyone was by these other people, and the guy didn't do it for me. I'm glad to hear that his "we will destroy you" line was one that he was really uncomfortable with, b/c I almost rolled my eyes. And, yeah, I think it's cute that he and his wife have dinner at Wendy's on their anniversary.
ANYWAY, on Thursday,Michael got the streaming media working, in (one of) the computer(s) in the garage. We watched Obama, Carter, & Clinton. During our watching of Clinton, I got a call from the DNC. Damn! This what I get for wanting to get involved. The thing is, I always put my name down as Mary, b/c that's my first name (not the name that everyone calls me). And you know what? I hate that name being said in my direction, so it's always a slight annoyance when someone says, "Is this Mary?" I think, "Sort of. Technically, I suppose you could say yes."
Anyway, I went back downstairs to wash the dishes, first hearing Wesley Clark (pretty good), and then Joe Lieberman. Which caused me to fully formulate this thought: "I am so happy that man is not the Democratic Presidential Nominee. Really." omg. Go back to the Senate, Joe. man. I'd feel like Mondale's supporters in '84 if Lieberman were the nominee. Clinging pathetically to this idea that you could possibly win the election w/this man at the helm (nothing personally against Mondale, I don't know much about him).
Nancy Pelosi didn't float my boat too much either.
Kerry I liked, which I've already said in other places.
The talking heads could sometimes be annoying, but sometimes it was great to hear these people dissect things. Do I want to be associated with flag-waving Americans? In a way. I understand that part of the reason this was done was to appeal to those undecided voters or wavering Republicans. We're trying to get across that we really don't hate this country--it's because we care for this country that we're working as hard as we can. And I want to claim my patriotism as my own. I know that the flag is the short-hand for love of and pride in country, and I bet there are a lot of liberals who are surprised to see how much they love their country and its ideals. But even after 9-11, I didn't wear a flag or get misty looking at it. It didn't seem to encompass everything that I was thinking and feeling about this country and that event.
I can't imagine being a delegate, or one of the organizers and volunteers, b/c even I'm let-down after the little amount that I watched the convention. There was this point for a few days when I thought, "I think we can really do this."
So I tried to listen to the radio as much as possible, and on Wednesday I discovered that PBS was running the coverage. Before this, I heard Al Sharpton. I know the man's a nut, but I stopped what I was doing (practicing flute), because I heard this guy talking and I was really excited. "Who is this guy?" "We didn't get the mule, but we're gonna ride this donkey all the way to victory!" In retrospect, I'm glad the guy talked at the time that he did :)
Edwards? bleh. He was ok, but by this time, I had heard about Theresa Heinz Kerry, Clinton, and Barak Obama (and of course heard Sharpton). I wanted to be fired up, like everyone was by these other people, and the guy didn't do it for me. I'm glad to hear that his "we will destroy you" line was one that he was really uncomfortable with, b/c I almost rolled my eyes. And, yeah, I think it's cute that he and his wife have dinner at Wendy's on their anniversary.
ANYWAY, on Thursday,Michael got the streaming media working, in (one of) the computer(s) in the garage. We watched Obama, Carter, & Clinton. During our watching of Clinton, I got a call from the DNC. Damn! This what I get for wanting to get involved. The thing is, I always put my name down as Mary, b/c that's my first name (not the name that everyone calls me). And you know what? I hate that name being said in my direction, so it's always a slight annoyance when someone says, "Is this Mary?" I think, "Sort of. Technically, I suppose you could say yes."
Anyway, I went back downstairs to wash the dishes, first hearing Wesley Clark (pretty good), and then Joe Lieberman. Which caused me to fully formulate this thought: "I am so happy that man is not the Democratic Presidential Nominee. Really." omg. Go back to the Senate, Joe. man. I'd feel like Mondale's supporters in '84 if Lieberman were the nominee. Clinging pathetically to this idea that you could possibly win the election w/this man at the helm (nothing personally against Mondale, I don't know much about him).
Nancy Pelosi didn't float my boat too much either.
Kerry I liked, which I've already said in other places.
The talking heads could sometimes be annoying, but sometimes it was great to hear these people dissect things. Do I want to be associated with flag-waving Americans? In a way. I understand that part of the reason this was done was to appeal to those undecided voters or wavering Republicans. We're trying to get across that we really don't hate this country--it's because we care for this country that we're working as hard as we can. And I want to claim my patriotism as my own. I know that the flag is the short-hand for love of and pride in country, and I bet there are a lot of liberals who are surprised to see how much they love their country and its ideals. But even after 9-11, I didn't wear a flag or get misty looking at it. It didn't seem to encompass everything that I was thinking and feeling about this country and that event.
I can't imagine being a delegate, or one of the organizers and volunteers, b/c even I'm let-down after the little amount that I watched the convention. There was this point for a few days when I thought, "I think we can really do this."
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-31 03:21 pm (UTC)BTW, you can hear any speeches you missed on npr.org.
