Hotmail
As the political convention season opens, Hardball launches a blog in its own rough-and-tumble image that no pol can afford to ignore
HARDBLOGGERS |
BLOG LINKS |
Dem convention accredited blogs Opinions You
Should Have
King County
Democrats |
POLITICS NEWS |
• July 29, 2004 | 2:40 p.m. ET
Cruzin’ for a bruisin’ (David Shuster) It's a complicated story, but I ended up at the Roxy last night for the "Latino coalition party."
 |
Anyway, sometime around 1 a.m., I was flirting with my very cute friend Alethea, and out of the corner of my eye, I see a familiar figure headed my way. I said to myself, "Where do I know that guy from?" Suddenly it dawned on me: It was Cruz Bustamante, the Lieutenant Governor of California (yes, still!)
Cruz was always interesting to cover during the recall. He infuriated some Democrats by putting himself on the recall ballot, and he had quite a prickly relationship with Gray Davis and the media. Anyway, last night, he walked past me grinning from ear-to-ear, and said, "watch your moves." I don’t think he was talking about my dancing. Poor Cruz.
• July 29, 2004 | 1:45 p.m. ET
Star power (Chris Jansing) Another marathon day is well underway. If it’s anything like Wednesday, I’m glad this is Day 4.
 |
Wednesday was a day of contrasts -- where before 10 a.m., my pants tore on some equipment, requiring an emergency purchase, and later my lip inexplicably started bleeding, much to the horror of the makeup artist. On the up side, I spent some time on the MSNBC platform -- one of the best seats in the house -- with Rob Reiner and then Ben Affleck. I met Reiner first during the 36-day election dispute in Tallahassee. He's working hard for the Kerry campaign -- as well as on a new movie. Both these actors know a lot about state-by-state politics. Affleck says he'll go wherever the campaign sends him -- Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan.
Affleck, whose doings here have tongues wagging (the Boston Herald even claims the Kerry sisters are “vying for his affection") is big on the conventional wisdom that it's all about Ohio. Both men were very gracious about the fans who asked for photos and autographs.
Sarah Jessica Parker also walked by (my cameraman was swooning) and I caught up with her former cast-mate, Cynthia Nixon, who was shooting some kind of documentary of what was happening.
Here's what I'm adding to this blog: if star sightings keeps my fabulous interns working these long hours with great skill and good humor -- I'm all for it!
• July 29, 2004 | 12:11 p.m. ET
The 'liberal twin Johns' (Conservative magazine editor Terry Jeffrey) The Democrats are the party of traditional American values? Yeah, right.
 |
Edwards said last night:
"Where I come from, you don't judge somebody's values based upon how they use that word in a political ad. You judge their values based upon what they've spent their life doing. ..John [Kerry] is a man who knows the difference between right and wrong."
This sounds like it was shoved through the same baloney grinder that produced Tom Daschle's speech the night before. Said Daschle:
"Doing right by America means that we don't just talk about our values; we live them. And we honor the fundamental difference between right and wrong."
Living our values the John Kerry way apparently means telling the Dubuque Telegraph Herald as Kerry did this month, "I believe life does begin at conception," then maintaining your position that even partial-birth abortion should be legal.
Three quick conclusions:
- The manifest Democratic strategy emerging from this convention demonstrates that despite the assumption of many pundits that the swing vote in American presidential elections is "moderate," the Democrats themselves believe it is conservative on national security and cultural issues,
- the Democrats are right about this, and,
- Their strategy depends on voters not looking past their rhetoric to Kerry's and Edward's voting records.
• July 29, 2004 | 10:36 p.m. ET
Will the real Atrios please stand up? (Joe Trippi) Last night, The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) laid down a few bucks and threw a party for all the accredited bloggers at the convention. I was running late, (as usual), but was glad I made it to the "Blogger Bash."
The cool part was putting faces to the names behind these blogs I’ve read so avidly but had never met in person. And among the list of my favorite blogs is Atrios’ Eschaton.
Atrios has been noted in the blogger community for keeping his privacy— and therefore his true identity under wraps. So last night, I wasn’t surprised to see every single blogger at the party wearing a name tag — the problem was they all had the same name on their tag — and that name was “Atrios.” All the bloggers banding together in a valiant attempt to help Atrios stay incognito one last time.
