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Democratic Convention - Day 1 Preview: One Nation

From the Democratic National Convention Website:

Barack Obama’s story is an American story that reflects a life of struggle, opportunity and responsibility like those faced by Americans everyday. The opening night of the Convention will highlight Barack’s life story, his commitment to change, and the voices of Americans who are calling for a new direction for this country.

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Claire McCaskill will speak about the values of the Democratic Party and the efforts to take America in a New Direction and to reach out to all voters, in particular new voters, independents and Republicans to get the country moving in the right direction again at this critical time; nightly theme will be "One Nation."
• Tribute to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who has worked for more than 45 years to bring the country together and ensure equal opportunity for all Americans.
• Barack Obama’s sister Maya Soetero-Ng will talk about her brother’s life and the experiences that have shaped him as a leader.
• Michelle Obama will be the headline prime-time speaker. As the person who knows him best, Michelle will talk about the Barack Obama she knows and loves, the values that shape him, and why she believes he’ll be an extraordinary president. Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s older brother, will introduce Michelle.

The DNCC will offer live, gavel-to-gavel, streaming video coverage in HD.

A complete, Spanish-language simulcast will also be available.

“America’s Town Hall” will virtually throw open the doors to the Convention hall by inviting individuals across the country to submit text and video questions.

Follow the local news from the Denver Post.

TV Schedule for Day 1
While CNN, FOXnews, MSNBC and C-Span will have near-continuous coverage from Denver, ABC, CBS and NBC will be live during their nightly newscasts and from 10p-11p. ABC's Nightline will be from Denver, and PBS' coverage will be from 8-11p.

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1 day until the Democratic National Convention.

8 days until the Republican National Convention.

33 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

39 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

42 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

52 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

72 days until Election Day.

149 days until Presidential Inauguration.

-RSKnopfJr

The gloves are off!

Well, the gloves appear to be off.

After calling John McCain his friend, newly tapped Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden proceeded to do what he could to rip him apart.

If Obama is, for the most part, going to stay above the fray, it looks like he found the bulldog to hit go after McCain...and hit him hard.

Democrats should be thrilled, because if this first speech is any indication, Biden is up to the task. Republicans should be a little concerned because: Biden should now tilt Pennsylvania toward the Dems (Biden's home state), he will play well in the Midwest, his faith (Catholic), personal story (losing a wife, coming from modest means) and his vast experience in foreign policy not only shore up areas that Obama is perceived to be weak in, but he reinforces areas Obama's areas of strength.

If Biden can keep himself regined in (not saying anything outlandish...just stick to what needs to be done), the two tasks that need to be addressed are the comments he has made about Obama during the primary season, and how being a long-time Senator can be an asset to a 'change' ticket.  Once the Obama camp can out-flank McCain's team and get the upper-hand in these two areas, they will be in a great position for the final 2.5 months.

Rumors are that McCain is going to announce his selection next Friday (at a rally in Dayton) in an effort to seize the political spotlight from Obama on the day after he accepts his nomination. With the ad that came out from McCain today with video of Biden saying Obama wasn't ready, I'm not sure that Romney is now going to be the pick; imagine all the video there is of Romney and McCain going at it during the primary season.

The latest Gallup poll has Obama 46%-44% McCain. Between thoday's announcement and the convention next week, let's see if Obama can ride a wave of momentum and get a nice bounce in the polls.

 

Obama, Biden Rally In Illinois This Afternoon
Biden gave a fiery speech in which he praised Obama and criticized McCain, saying "these time require more than a good soldier, they require a wise leader. Biden also emphasized the importance of this election: "This is no ordinary time, this is no ordinary election." >>
HuffingtonPost

Biden gives Obama old-school cred
Sen. Barack Obama's choice of Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate raises the question of whether Obama can carry off his message of change with a seasoned Washington politician by his side. >>
CNN

A Reassuring Pick
I am not sure whether Senator Barack Obama made the best political move in choosing Senator Joe Biden as his vice-president. >>
The New Republic

Choice Of Biden Signals Vigorous Debate With GOP On Foreign Policy, But There Are Risks
In choosing Joe Biden as his running mate, Barack Obama is gambling that Biden's many strengths will compensate for his own weaknesses as a candidate, rather than serve as a backdrop against which those weaknesses will appear in sharp relief. >>
TalkingPointsMemo