Just sayin', hi.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-31 06:39 pm (UTC)thx for the npr plug. We should still be able to see it on c-span. I'd like to see a little self-effacing gore, er, Gore.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-31 07:05 pm (UTC)those undecided voters
Date: 2004-07-31 04:02 pm (UTC)Re: those undecided voters
Date: 2004-07-31 06:41 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to (hopefully) being totally disappointed in Kerry & Edwards once they start implementing their policies. I'm hoping the euphoria will hold me until the beginning of next summer.
being totally disappointed in Kerry & Edwards
Date: 2004-07-31 06:59 pm (UTC)Re: being totally disappointed in Kerry & Edwards
Date: 2004-07-31 07:06 pm (UTC)I don't think my guys are godlike or perfect by any means, but do you really think things will be no different?
Do you really believe that?
Date: 2004-07-31 07:17 pm (UTC)Re: Do you really believe that?
Date: 2004-07-31 07:30 pm (UTC)tool for making change and changing public opinion?
Date: 2004-07-31 07:42 pm (UTC)changing someones mind about politics is like changeing someones mind about religion, they have too much invested in it,..
i don't hold your political views against you, mine are so beyond the norm that it always stirs people up,.. the sad thing is the crap we're in to day was predictible years ago and i still happened ,..
and your view and passion for it only makes me respect you more,..:)
Re: tool for making change and changing public opinion?
Date: 2004-07-31 08:00 pm (UTC)oh, if only FLLW had his way and we lived in a "true" democracy--his kind of democracy where each person is allowed to develope their innate aristorcracy of every person. Of cousre, he lived like a king w/all his little apprentices doing his bidding, so even he didn't live in his idea of democracy.
And the appts to the supreme court make a difference to me.
the appts to the supreme court
Date: 2004-07-31 08:08 pm (UTC)the whole party thing is just trappings,..more retoric for the masses,..
as far as the supreme court goes they still bend to the will of their masters,..laws are overthrown and instituted every day and it seldom has any real bearing on the public,.....;0
Re: tool for making change and changing public opinion?
Date: 2004-07-31 08:04 pm (UTC)but I work it
Date: 2004-07-31 08:11 pm (UTC)the fact of the matter is, the real power of the people will probably never be realised because we're just too lazy,..o.o
Re: but I work it
Date: 2004-07-31 08:16 pm (UTC)When I was unemployed I made a point of writing to Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray every friday. After a while, I was getting staff replies.. a little while after that I was getting emails from the desk of. A little while later I was getting hand written notes.
Not long after this point I was sent one of the polls the DNC uses to reaffirm their stand on the issues by making you think you have input, and sent my reply handwritten across it in red marker. "don't box me in", etc..
I got a note from Maria Cantwell asking what I would do to change it to give party members a bigger say in shaping policy.
That was cool.
That was cool.
Date: 2004-07-31 08:21 pm (UTC)as a side note i haven't the foggiest who those people are,...o.0
Re: That was cool.
Date: 2004-07-31 08:25 pm (UTC)As a result Maria's online polls did seem to be more comprehensive opening up to more issues, as opposed to a few perceived Democratic issues.
But that is government. It is people working hard to make sure curbs have cuts in them for wheelchairs and bicycles.. slow going.
I think I DO make a small difference, but it is a lot of work, and 99.9999999% of people don't. Hell, they can hardly be bothered to vote, let alone help shape policy.
and 99.9999999% of people don't
Date: 2004-07-31 08:30 pm (UTC)Re: and 99.9999999% of people don't
Date: 2004-07-31 08:32 pm (UTC)I think you just contradicted yourself.
Date: 2004-07-31 08:40 pm (UTC)like i tell people given a real choice i woiuld get involved in politics but now the choice is the same as , oh, you can have gonerria or you can have sypilis ,.. gee, how about i abstain,..o.o
Re: I think you just contradicted yourself.
Date: 2004-07-31 08:49 pm (UTC)HOWEVER, I concede your point that there are not enough voices out there to represent the vast mosaic of opinion that is out there. Just look at the reaction to Sharpton's speech at the convention. I thought it was great to hear someone of a very different tone. Kucinich has been made out to be a joke because his values are very different from the mainstream.. that doesn't make them valueless.
Having grown up in a country with multiple parties, I see value in that. I've loved the diverse voices of the Democratic party, but they've had to suck it up GREATLY in order to contest the GOP.
Kerry isn't my ideal candidate, but I don't think my rights/nads are going to get pinched off with him in office.
from a dictatorship,
Date: 2004-07-31 08:57 pm (UTC)politics in all forms and colors is the realm of the very rich,.. here they just let the little guy play in the sand box,..
bush didn't get your rights or your nads either, so the point there seems moot,..
Re: from a dictatorship,
Date: 2004-07-31 09:02 pm (UTC)Re: from a dictatorship,the Patriot Act?
Date: 2004-07-31 09:07 pm (UTC)that was flack,.. pure and undisquised,..
the real thing was to rattle the bars so the othe crap could happen,.. none of that stuff will stand the test of time and they knew it,..
a little turing test
Date: 2004-07-31 09:10 pm (UTC)my appoligies
Date: 2004-07-31 09:14 pm (UTC)Re: my appoligies
Date: 2004-08-01 02:13 pm (UTC)