It was like the opening of that old TV show, “What’s My Line?” – Where everyone on the show claimed to be the same person and the goal was to find the real person among them.
I spent an hour roaming the room — but it was tough — I looked down at the name tag the dastardly DCCC staffer had pasted on me as I entered the room — you guessed it... the name on the tag was “Atrios.” So even the DCCC was in on it.
Finally I tried the only tactic left — and simply yelled out, “Okay folks, which of you *$*#(@!* people is Atrios!"
And with that the real Atrios stuck out his hand and he said it was Okay for the DCCC photographer to take a picture of us together.
So sometime later today (after someone from last night’s blogger bash wakes up and posts the damn thing) you can read more on the bash plus find out some of the skinny on Atrios and what he looks like over at the DCCC blog or right back here at Hardblogger!
So bookmark us – and as soon as we have it so will you. See you all on the "After Hours" show late tonight for more convention and blogger news.
• July 29, 2004 | 10:00 a.m. ET
From the Hardblogger mail bag:
Anticipating Kerry
Just finished watching Elizabeth Edwards and John Edwards speak. Oh, boy, HOPE IS ON ITS WAY! I can't wait to hear John Kerry speak tomorrow night! We, as Americans, have many issues to tackle and overcome. -Carol VanCoeur, Mt. Penn, PA
On John Edwards
It was a surreal moment right out of 1984 when the "Hope is on the way!" placards popped up in the hall the second the words were uttered by John Edwards. It undercut Edwards' sincerity and made one start to wonder about the home movies Kerry staged in Vietnam. Have we entered the realm of Reaganesque reality (Ronald not Ron, Jr.) where acting sincere is far, far more important than being sincere? -Robert Mann, Oneida, NY
I am an avid Democrat and My Mother who is an avid Republician told me tonight that John Edwards did a great job tonight. That is saying something to me. -Jim Wright, Terre Haute, Indiana
Lots of love for Al Sharpton
Hurray for Al Sharpton and any others like him!! You guys are blind if you think Sharpton hurts the campaign. Thank God he was in some of those debates or most of the candidates would have continued to dance around the issues like they have for the past 12yrs! – Sarah, Florida
On the Steve Buscemi interview
Tony Soprano killed Steve Buscemi (Tony Blundetto) more gently than Chris did on Wednesday night. Oh-My-God. "you knew there were no weapons of mass destruction, didn't you Steve?" Hilarious. That's why we love you, Chris. -Rick Brooks, White Plains, NY
On Frank Luntz’s focus group
It would be very sad that the fate of this country would be decided by a few "loosely screwed heads undecided". The choice here is not which candidate is better qualified. The choice here is whether you can stand another four years of Bush or not. Forget about issues, "values..." By now you should know.- Nguyen Nguyen, Ellettsvile
Good luck on the bar
I just love this blog. I am gratified that there are views expresed by Republicans, Democrats and Independents...that's what makes this country great. Well done. I'm taking the CA Bar and the Hardblogger is a welcome respite from the stress and rigors of studying. Many of my co-applicants agree!” -Lisa M. Hatch, San Francisco
• July 28, 2004 | 11:05 p.m. ET
Groundhog Day Part III? (Joe Scarborough) Maybe, because Day 3 at the convention seemed a lot like Day 1 and Day 2.
Teeming masses streamed in and out of the Boston Garden-Fleet Center while journalists, cameramen, talking heads and talk show hosts were shoving microphones, cameras and klieg lights in just about every face that passed them.
I fear we are now entering the Truman Show era of American political coverage where every cough and sniffle will be recorded on video and turned into a cheesy Fahrenheit 9/11-type rip off.
Several times today, I caught myself in the middle of a conversation before noticing that three video cameras were following every ebb and flow of my discussion with fill-in-the-blank reporter. After a few hours of this routine, I almost started feeling a twinge of self-importance until I saw a gaggle of reporters listening as Lanny the Dunkin' Donuts server talked to the Fleet Center janitorial crew. All in all, an exercise in media navel gazing.
• July 28, 2004 | 10:35 p.m. ET
Money matters (Joe Trippi) Okay, okay. So I got my Fleet Center credentials (from MSNBC), so I want to thank all those who phoned, blogged or emailed on my behalf – the pressure worked!
|
But the next 90 days are gonna prove how messed up the public funding system is and why George Bush is about to enter a period where he will almost certainly be able to outspend John Kerry for the rest of the campaign. You see both candidates will receive $75 million to spend on their general election campaigns from the federal government.
