The Democratic National Convention

[notfundy]

FIRST)  It is SHAMEFUL - JUST SHAMEFUL -  that Fox News cut away from this grieving father's tremendously moving speech Thursday evening (see Khizr Khan, up thread a couple of posts) .     It is one thing to put a spin on the news.  Quite another to avoid giving your viewers even a semblance of the whole story.

Khan's  words "MR. TRUMP - you have sacrificed NOTHING.  You have sacrificed  NO ONE" were arguably the most compelling of the Democratic convention.  And to think Ann Coulter mocked him as an "angry Muslin with a heavy accent".  Obscene.   In fact, there is surprisingly little anger  - just deep sadness and fear for our country - in these parents.   

SECOND)  Friday evening, Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC's "Last Word" had the parents on to speak more about their son.   OH MY GOD.  

I am still shaking and crying from the interview.  They are amazing American patriots - having been in this county for decades since their son was two years old.  Dad is a Harvard-trained legal expert from Pakistan.  You could not ask for a better American family, seriously.  Of course, they are of the Muslim faith so in Trump's American, they'd be GONE.  

Mr. Khan called directly on Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell to repudiate Donald Trump.  Mr. Khan says it's a moral imperative, that our country and democracy are at stake.   Here is a link to the interview from tonight.

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/slain-soldier-s-dad-gop-should-call-out-trump-735109699658

 

THIRD)  Donald Trump did a rally in Colorado Springs today where he looked and sounded certifiably crazy.   Again.   Going on about TV ratings, who's last insulted him, complaining about the fire marshal at the venue where he was speaking, denying he ever mocked a disabled reporter (it's the CROOKED MEDIA doncha' know?)   Calling names.  Calling the media liars and crooks. 

There are many legitimate arguments Trump could have made against the Dems today.  That is what a normal candidate would do.  But know - he was off to the races, off to "crazy-land" again.  I cannot fathom how this man is beating ANYONE in the polls.  I guess it shows what a seriously flawed candidate Clinton is, or at least demonstrates that the Republican party has succeeded in completely demonizing her over the past 30 years.   

God help us.  Seriously.   

But do look at the Khan's interview.  Strong, well-spoken, loving people.  They love the United States; it comes out in every sentence. 

 

[Geechee Girl]

Late to the party, but here's my  I supported Sanders in the primary and contributed to his campaign. I knew he wasn't likely to win the nomination, but I felt my support of him sent a message to shake the status quo. In regards to the convention, I get their frustration. Clinton was coronated prior to the roll call. I found that to be in poor taste. I also remember what it was like a new voter with the passion of a zealot. It's heartbreaking to feel all efforts were for naught. Bernie's team worked hard on the ground. That being said, heckling is just plain rude and immature. I was a HRC delegate to the state convention her first time around. Honestly, I don't have the same enthusiasm for her now. She will still have my vote come November plus the party line down ticket.

I really enjoyed the variety of convention speakers. Listening to Bill still gives me butterflies. He was my first presidential vote. HRC's speech was just a'ight for me. I liked Warren's better. POTUS & FLOTUS are forever flawless. Michelle's hair was laid!!! She had me in tears. I'm going to miss them.

What was y'all's first big time disappointment when your candidate didn't win and the loss was crushing?

My first heartbreak was the 2000 election. I haven't recovered from that stolen election. I was a foot soldier, poll watcher,and provided voter transportation. I saw some really shady goings on in central FL. Voter disenfranchisement in minority majority precincts is real. The volunteers were given the numbers of Dem lawyers in the event we saw violations of the Voting Rights Act. I was ready to catch a case for the cause. Voter advocacy was my calling. Thankfully, I didn't have to use it, but some others did. It was a hot mess in Palm Beach county. Just to get this off my chest: I hate Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush, FL Supreme Court and SCOTUS for their parts in stopping the recounts.

The RNC convention was a downer. I could never support their platform. Even the language in its 66 pages sounds decent in some regards, yet crazy in others. I'd liken it to reading Zsu's blog on the days where she makes sense for about a minute.

 

[RoseWilder]

@Geechee Girl: The first election I was old enough to vote in was 2000. That was a major disappointment. Then to have it followed up by the 2004 election, and I was feeling quite jaded and bitter about the whole election process. My Mother had to talk me off the emotional ledge and remind me to stay engaged in the political process. The 2008 election was like a balm to my weary soul after the previous 2 voting experiences (I, of course, voted in the mid-term elections as well, but I live in such a heavily Republican area that there are a lot of places on the ballot where a Democrat isn't even running, so the mid-term elections are always a disappointment.) 

