Come Heller high water … the Democratic convention edition
- Sorry, Republicans, the Dems are kicking your tushies on this convention business. Yes, theirs started off like the stars of “Dumb and Dumber” were running the show. (I mean, my god, how could they even have considered for one second letting the disgraced and disgusting Debbie Wasserman Shultz gavel in the proceedings?). But yours was a cluster from end to end, with the lone exception being Ivanka, whom I like and would vastly prefer to vote for than her rotten dad. Since the stumble out of the gates, the Dem proceedings have been crisp, emotional and interesting. Even the Bernie boo-birds have calmed down.
Oh, stop. It’s no surprise I’m saying this so don’t get your underpants in a bunch. I’m a liberal. You know that. Deal with it. But objectively you know I’m right – the Dem convention has featured speakers who – whether you agree with their politics or not – are at least presenting a positive, hopeful view of America instead of the crabby uncle, doom and gloom, America’s-gone-to-hell-in-a-handbasket glop that served as the Republican convention theme. Watching speaker after speaker drone on like Schleprock (remember him from the Pebble and Bam-Bam Show – wowzi, wowzi woe woe is me) was depressing as hell.- Then there’s this little difference: The Dem convention also isn’t monochromatic. Watching the Republican convention you got the sense that America is a loaf of Wonder Bread, with maybe a single slice of rye or pumpernickel stuck in there somewhere just for show.
- Besides, I don’t care who you are or what your political views are, you have to admit Michelle Obama knocked it out of the park. She was emotional without being forced. And her line juxtaposing slaves building the White House that she wakes up in and her daughters play around was powerful stuff. In a few short words, she made America seem like a place of progress, hope and goodness. Which it is. She also made Trump’s dismal slogan “Make America Great Again” seem silly and trite. Which it is. (Make America great again? Please. We never stopped.)
- I sure hope Michelle Obama runs someday. I’d vote for her in a second.
- It’s brutally obvious that the Dems aren’t about to let Trump forget about his mocking of the disabled reporter. And good for them. They shouldn’t. Nobody should forget that. Right there, he disqualified himself in my book. Immediately – in my mind and in the minds of millions, I’ll bet – he made it seem like voting for him would be like voting for the big, loudmouth bully we all had in our fourth grade classroom for class president. I wonder if Trump ever feels a pang of guilt or shame for that?
- Nah.
- All of that said, the Wasserman Schultz episode should be proof positive that Democrats don’t have a patent on the moral high ground. I’m glad she got outed, frankly. Democrats needed a good de-smugging.
- My buddy TJ said this about Booker’s speech: “Cory Booker’s speech was so good that in just eight short years, a GOP convention speaker might choose to plagiarize it.” Ouch. The truth – it hurts.
- I realize this falls under the category of “That’s what you get for watching MSNBC,” but Brian Williams annoys the heck out of me. The other night he said, “I fear many people think TPP is a product of Charmin.” Ha ha! Brian made a potty joke! Funny! But that’s not what I want out of my anchor.
- He’s right, though. Ninety nine percent of the people protesting TPP have no idea what it is or why they’re against it, other than some vague notion that trade agreements are somehow bad for the American worker. That’s why I believe Gov. McAuliffe – a Hillary buddy – was telling the truth when he said she would flip her TPP stance after the election.
- America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – President Harry S Truman.
Image credit: Donkey Hotey
ABsolutely! Bill Clinton’s trip down memory lane last night was an eye opener too. I had no idea Hillary had worked so hard the past 25 years for family rights and civil rights. With all those good deeds, where would she find time to be crooked?
Right on Andy. The Republican convention was ridiculous, what little of it I could stand to watch.
Not watching all of the Democrats either but have yet to hear mockery, insults or demeaning comments.
I love the alliteration of “disgraced, disgusting Debbie”.
I am continuously stunned by how mean the Republican Party has gotten. I would be embarrassed to say I belonged to that particular group.