Sounds equal, but its not.
Kerry receives his $75 million a few days from now and upon receiving that check can not raise any more money for his campaign.
George Bush gets to keep raising and spending money for his campaign all the way up to the Republican convention in New York in September – which is why the Republican Party scheduled its convention as late as possible. If George Bush raises $35 million in the month of August he will be able under the messed up rules to outspend Kerry by $35 million over the next 90 or so days.
In an election this close – that $35 million could turn out to be a tremendous advantage for Bush and make the difference in this election.
Right now, as I sit at Hardblogger HQ, I really think Kerry has a great shot at winning the presidency even if he is outspent by Bush. But I do predict this – that if John Kerry opts to stay in this messed up system and Bush somehow wins this election, we will look back in hindsight and realize that Kerry’s decision to stay in the system probably was the mistake that cost him this election.
By the way my boss, Phil, is in a better mood today – no idea why – I just can’t figure the guy out.
• July 28, 2004 | 9:59 p.m. ET
A slashing penalty in Boston (Andrea Mitchell) So the day started with Elizabeth Edwards, an interview for us after she'd finished doing the morning shows. She was prepared, well composed, upbeat, but a little preoccupied. What was wrong?
 |
An EMS station downstairs helped out, but her mom was understandably worried, showing exactly the maternal side that is authentically her real persona. Still, she didn't cancel or panic, she was just a bit distracted, for a few moments until it was clear that Cate was okay.
Somehow it seemed that much more relevant when, cameras rolling, toward the end of the interview, I asked about complaints from women I know that Teresa Heinz Kerry shouldn't have presumed to take young Jack Edward's thumb out of his mouth during the two couples' debut together. Remember that front page picture above the fold in The New York Times? Did it bother her to have another woman bossing her kid around?
Not at all, laughed Elizabeth Edwards..(who is very open about being 55).
"I can take all the help I can get."
Nothing is really real in the arena of politics, but sometimes people appear who defy the conventional wisdom. Elizabeth Edwards seems as "real" as they come on this stage. Tonight, a mother, a lawyer, and a political spouse.
The big question for her husband. With all his smarts and good looks and lawyer's skill, does he have the credibility to prove he can step into the Oval Office? The betting here is he has a shot at showing he's got the right stuff tonight and that this won't be a Dan Quayle moment.
• July 28, 2004 | 9:54 p.m. ET
From the Hardblogger mail box
Re: Hardball's handling of the Al Sharpton speech:
Name: Kathy Bass
Hometown: Logansport, IN
I Love It! Al Sharpton rabble rouses and your silly crew of lily-white “pundits” acts alarmed and amazed that a Black Man is outraged! Why don't you listen to WHAT he says? No, your too busy being negative on Al because Al's too negative! What a bunch of hypocrites you are!
Name: Connie Thiel
Hometown: Burlington, N.C.
Why is Chris Matthews giving the Democrats such a hard time he keeps going on about the platform not saying that the war in Iraq was wrong & tonight complaining about Al Sharpton’s speech. I hope he gives the Republicans the same heat. This is, after all, the Democratic Convention so let them have their day in the sun.
• July 28, 2004 | 9:41 p.m. ET
Values? Show don't tell, Mr. Kerry (Dee Dee Myers)
Values. That's a word we keep hearing at this convention and throughout the course of this campaign. And lots of people, including me, believe the election will turn on them.
But whose values? If this thing becomes a fight about the Republican Big Three — Guns, Gays and God — Democrats loose. But if Democrats can turn the race into a referendum on a different set of values — who's going to help you get a good job at a good wage, provide a decent education for your kids and health care for your parents, protect your pension (if you're lucky enough to still have one), keep your family safe from terrorist attacks, tell the truth the folks at home and restore your country's credibility in the world — then John Kerry and John Edwards have a hell of a chance.
John Edwards knows how to talk about values in ways that resonate with Americans — and not just the Democrats at this convention, but the folks at home who don't define themselves by party affiliation or even give much thought to it between elections. Tonight we'll hear him appeal to the broad middle of the American electorate.
 |
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Kerry's reputation for aloofness is dogging him on the campaign trail. |
Don't get me wrong. I think Kerry has a great case to make. After all, he's the guy who went to Vietnam because he thought it was the right thing to do — and then risked his life to save others. Of course, we've already heard a lot about that, and Lord knows we'll hear lots more before the final gavel on Thursday. But we also need to know more about how Kerry's experience shaped what he believes — and most importantly, how those beliefs will translate into action when he becomes president. A little window into his soul — and a lot of information about his values.