I'm the opposite of you when it comes to enthusiasm over Hillary Clinton. I voted for Obama in the primaries the last time Clinton ran, but I'm extremely enthusiastic about her running this time. 

[louisa05]

5 hours ago, Geechee Girl said:

Late to the party, but here's my  I supported Sanders in the primary and contributed to his campaign. I knew he wasn't likely to win the nomination, but I felt my support of him sent a message to shake the status quo. In regards to the convention, I get their frustration. Clinton was coronated prior to the roll call. I found that to be in poor taste. I also remember what it was like a new voter with the passion of a zealot. It's heartbreaking to feel all efforts were for naught. Bernie's team worked hard on the ground. That being said, heckling is just plain rude and immature. I was a HRC delegate to the state convention her first time around. Honestly, I don't have the same enthusiasm for her now. She will still have my vote come November plus the party line down ticket.

I really enjoyed the variety of convention speakers. Listening to Bill still gives me butterflies. He was my first presidential vote. HRC's speech was just a'ight for me. I liked Warren's better. POTUS & FLOTUS are forever flawless. Michelle's hair was laid!!! She had me in tears. I'm going to miss them.

What was y'all's first big time disappointment when your candidate didn't win and the loss was crushing?

My first heartbreak was the 2000 election. I haven't recovered from that stolen election. I was a foot soldier, poll watcher,and provided voter transportation. I saw some really shady goings on in central FL. Voter disenfranchisement in minority majority precincts is real. The volunteers were given the numbers of Dem lawyers in the event we saw violations of the Voting Rights Act. I was ready to catch a case for the cause. Voter advocacy was my calling. Thankfully, I didn't have to use it, but some others did. It was a hot mess in Palm Beach county. Just to get this off my chest: I hate Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush, FL Supreme Court and SCOTUS for their parts in stopping the recounts.

The RNC convention was a downer. I could never support their platform. Even the language in its 66 pages sounds decent in some regards, yet crazy in others. I'd liken it to reading Zsu's blog on the days where she makes sense for about a minute.

 

Because that is how it is done. The primaries/caucuses determine delegates. Delegate numbers are not going to change in the roll call from what was determined in primaries. The vast majority of super delegates (which--if they had them-- the GOP could have used to prevent a Trump nomination btw, that is the point--a safety net if the masses lose their fucking minds) vote according to the outcome in their state. The modern convention is less a nominating convention than a media extravaganza/pep rally to present the candidate to the wider audience. What did you want them to do? Pretend that we didn't know who would be nominated and waste a national television audience on Monday night with pretend suspense? How would that have been effective use of free air time for the general election? 

The parties are not in the business of protecting the feelings of every voter whose candidate lost (or those candidates), they are in the business of getting their nominees elected. 

[RoseWilder]

I think the Democratic National Convention was enormously respectful of Bernie Sanders and his supporters. And in response, the supporters who showed up booed and heckled people and stormed off. 

[notfundy]

1 minute ago, RoseWilder said:

I think the Democratic National Convention was enormously respectful of Bernie Sanders and his supporters. And in response, the supporters who showed up booed and heckled people and stormed off. 

I agree with you.  I've been around politics for decades longer than many of the Bernie supporters, and the courtesy and REAL RESPECT shown to Bernie and his campaign was remarkable.  Yes, the DRC in the person of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz acted terribly (but not much differently from other national politicial committees, frankly.  "Nothing to see here" was my response to the leaks.  Meh. 

And Sanders  had a significant - and I mean SIGNIFICANT - impact on the Dem party platform, pushing HRC much further to the left than I, at least, thought possible.

And Bernie GETS  IT.  You have to work within the system to get things done, and if you are a progressive, the Democratic party offers you a much better starting place.  Discussion on Bill Maher last night (if you could get past Cornel West who is supporting the Green Party) said as much.  Sanders appeared by video.  

I was getting very angry at the booing and shouting from the Sanders supporters (was disrespectful to Sen Sanders as well, who had asked supporters not to do that).

And of course, FAUX NEWS was covering the divisiveness all day (and night) long.  <sigh> very disappointing.  I will hold these people (partially) responsible if Trumps wins the election.  We need every single vote. 

