So uh, heh, how much of the Republican Convention are you going to watch?

[extarbags]

Just kidding.

[jerri blank]

I might watch McCain's speech, MST3K-style.

[DTG]

Didn't watch any of the Democratic convention, even though I'm a die-hard Democrat. Why would I watch this one? I'm in the camp that believes conventions are a waste of money and are the equivalent of adult frat parties. We all know what the outcome is going to be. Nothing new gets decided. Why do I want to watch someone else's party?

[Andrew Mayer]

I'll watch some of it.

If what Howard Fineman said on MSNBC tonight is even a little bit true, I think the GOP is screwed.

While the public face of the conventions are all about the events, there's a lot going on here in terms of defining the party for the next four years, and it's also about the leadership and control of those parties, and a chance for those climbing the party rungs to rub shoulders with those at the top.

Now the Repubs are claiming that they'll run a low-key show because they can't offer the same kind of "big show". If that's true it's going to be like the old stories of the big bully who slinks away after taking a single punch.

[jerri blank]

Looks like it might get postpwned. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/28/AR2008082803165.html?nav=hcmodule)

[Jason McCullough]

I cannot really process that a hurricane might hit New Orleans again in the middle of the GOP convention.

[Matthew Gallant]

Looks like it might get postpwned. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/28/AR2008082803165.html?nav=hcmodule)
I wonder how that makes the guy who put the video on YouTube praying for rain in Denver feel?

"Senator McCain has always been sensitive to national crisis," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds
--completely ignoring that McCain was having some delicious photo-op cake with Bush the day Katrina first hit New Orleans.

[jerri blank]

I cannot really process that a hurricane might hit New Orleans again in the middle of the GOP convention.

I can't process that a hurrican might hit New Orleans again, period. I feel horrible for those people.

[Talisker]

I'm in the camp that believes conventions are a waste of money and are the equivalent of adult frat parties. We all know what the outcome is going to be. Nothing new gets decided.
It's not about the outcome, it's about pushing the candidates platforms into the national spotlight -- the conventions set the stage for the fall campaign.

The Dems dropped $6 million on tonight's stadium event -- and I'll bet they'll get way, way more bang for their buck than they'll get with the next $6 million in ad buys.

[Talisker]

I wonder how that makes the guy who put the video on YouTube praying for rain in Denver feel?
All I know is that if there is a god, she's got a dark sense of humor.

[Eric T Cheng]

Will McCain be standing in front of a green screen again?

[Andrew Mayer]

I cannot really process that a hurricane might hit New Orleans again in the middle of the GOP convention.

Rove was complaining that the weather has been bad for Republicans...

[Equis]

Rove was complaining that the weather has been bad for Republicans...

I thought God was on their side?

[noun]

More likely, they want to wait a couple of weeks for people to forget Obama's speech before they try to speak because they know they'll look poor in comparison.

[Papageno]

I'll probably engage in a bit of masochism and catch McCain's acceptance speech. Any more than that and I'd probably have to slit my wrists.

[JeffL]

I'll Tivo it all and watch selected pieces.

[Talisker]

If nothing else, I'll at least watch Palin's acceptance speech, since I've never heard of her before today.

[Tim James]

None for both. These polls are easy!

[Ryan A]

This is a pretty pathetic thread title that only goes to confirm the beliefs of the likes of Bob Cherub, et al that the only reason their posts are scorned is because of some kind of mindless groupthink around here. This place is better than that.

[Jason McCullough]

I can't process that a hurrican might hit New Orleans again, period. I feel horrible for those people.

I'm pretty much resigned to global warming taking out people for the foreseeable future. I'm not kidding (http://climateprogress.org/2008/08/29/the-storm-of-the-century-so-far/).

[noun]

I'll watch about as much of it as I did the Democratic convention. Snippets here and there, with most of my time spent watching Palin and McCain. The rest I can catch on YouTube after the fact.

[Ergo]

I think I'd rather watch paint dry than view a political convention. Endless rah-rah speeches punctuated by periods of jeering and debasing the opposition party.

Bleh.

[jfletch]

I was reading Glenn Greenwald today and he had some quotes up from some of the speeches from the 2004 RNC convention. They were mean-spirited, petty smears and dirty lies. Full of garbage. I honestly want to see if they try to go that route again - before last night at about 10PM I really thought they would, but I think Obama pretty much destroyed their lines of attack in yesterday's speech. I mean, all that stuff will still play to the base and get cheers but if they try it I think voters will really see the difference in what both parties are offering.

[spiffy]

I'll youtube it, like I did Obama's this morning. It makes me kinda sad how back in march-april, I'd have been curious/eager to hear his speech. After his campaign of late, I'm now cringing.

[Quaro]

Palin has made me curious. If the speakers didn't know about choice, they'll probably need to retool things a bit to revert back to maverick mode. So another plus for palin -- get people watching the convention.