• July 28, 2004 | 9:13 p.m. ET
Old friends and hangers-on (Chris Jansing) Conventions tend to build to a crescendo. That's what it feels like here. The convention floor is so crowded, you can't move, and the people who are supposed to try to keep things moving aren't very popular.
|
And celebrities file through and cause traffic jams. Michael Moore, of course. Caroline Kennedy was on the floor this afternoon. And people want to stop and take pictures. Oh, and the media. Delegates tend to be news junkies, so the Brokaws and Williams of the world have a VERY high gawker quotient, and people ask, "Can I take your picture?"
There's also a serious level of speculation. Can Kerry pull it off tomorrow after his oratorically-gifted running mate, and the blockbuster speech by Barack Obama? A lot of speculation that Obama could be the first black President (at a party for him last night...wall to wall people.
Omarosa of "The Apprentice" fame was there. (She's raising money for Kerry). In the ladies' room tonight, a woman from Wisconsin (a battleground state) asks a delegate from Ohio (THE battleground state) how the race is shaping up right now. She says Kerry is strong in northern Ohio, she's worried about the south.
One constant here — everyone is tired. But most of these delegates and journalists still have more than three months to go. The mantra: pace yourself.
• July 28, 2004 | 8:55 p.m. ET
And another thing ... (Keith Olbermann) I'm going to go out on a limb here. I think Al Sharpton may have strayed from the approved text.
 |
Just before we at MSNBC headquarters finally gave up on him I heard in my ear: "We're getting out on the next pause" and I thought "if there's a next pause!" As Chris Matthews started to talk, who should pop up as the last delegate we'd see applauding Rev. Sharpton?
Just what the Democrats needed -- a runaway train at the podium and the 1988 presidential disaster happily cheering him from the cheap seats.
• July 28, 2004 | 8:13 p.m. ET
When VP nominations were interesting (Keith Olbermann) Even from here at MSNBC headquarters, I'm ready to pledge $100 to get John Edwards to go up to that podium in the Fleet Center tonight and say "No, thanks," to the vice presidential nomination.
Not that I have anything against Edwards.
It's just that it's been 24 years since anything interesting happened with the vice presidential nomination. This was the office once described as not being worth a warm bowl of spit, nor not quite a criminal offense. Its disposition was usually decided hastily, on the spot, at the conventions (or even after), and the scatter-brained, cloak-and-dagger process was the very fiber that used to make conventions not just interesting but fascinating.
You have probably heard of John F. Kennedy's last-second selection of a man loathed by his family, Lyndon Johnson, as VP in 1960. And of how Franklin D. Roosevelt had to bully Harry Truman into accepting the spot in 1944. And of how, as late as 1972, the vetting process was so loose that George McGovern actually selected Missouri senator Thomas Eagleton without knowing Eagleton had undergone electro-shock therapy for depression and exhaustion. Presumably McGovern's chances that year were almost non-existent, but his unfamiliarity with his own would-be Veep's biography put a million volts through whatever slim ones might've been scurrying around.
The last real vice presidential news story came as Ronald Reagan tried a tight-rope act in 1980. Somebody had gotten it into his head that he needed former president Gerald Ford as his VP. Surely it would've been a ticket unique in American history, but it would've come at a huge price. Ford had Henry Kissinger bargaining on his behalf with Reagan's people, and even went to the skyboxes in Detroit to describe his role, live, to Walter Cronkite and the CBS audience. Reagan, sitting in his hotel suite, said something about how Ford had just made their proposed ticket sound "like a co-presidency," and the idea died right there. Hours later, Reagan's eventual choice got a call—"out of the blue, matter of fact," he would say— and an entire thread of history was created. The eventual choice was named George H. W. Bush.
I believe some of his relatives followed him into politics.
Reagan's late swing away from Ford was so late, in fact, that it wound up in several Eastern newspapers and it cost at least one radio newscaster his job. An old colleague of mine at WNEW in New York had an unfortunate habit of arriving for the 5:00 AM news, at exactly 5:00 AM. He would groggily grab whatever news copy happened to be sitting there and read it both flawlessly and mindlessly: "WNEW News at Five O'Clock. The Republican ticket for 1980: Reagan... and Ford!"