[VelociRapture]

You know, I really shouldn't expect better of Trump about anything anymore. But mocking the grieving parents of a fallen American soldier, both of whom bravely appeared at the DNC to honor their son?! Claiming he's made sacrifices like the horrible sacrifice endured by this family abd all Gold Star families?! Implying his mother didn't speak because she's Muslim when, actually, she can't even see her dead son's face without breaking down and she knew she couldn't emotionally handle giving a speech in that way?! Who the FUCK does he think he is?!

I'm literally so angry right now. I don't have words for this. To anyone still thinking of voting for him  - go right ahead, but don't you ever dare to say you respect our soldiers or their families. Electing this asshole says the exact opposite. It says that you could give two shits about their sacrifices. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-father-fallen-soldier-ive-made-lot/story?id=41015051

 

[notfundy]

It just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?  When asked about the Khan parents, Trump could have just said "I cannot begin to feel their pain, but I am sorry for their loss" and just left it at that.  Suggesting that "Hillary's speech writer wrote the father's speech"???   (Mr. Khan spoke without notes, without teleprompter.)    And then to suggest that his wife didn't speak because she wasn't ALLOWED to speak?   "I don't know, YOU TELL ME"  Trump says.   

Mrs.Khan did speak  - with great difficulty - Friday night on MSNBC

And still Fox News covers nothing.

I am very sad for our country.  Trump is a monster, a sociopath, incapable of feeling empathy.  

[Cartmann99]

When I saw Mr. and Mrs. Khan at the DNC, I just assumed that she wasn't comfortable speaking in front of such a large audience. Silly me, I forgot that there's always something sinister happening when Muslims are involved. 

@notfundy, thanks for posting the Khans interview from MSNBC. Only a parent who has experienced the loss of a child can truly understand the pain they are living with, but most people have enough sense to be gentle with those who are grieving. Donald Trump is an insufferable ass with no sense at all. 

@VelociRapture, congrats on your pregnancy! 

[PraiseDog]

On 7/25/2016 at 8:13 PM, Maggie Mae said:

snipped

Also I live in a state that has never swung blue, and my vote doesn't count anyway. The election is over before our polls even close. 

I caucused for Bernie in my district and my county. I'm not a "bro" either, I'm a middle-aged female.
Yes it's true that the DNC was all for Hillary and tried to discredit Bernie, but the DNC is not a government entity; it's an independent organization that puts forward candidates, but can't control what happens at the caucuses or in the voting booth.  They did have some control over certain aspects of the mainstream media, but here in my state, at the caucuses, nobody was listening to the media. Ultimately, Hillary got more votes than Bernie, popular votes as well as delegates.  And if the whole "superdelegate" system seems messed-up, consider this:  if the Republicans had the same system, there's no way Trump would have gotten the nomination.

Anyway, I'll get to my point, finally:  Since you live in a state that probably won't affect the outcome, maybe you should do what I'm going to do: since I live in a western state that has gone blue in every election since Reagan, I'm going to fill out my ballot all except for President, then watch the results up until the polls are about to close here. 

If it looks like my state might make a difference in the totals, I'll vote for Hillary then drop off my ballot.  If the usual happens and the election's decided before the polls close here, I'm going to vote for Jill Stein then drop off my ballot.

This way, my vote WILL count for something!  Either to keep a cheating, lying racist egotist from fucking up my country, and/or to help get a third party 5% of the popular vote, so that in subsequent elections they will qualify for federal funds and start to make inroads into this two-party system that hasn't given us good choices in a long time.

TL;DR:  People who don't like either candidate and who live in a state that doesn't count, should definitely vote 3rd party, just to get them to 5% and therefore, a place at the table in future elections.     
 

On 7/25/2016 at 10:18 PM, Mecca said:

I thought Bernie did excellent and did not back away from his support of Hillary. I am hoping this moves us forward so we can all work together. There are things that need to change, I agree, but there is a lot at stake here. The thought of a Supreme Court Justice nomination coming from Mr. Spray Tan is flat out terrifying. We can all agree with that, right? 

I sort of wish congress (and the media) would take a break from "All election, All the time" and do what they're supposed to do, hold hearings to either approve or disapprove President Obama's Supreme Court nomination.  They had over 6 months to do their fucking jobs, and the media just dropped the ball, as usual.

[PraiseDog]

On 7/26/2016 at 11:37 PM, RoseWilder said:

I just finished watching tonight's coverage of the DNC. I starting crying during the video when the glass shattered. I kept thinking about Elizabeth Cady Staton and Susan B. Anthony and all the other people who fought so hard just for women to even have the right to vote, and now we officially have a female nominee. I feel so proud of the Democratic party right now!