Quick Two Cents   
I am quite surprised — nearly shocked — at the pick of Biden. I believe Obama has made an error — not just hope so, believe. >>
National Review

Obama May Have Played It Too Safe
Joe Biden? I feel the same way I did at the end of the last episode of "The Sopranos." Sure, some people considered the go-to-black ending nuanced, but as far as I was concerned, the producers punted. They chose a non-ending because they couldn't decide on a strong ending. >>
RealClearPolitics

The Case Against Joe Biden
Yesterday we argued for why Barack Obama should pick Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. Today we tackle the opposite argument. >>
Washington Post

Biden for dummies
Face it, you're in a jam. You are scheduled to go on TV this afternoon. There’s a dinner party tonight. And, truth be told, you don’t really know much about Joe Biden other than some glancing knowledge of his Washington reputation. >>
Politico

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2 days until the Democratic National Convention.

9 days until the Republican National Convention.

34 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

40 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

43 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

53 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

73 days until Election Day.

150 days until Presidential Inauguration.

-RSKnopfJr

3:14am

3:14am

It was 3:14am when I awoke at the sound of a beep from my cell phone. Normally, I would ignore it until the morning but I knew what it was and awoke to confirm. Here is what I saw:

"Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!"

So, it's official. Obama-Biden '08.

Just after midnight, most media outlets were confirming this was the case. So much for the Obama team's 'letting supporters know first' hype. In fact, the e-mail notification didn't hit my inbox until early this morning:

Mark Shrider, from the excellent blog 'Right on the Mark', points out that he likes the pick, and I tend to agree. When some members of the community came together at the National Presidential Straw Poll last November, Joe Biden had pretty good support.

We need to wait until 3pm to see the ticket together for the first time, but the McCain camp already has an ad ready:

Reaction after the speech. For now, vote in the poll to the right and leave a comment about what you think about the selection, how it affects your choice, and whether you think it helps or hurts either party.

More later.

-RSKnopfJr

Would you vote for a candidate whose religious beliefs do not match your own?

conducted August 13-22, 2008

-RSKnopfJr

Breakfast at Springfield

With apologies to NBC (if you watch tennis on TV, you'll get the title reference)...

The Associated Press is reporting (found at USAToday, Yahoo and elsewhere) that the announcement of Obama's selection for VP will be made Saturday morning, hours before the running mates appear together...

According to MSNBC (scroll down for the paragraph), it isn't going to be Even Bayh of Indiana or Tim Kaine of Virginia...

I wasn't the only one who thought the Obama-Bayh bumper sticker was awful.

Biden...Edwards...or a wild card? Get a good night's sleep campers. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow.  :-)

-RSKnopfJr

Obama -Bayh?

Bumper Sticker Could Indicate Bayh Is Obama's Veep
After weeks of speculation and days of intense rumors, the answer to who Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would name as his running mate may have come down to a bumper sticker printed in Lenexa. >>
KMBC

Even Bayh Biography

For the moment, let's not discuss the merits of Bayh until it is official (what's listed above is just a story - nothing official). If this is what the bumper stickers (and other materials) will actually be, I'm extremely disappointed. It doesn't look anything like what Obama has so far (colors and logo), and is too plain. I would hope that his marketing people would have something better than these ready to roll...unless this is some sort of swerve.

And we continue to wait...

-RSKnopfJr

Waiting...

While wondering if I'll vote for the RiverPlace repeal...

5 o'clock and all is well...except for those of us waiting to hear who Obama selected as his VP nominee.

With polls showing that things are getting tighter, every choice the candidates make is going to scrutinized. Did Obama announce his selection too late? Is McCain's timing going to be any better, or make things worse? Does any of this really matter?

Because I like this stuff, I have been hitting refresh on my web browser every few minutes to see if there is an update. I alternate between CNN, FOX and MSNBC to see if someone has the scoop in who the nominee is. I signed up for updates from the campaign websites because...well...I'm a geek.

People ask me who the selections are going to be, like I have the answer. I'm just as much in the dark as everyone else; I have an opinion as to whom I think it will be, as well as the person I would like to see.

