Democrats, day 1
Jul. 25th, 2016 09:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calimacI didn't watch the Republican convention at all, and only today and Thursday will I be free to see all of the major events of the Democratic one, our cable connection willing. (It went out twice today, but could be reset.)
Nobody believes in gavels any more. Both the opening and closing of the session, performed by different people, involved declaring it, walking off, being caught by a flunky, sheepishly returning to the podium, hunting down underneath it for the gavel, and giving the thing a casual whack. If only Kevin Standlee were a DNC official: then it would be done right.
The one thing I would most like to remind speakers is that you have the microphone, you have the sound system. Don't let the audience intimidate you, don't let them make you hesitate. Whatever it may sound like in the hall, you can just go right ahead and talk over them to your real audience, the one on broadcast, and they'll hear you just fine.
My favorite speaker was the woman from New Hampshire who, in contrast to all the immaculately dressed politicians (even Bernie Sanders found a clean suit), was wearing the sort of casual clothes a working-class woman would lounge around at home in. She was there because her story, told to Hillary Clinton at a round table during the primary, had attracted some interest from the candidate and the media. She retold it here: how her daughter had become a drug addict and how she, the woman speaking, had at age 50 to become caretaker to her 2-year-old grandson, because foster care was the only other option. Then she spoke of how Hillary would help people in her situation, and concluded her expression of faith in the candidate with the best line of the day, which was something like "It may not be necessary to be a grandmother - but it helps."
Michelle Obama, what a classy speech. With what dignity did she remind us that attacks on her husband's basic integrity (his citizenship, his religion) are hurtful to their children. You know, her youngest is 15, so in 3 years she'll be an empty-nester. Maybe she should take a leaf from Hillary's book and run for something.
Not all was great. Al Franken and Sarah Silverman, when asked to vamp in place until Paul Simon was ready (to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in a voice enough to remind you why he gave it to Garfunkel to sing in the first place), were just awful. They need a remedial course in comedy improvisation school. However, Silverman's prepared "Why Bernie supporters like me should vote for Hillary" speech was good.
And so was Bernie's own. After an almost Colbert-like slow start as he kept waiting for the cheering squad to calm down, he delivered a well-crafted speech. It began with thanks and call-outs to his supporters, even looking forward to their votes in the roll call, and then, via discussion of the joint platform, only slowly pivoted towards praise of Clinton. The slow pivot was wise, because it reinforced the sincerity of the endorsement. And he did remind his listeners that he'll still be in the Senate, fighting as he always has.
It was hard to hear shouts from the hall, but it appeared that the people likely to protest pro-Clinton speeches from Sanders supporters earlier in the day had calmed down at this masterful performance by their guru. I hope the "Bernie or Bust" people realize that at this point the option they'll get if they have their way is "Bust", and we really don't want that.
During various parts of the grand climax I made dinner, then we ate it (with the sound off: sorry, Cory Booker), and then I went out to the living room to watch the rest while B. did the dishes. At some point, I think it was Keith Ellison who exclaimed, "Thank you, Bernie!" And a voice came from the kitchen: "You're welcome."
Nobody believes in gavels any more. Both the opening and closing of the session, performed by different people, involved declaring it, walking off, being caught by a flunky, sheepishly returning to the podium, hunting down underneath it for the gavel, and giving the thing a casual whack. If only Kevin Standlee were a DNC official: then it would be done right.
The one thing I would most like to remind speakers is that you have the microphone, you have the sound system. Don't let the audience intimidate you, don't let them make you hesitate. Whatever it may sound like in the hall, you can just go right ahead and talk over them to your real audience, the one on broadcast, and they'll hear you just fine.
My favorite speaker was the woman from New Hampshire who, in contrast to all the immaculately dressed politicians (even Bernie Sanders found a clean suit), was wearing the sort of casual clothes a working-class woman would lounge around at home in. She was there because her story, told to Hillary Clinton at a round table during the primary, had attracted some interest from the candidate and the media. She retold it here: how her daughter had become a drug addict and how she, the woman speaking, had at age 50 to become caretaker to her 2-year-old grandson, because foster care was the only other option. Then she spoke of how Hillary would help people in her situation, and concluded her expression of faith in the candidate with the best line of the day, which was something like "It may not be necessary to be a grandmother - but it helps."
Michelle Obama, what a classy speech. With what dignity did she remind us that attacks on her husband's basic integrity (his citizenship, his religion) are hurtful to their children. You know, her youngest is 15, so in 3 years she'll be an empty-nester. Maybe she should take a leaf from Hillary's book and run for something.
Not all was great. Al Franken and Sarah Silverman, when asked to vamp in place until Paul Simon was ready (to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in a voice enough to remind you why he gave it to Garfunkel to sing in the first place), were just awful. They need a remedial course in comedy improvisation school. However, Silverman's prepared "Why Bernie supporters like me should vote for Hillary" speech was good.
And so was Bernie's own. After an almost Colbert-like slow start as he kept waiting for the cheering squad to calm down, he delivered a well-crafted speech. It began with thanks and call-outs to his supporters, even looking forward to their votes in the roll call, and then, via discussion of the joint platform, only slowly pivoted towards praise of Clinton. The slow pivot was wise, because it reinforced the sincerity of the endorsement. And he did remind his listeners that he'll still be in the Senate, fighting as he always has.
It was hard to hear shouts from the hall, but it appeared that the people likely to protest pro-Clinton speeches from Sanders supporters earlier in the day had calmed down at this masterful performance by their guru. I hope the "Bernie or Bust" people realize that at this point the option they'll get if they have their way is "Bust", and we really don't want that.
During various parts of the grand climax I made dinner, then we ate it (with the sound off: sorry, Cory Booker), and then I went out to the living room to watch the rest while B. did the dishes. At some point, I think it was Keith Ellison who exclaimed, "Thank you, Bernie!" And a voice came from the kitchen: "You're welcome."
