And California passed - must have been so that Hillary's count never surpassed The One's...

Exit question: since the entire purpose of the convention, the roll call of the states, was thrown out the window, how does this even remain a convention? How is it different from one huge campaign ad?

No disclaimers?

You mean that the convention is a dog and pony show, and all the deals are made in smoke-filled rooms in the back? Sorry, I refuse to believe that Our Savior, The One, The Lightbringer, would participate in such a charade. He has too much integrity.

"I am The One, and I approve this uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,uh, uh, er, um, der, doi, duh, um, uh-uh-uh-uh-uuuuuuuh, sham."

Actually it has been a huge success in labeling Mccain as Gws sidekick. I think now we can all rest assured that mcsame will take liberman as his VP he has to shake up the image that He is the second coming of GW.

So the "maverick" will be forced to move left

You'll get a pro-life VP who calls himself a liberal and John McCain will be adopting every democratic postion as his own in order to distance himself from the failed bush legacy.

I'm curious... would you conservatives under ANY circumstances say that this convention went well?

Well, I can't speak for other conservatives, but as a former liberal, I would say yes. Can I ask you the same question about the Repubs next week?

How is it different from one huge campaign ad?

How are ANY conventions not huge campaign ads.

The more we GOPers understand that they are JUST that, the better off we'll be. And the better off we'll be at getting our message across to the masses.

I mean this from a all-encompassing marketing communications standpoint. GOPers, except for Reagan, have been downright awful from a marketing standpoint.

We're (largely) fooling ourselves if we think this actually comes down to the issues.

We may not like this kind of Obama showmanship, but we damn well better find (or at least portray) someone who has the ability to compete with these 'youngsters' the Dems keep throwing out.

I'd say you are more likely to get john mcCain to admit the convention is going well than the wizbangers. these poeple hate barack (the obama messiah as they call him) No, under no circumstances will they say the convention is good. in fairness I doub you will see any one daily kos writing about how great the republican concention is when it happens.

From their stand point the republican convention will be an unmitagated disaster.

From wizbang's perspective it will be one powerful oratory after another. read kim's articles then if you have any doubt.

jmc, moles give more insight...

The Roll Call vote was pathetic. The word "Pass" has no place on the floor of a convention... It's a cowardly act.

I don't pay much attention to the conventions, but my admittedly-shaky memory seems to recall that the "surprise" appearance by the candidate -- at least by video -- on the third night is pretty much a tradition. So I'd say no, it means nothing.

Much like most of Obama's speeches and promises.

J.

I wish I knew when they decided that difference of opinion amongst the candidates was a sign of weakness at the convention.

As I recall conventions from when I was a kid, the first vote included what was called "favorite sons". States could spend their votes on someone that nobody else was going to vote for, but gave the state a chance to shine for a few moments.

Then, visually, the states started to come together. On the next vote, people started to come together around specific candidates until one was finally supreme. There was discussion and diversity of all types of people on display.

They were fun.

Now, they are highly scripted parade of anyone who can get a plane ticket to the place standing up for 3 minutes and saying a speech that no one thinks they wrote and most deliver with the same enthusiasm they face a root canal.

It doesn't matter if it is Democrat or Republican - they both insult the intelligence of the voters.

I've always found these conventions to be disturbingly like the Academy Awards ceremonies. It's just a big clique getting together and congratulating each other with great fanfare, pomp and circumstance while a bunch of ordinary people gather to watch them pat each other on the back and munch hors d'oeuvres hoping to accidentally bump into one of them.

Forget all this. Let the debates begin.

This convention had no enthusiam and energy compared to past Democrat conventions such as 1980,1988, 1992 and 2000.

Long time Clinton watchers see something familiar. IMO, Hillary has been preparing for 2012 for weeks if not more than a month. I heard no rhetoric that reminded me of the previous liberal firebrands of the left, nothing that suggested a unified, "go to the mat" marching front that was ready for a soon to be vicious campaign.

I think the Hillary problem took the air out of the Obama campaign, and the week's distractions of Geoge Obama and William Ayres took the campaign off message.

Both conventions are tightly packaged productions with no surprises as in the old days. The delegates have little power anymore once they step on the floor. I do not watch them at all except for maybe McCain's speech and possibly the VP nominee. All glitter and glammer produced for the masses. ww

"I think the Hillary problem took the air out of the Obama campaign,..."

Yes, it has. Hillary's done all she could to encourage her supporters to vote for Obama. Some will, but if Obama wants the rest, he's going to have give them a reason himself. Giving her a speech slot is merely a symbolic gesture towards her supporters. Any praise he offers for her efforts is merely recognition of those efforts. What he has to do is give her die-hard supporters a reason to vote for HIM.

jmc -

I don't hate Obama - I just think he's woefully underprepared for the job of President, and needs to spend time trying to get his ideas out and accepted at the city and state level before trying for the big job.

He's been pushed WAY above his pay grade on this one. He's a great orator (if he's got a teleprompter) and has good stage presence... but THAT isn't what the Presidency is about. Can he make hard choices? Can he, if push comes to shove, choose what's best for the country over what's best for the Democratic Party, or his own image as he sees it?

I don't think he can. That's why he won't get my vote.

I was disappointed. The way Hairplugs built it up, I expected Santa Claus to come out from behind the curtain.

"I'm curious... would you conservatives under ANY circumstances say that this convention went well?"

I'm curious parthenon, would YOU under ANY circumstance say that this convention has NOT gone well? Because I guarantee that you will see Jay and others calling out plenty about the Repub convention.

The Roll Call vote was pathetic. The word "Pass" has no place on the floor of a convention... It's a cowardly act.

Yes, it's almost as bad is voting present.

Maybe Barrack had a heads up about this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080828/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy

D-Hoggs, I wouldn't make that guarantee. I largely ignored the Democratic convention, and I don't see myself doing much for the Republican one. It's almost all BS anyway.

I try to concern myself with issues, not pageantry.

Also, one of my fundamental rules about blogging is that it has to be something I find interesting. I don't think I can write in an interesting way about something I don't find intereting, and the conventions bore the crap out of me. The only real news that comes out of them is the running mates, and in both cases that decision will have been made before the conventions.

Sorry...

J.