Who will it be?

D - The conventional wisdom of late is Joe Biden. A solid choice with plenty of experience, he would bring the 'gravitas' to the ticket that Obama still lacks (similar to the role Cheney was supposed to play with Bush). A lot of pundits think that Biden is the one, and I don't see any reason to disagree. Obama shouldn't be worried about this pick, unless he decides that a career politician and another Senator is one too many for a 'change' ticket.

R - Once again, the general agreement that I am finding across the media, bloggers and news hounds is that Mitt Romney is the man. With his success in business, the Salt Lake City Olympics and being a Washington 'outsider' (former governor of Massachusetts), he is in a strong position to be the nominee...if his Mormonism or squabbles with the candidate don't scare off McCain.

Who do I want?

D - Since my moral fiber will not allow me to wish for a selection that would doom either party, I am looking for a VP that would be a good leader, is capable of doing the job, and most importantly, someone that would make this campaign fun over the last few months. For that reason, I would enjoy seeing Obama select Hillary Clinton. Not only would it be interesting to watch the interaction between the two, throw Bill into the mix and watch the sparks fly. If you thought the primaries, watch what would happen if they were on the same ticket and were forced to co-exist...or try to.

R - If I was purely greedy, I would want Mike Huckabee to be the man...but I'm not. To make a dream ticket for this election cycle, I would really enjoy Joe Lieberman to be McCain's pick. Besides being BFFs, this would be a bold choice for McCain and is almost logical (reaching out to Democrats, Independents, Jewish voters). Plus, I like that it would make history. Lieberman would be a VP nominee for both major parties, and only eight years apart. This pick would reinforce his image as both a maverick and someone not beholden to party politics.

Well, there you have my quick thoughts. Not very original, but what's on my mind now that it's 5:15p and still no announcement. AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!! Who do you think it will be? You never know when a correct answer could get you an ice cream cone from Dietsch's. That sounds good right now. I think I'll go spoil my dinner.

-RSKnopfJr

Electoral College Projection: 11 weeks (-24 hours) until Election Day

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 45%
McCain - 43%
Obama -1% since last poll

McCain takes lead over Obama
In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. >>
Reuters

Poll of polls: Obama's once-comfortable lead gone
For Barack Obama, the Democratic convention and the bump in the polls that is expected to follow couldn't come soon enough. >>
CNN

Nader predicts Obama to pick Clinton
Count Ralph Nader as unimpressed by the crop of supposed finalists to be Barack Obama’s running mate. >>
Politico

"Caroline: Pull a Cheney!"
Dear Caroline, We've never met, so I hope you don't find this letter too presumptuous or inappropriate. As its contents involve the public's business, I am sending this to you via the public on the Internet. >>
Michael Moore

Homeless Get Cleaned Up With Free Haircuts For DNC
The City of Denver has been working to make sure everything is in tip-top shape for all the visitors coming to town for the Democratic National Convention, and now a local salon is helping in that effort. >>
CBS 4 Denver

Sen. Joe Lieberman to speak at GOP convention
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate in 2000 and now an independent who is one of John McCain's strongest supporters, will speak at the Republican National Convention, an official said. >>
Breitbart

Governor May Turn Down Convention Invite
Governor Schwarzenegger and three other high-profile Californians were chosen today to address the Republican National Convention in St. Paul next month; however >>
KCBS 740AM

Lieberman's Place in VP History
If McCain decides to buck conservative critics and choose Joe Lieberman as his running mate, Lieberman will again make vice presidential candidate history. >>
MSNBC

GOP Unveils Its Convention Stars
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention next month and Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman also will take center stage at the GOP gathering. >>
The Huffington Post

RealClearPolitics Electoral College
270 Electoral Votes Needed to Win
McCain - 274
Obama - 264
McCain +45/Obama -45 since last projection

 

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5 days until the Democratic National Convention.

12 days until the Republican National Convention.

37 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

43 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

46 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

56 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

76 days until Election Day.

-RSKnopfJr

It's hard to believe it's been seven years. I miss you Mom.

The End Is Nigh

News flash on Drudge Report late this afternoon:

"The NYT newsroom was buzzing late Monday afternoon after Obama-beat reporter Jeff Zeleny learned how the Dem hopeful has now finalized his choice for a running-mate.