Sorry, I'm getting all gushy and sentimental. I just can't help myself. 

I loved seeing that one delegate (don't remember which state) who was born before women had the right to vote!

[PraiseDog]

On 7/28/2016 at 8:46 PM, RoseWilder said:

Maybe Jill planned them out ahead of time. She doesn't seem all the interested in facts, reason or what is actually happening. She's just trotting out those Republican talking points, one right after the other. 

That's not very smart of her.  She must know she's not going to be elected - so she should be going for the independents, and republicans who are moderate, not racists, not misogynists, not religious haters.

[Gellhorn]

Apparently Mr. Trump had nasty things to say about the Fire Marshal (who is a registered Republican by the way) yet it was his organization who made 10,000 tickets available for a venue they KNEW would only legally hold 2,500.  The capacity was well known.

The reason Trump was stuck in the elevator is because one of HIS staff messed with the elevator settings by switching it to manual override while it was in motion.  I read that yesterday and damned if I can find the article now.  When I do, I'll link it.

[PraiseDog]

On 7/30/2016 at 9:02 AM, RoseWilder said:

I think the Democratic National Convention was enormously respectful of Bernie Sanders and his supporters. And in response, the supporters who showed up booed and heckled people and stormed off. 

Not all of them did.  Just a noisy minority.

 

[Gellhorn]

Found a reference to it, but not the original article I read yesterday.  It's going to drive me bonkers.

 

Spoiler

http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Donald-Trump-rescued-from-hotel-elevator-before-UCCS-rally-388750802.html

An interview with the co-owner of the hotel suggests the stoppage may have been the fault of members of Trump's staff who were given keys to control the elevators during their stay.

KDRO had an update too.

 

Spoiler

http://www.krdo.com/news/new-details-emerge-in-trump-elevator-rescue/40966226

 

[PraiseDog]

Just have to mention one thing before I go ...I really admired Chelsea's speech introducing her Mother.  Chelsea in 2024?

[louisa05]

1 hour ago, PraiseDog said:

I loved seeing that one delegate (don't remember which state) who was born before women had the right to vote!

Arizona. She is 102 and remembers her mother and others dressing up to celebrate casting their first votes.

[RoseWilder]

1 hour ago, PraiseDog said:

Not all of them did.  Just a noisy minority.

 

Sorry. I'm referring to the Bernie or Bust people. I should have made that more clear. 

[VelociRapture]

2 hours ago, PraiseDog said:

Just have to mention one thing before I go ...I really admired Chelsea's speech introducing her Mother.  Chelsea in 2024?

Personally? I hope not. Chelsea is a very smart, compassionate, and hardworking person. Any parent would be lucky to have her as their child and I have no doubt she would do her best.

But I am firmly opposed to political dynasties. Everyone deserves a chance to run if they want it, but I am really uncomfortable with the idea of any one family having power in that way - even if other Presidents serve in between and even if its a family I agree with on many issues.

Plus, I don't know if Chelsea would really be interested in running. She knows better than most what the job entails and how it can impact a child to grow up in that type of spotlight. I get the feeling that she wouldn't want that for her own children.

[PraiseDog]

Ok, you're right, lot's of good points there. What if I adjust the year to 2028 or 2032? Her kids would be grown up...

 

[Geechee Girl]

On 7/30/2016 at 8:34 AM, louisa05 said:

Because that is how it is done. The primaries/caucuses determine delegates. Delegate numbers are not going to change in the roll call from what was determined in primaries. The vast majority of super delegates (which--if they had them-- the GOP could have used to prevent a Trump nomination btw, that is the point--a safety net if the masses lose their fucking minds) vote according to the outcome in their state. The modern convention is less a nominating convention than a media extravaganza/pep rally to present the candidate to the wider audience. What did you want them to do? Pretend that we didn't know who would be nominated and waste a national television audience on Monday night with pretend suspense? How would that have been effective use of free air time for the general election? 

The parties are not in the business of protecting the feelings of every voter whose candidate lost (or those candidates), they are in the business of getting their nominees elected. 

I'm aware of how it's done. However, for a party that's begging for unity, it seems ill-advised to start off on the wrong foot with the other candidate's delegates. A simple solution would be to have the roll call on the first day of the convention. I don't understand the leap from my original assertion to wasting a national tv audience. I believe by having the roll call on day one is a more effective use of free air time when more people are likely to tune in.