He would be fired about six months later when the copy he read about the Pope's visit to New York turned out to be not a few hours out of date, but a year old. It should not surprise you that he was a dead ringer for the 'Ron Burgundy' character Will Ferrell created in the movie "Anchorman." Now that was when the Vice Presidential nomination was interesting.
(Click here to read Keith's last post.)
• July 28, 2004 | 6:30 p.m. ET
In the 'blue room' with Ron Reagan (Roland Woerner, Ron Reagan’s producer) So what does Ron Reagan do before one of the biggest speeches of his life? He sits in a small room with Sarah Zwick (the sister of the young woman who he refers to in his speech) and me eating something that looks like seafood salad on hot dog rolls.
Yes, this is the big time at the DNC. Somewhere in this maze they call the Fleet Center, we were escorted to this room, dubbed the “Sam Adams Blue Room.” In fact it was yellow and had no beer. We sat for two hours talking about movies, music, and how to tie a Windsor knot, while Ron waited for his 10:02 p.m. “hit” time.
 |
NBC News Click here to watch Ron's speech |
Two hours before the speech, the DNC folks invited Ron to do a run-through of his remarks in a small rehearsal room which usually serves as part of the Boston Bruins locker room. A full-sized replica of the podium found on the convention floor, complete with teleprompter, is set at one end of this room with a video camera on the other. As we entered, Chris Heinz was just leaving, having just practiced his introduction of his mother, Teresa Heinz Kerry. He stopped to chat up Ron about a conversation they had at the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington months ago.
Ron ran though his speech while the DNC people finalized the computer file that would be used on his Teleprompter. He was told that if the prompter failed, a person would walk out to the podium with a paper version of his speech highlighted to the point where was to continue. Ron, always prepared, had a personal copy of the speech in his jacket pocket. The speech coach told Ron that he could anticipate many moments of applause throughout his speech. A good rule of thumb, he told Ron, is to count to “three-Mississippi” before resuming. In a few other places in his speech, he was told to count to “six-Mississippi” before continuing. One last bit of advice was offered, don’t just turn your head when looking side-to-side, turn your entire upper body it looks better on camera. This speech guy from the Yale Drama School seemed to know what he was talking about because Ted Kennedy, Howard Dean, Teresa Kerry, and even President Clinton all got the same advice from him before Ron got to warm up.
Back in the Sam Adams room, a make-up woman arrived and applied some base and powder and he was officially camera ready. He gave his “lucky chap-stick” to Sarah to hold for him. He gave me his wallet and credentials. We were all back in the hallway I’ve since learned is dubbed the “Freedom Trail.”
With 10 minutes to go, we were escorted to a holding area behind the podium. I had the opportunity to shoot the evening with a DV camera. The exclusive “behind the scenes “ video continues to be shown on MSNBC throughout the day. With thunderous applause, Jim King the DNC podium director, cued Ron to the stage and his 10-minute speech had begun. A Reagan finally had addressed the Democratic National Convention. Not only did he have to count “six-Mississippi” several times, he actually had to acknowledge a standing ovation. The thousands of delegates in the hall loved him.
For the last few days as we’ve been working on stories for MSNBC, Ron has been approached by constant battery of well-wishers. From handshakes, to pats on the back, to compliments yelled from afar, people make it clear to him that they’re glad he’s here both as a correspondent and as an advocate for stem cell research. In fact, after his speech while we were running to the NBC booth for an interview with Tom Brokaw, we needed security to free a path through hundreds of well wishers who waited thank him for his speech. One guy even offered him his freshly made plate of Nachos. Ron politely took a pass and made his interview on time.
After the Brokaw interview he was asked to stop in and say hello to DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Watching the festivities with him from this VIP skybox were Senator Hillary Clinton, Chelsea, and others. I did notice that they had a tray of the same sad looking half-eaten seafood salad sandwiches here as well. When it comes to food at this convention, everyone is treated equally.
After leaving the Fleet Center, Ron made a quick dash to the MSNBC set at Faneuil Hall where he talked about his speech and other issues making news here in Boston until 2 a.m. Tune in, he’ll be doing the same all week.