Obama has set an elaborate roll-out to announce his decision that will begin with an early morning e-mail to supporters, perhaps as early as Tuesday, Zeleny and Adam Nagourney have been told."

Visit Drudge Report for the latest.

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 46%
McCain - 43%
Obama +2%, McCain -1% since last poll

McCain to hold 10K rally day after Obama's speech
John McCain will hold a 10,000-strong rally in Ohio the day after Barack Obama accepts his party’s nomination in Denver. >>
PolitickerOH

Dems got the party
Celebrities may be scarce at the Republican convention come September, but the Democrats have so many clamoring to get into their convention in Denver the week before, it's like the Vanity Fair Oscar party. >>
Daily News

Obama's Edge in the Coverage Race
Democrat Barack Obama has had about a 3 to 1 advantage over Republican John McCain in Post Page 1 stories since Obama became his party's presumptive nominee June 4. >>
Washington Post

Obama's Vice Presidential Running Mate Search Nears End
With just one week to go before the Democrats open their 2008 nominating convention in Denver, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is giving no real hints about his vice presidential pick. >>
ABC News

Gore for Veep?
Maybe it's time to bring the rampant speculation back to one of its earliest incarnations, dating back to last fall. >>
The New Republic

Biden: Smart, Safe (Mostly) Pick
With all the Biden buzz, we have to wonder if he would be a good choice for Obama. Is someone who's spent all of his adult life in Washington, but who's never had much success on the national stage, a good fit on the ticket? >>
Real Clear Politics

Obama VP buzz squarely on Biden
When Joe Biden returns to Capitol Hill Monday from his two-day trip to embattled Georgia, vice presidential speculation will rest squarely on him. >>
CNN

Obama: 'I will win'
A confident Barack Obama raised an extraordinary $7.8 million Sunday at three California fundraisers, most of it in large checks to a Democratic Party committee. >>
Politico

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7 days until the Democratic National Convention.

14 days until the Republican National Convention.

39 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

45 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

48 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

58 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

78 days until Election Day.

-RSKnopfJr

'Crunch Time!'

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 44%
McCain - 44%
Obama -2%, McCain +1% since last poll

McCain, GOP report $96 million in cash
John McCain and the Republican National Committee started August with a hefty $96 million, financially flush and strongly positioned to compete with prolific fundraiser Barack Obama and the Democrats. >>
MSNBC

Barack Obama blinks in Hillary face-off
Russia rolls over Georgia, Hillary Clinton does the same to Barack Obama. Now we know who's boss. >>
Daily News

As a tribute, Democrats to place Clinton's name in nomination
Her name will not be on the general election ballot this fall, but Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential candidacy will receive one final tribute when her name is formally placed into nomination at the Democratic convention. >>
International Herald Tribune

Has Hillary taken over the convention?
The Democratic National Convention is shaping into quite some party for Hillary Clinton. >>
CNN

Onstage, intimacy replaces grandeur
When John McCain steps up to the microphone to accept the Republican Party's presidential nomination on Sept. 4, he literally won't have far to go. >>
Politico

The Lieberman Option
A vice-presidential pick is always important, but John McCain confronts a starkly existential choice this year. >>
Real Clear Politics

Will Obama Wave Bayh Bye to the White House?
If you believe the chatter, Barack Obama is desperately seeking a white guy — any white guy — to be his running mate. >>
In These Times

McCain's BFF
John McCain and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham have logged so many miles together, in nearly a decade of buddy-movie-style campaign road trips, that the conservative blogs call Graham "McCain's Mini Me." >>
Slate

Kerry For Vice President?
Barack Obama has yet to name a vice presidential nominee and some are wondering if he might turn to Massachusetts to round out the ticket. >>
WBZ

Crunch Time!
The vice presidential sweepstakes has become such a hot topic that last night at The Fix gym one guy called out "Who's it going to be?" and we knew exactly what he was talking about. >>
Washington Post

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10 days until the Democratic National Convention.

17 days until the Republican National Convention.

42 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

48 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

51 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

61 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

81 days until Election Day.

-RSKnopfJr