As Dems..We always do this. Start with a family feud, Older auntie or uncle play peacemaker cause the big family picnic is coming. I bring potato salad, my sister brings cake.We sit across the room but we show up and do what needs to be done
I think it’s because we HAVE the Big Tent that republicans said they were going to develop after Romney’s loss.
I have you back again. Andy, thank you for your help on cleaning up my cache ( I didn’t even know I had one).
It worked and now I can read your delightful column again. ?
I love your columns in the Trip County times. I’m not one of the haters like most of the hotline comments. I believe in the basic goodness of most people. Just laugh at thosrathetic people.
Again, I’m along with you on every point – but that can no longer come as a surprise…
Michelle Obama simply REEKS of class!
My opinions of President Clinton are mixed, but I was in tears by the end of his speech. If I had any doubts about Hillary’s abilities to be our President before, I certainly didn’t after Bill’s speech.
This political competition has left me scared and depressed, Last night I was offered a glimmer of HOPE, and I dearly appreciated that!
Andrew, I challenge you to do some solid research on Gary Johnson for President. I know he probably doesn’t stand a chance, but having him as part of the polls and debates might be just what we need.
Yes Hillary; yes donkeys. However! I want to bring up a point that may seem pro-Trump: Trump asked the Russians to find Hillary’s thirty thousand missing emails. And, leftish people everywhere have jumped against Trump. How dare he appeal to evil Russian internet hackers?!!!
Well, you guys, it was a joke. Trump has a sense of humor. I will not vote for him, but I worry about earnest liberals who do not get jokes taking over the whole USA.
Michael Bloomberg, former NYC Mayor, just said we need a sane, competent person as President. Just the right way to say it. Do not call Trump insane or incompetent, even though Trump is both. Let people think about it.
Yes, the Dems are putting on quite a smooth show. But you can put lipstick on a pig and it’s still a pig. The Dems like to say that the GOP convention was dark and dismal. At least they spoke about the problems that are prevalent in the world. The Dems had the same old litany of people that need government to take over their lives. After 60 years of welfare and Hillary working diligently to help children, I have to ask the question. Are there more single mothers now than in the 1960’s? Are there more children living in poverty? Is there more crime in the big cities?
Maybe it’s time to start asking some of these single mothers who are losing their sons due to violence in their communities. Why are they content to raise their children without fathers? Why do they not teach their girl children not to get pregnant and start out their life that way?
Oh, yes I forgot because that is their way of making a living.
But then I have to ask, why are they content with that?
Your comment fits with the doom and gloom crowd. It’s easy to demonize a community that you have no concept of. Walk in a poor persons shoes, or in a minority persons shoes for a day and perhaps you wouldn’t be as judgemental. Perhaps then you would realize that these single mothers are not content to raise their children without fathers. Maybe you would find out that that is a great disappointment to them. Maybe you would find that they tried to teach their girl children about birth control, but that for reasons of immaturity, poverty and access they got pregnant. Of course you assume that they are just dying to get all the handouts that make welfare so desirable because it “is their way to make a living.” Lastly, maybe if you could walk in their shoes you’d find that they are not content, and that they are frustrated, saddened and just looking for a leg up.
Earlier on MLive I compared America to my 12 year old pickup truck. It runs great and looks good but needs a little work and a really good cleaning wouldn’t hurt. I’m tired of negativity, we don’t need to bulldoze Flint or build a wall on the Mexican border. Same for the Affordable Care health coverage, you don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Is it a pipedream? Well, yeah as in every election campaign but it doesn’t have to be. That’s my take on the DNC theme, let’s roll up our sleeves and get back to work. America already is great but we can make it better.
So well-put, Loren! And right on once again, Andrew. Great quote at the end! Fear is not a way to run a country, or a campaign.
Cathy, I agree it was a great quote Andrew used at the end but it’s so familiar to me I didn’t really read it. I certainly had no intention of plagiarizing it but I did echo it in a way.
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – President Harry S Truman.
“let’s roll up our sleeves and get back to work. America already is great but we can make it better.” – Loren