8.27.2008

dnc 2

There for a minute I wasn't sure if the video was a tribute or a lead in. Then, when it was over she walked out on that stage like she was really the candidate, strolling from one side to the other, waving to everyone and pointing to a select few. Her trademark pant suit and determination to let the crowd cheer as long as they wanted. The only thing missing was the confetti. I thought it was kinda neat.

I know quite a few folks who don't like her, but you didn't have to to feel that Hillary Clinton fired up the party faithful at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last night. She gave the kind of speech that die hard partisans love to hear. One of my jobs in past political campaigns has been to coach and advise the candidate on delivery, body language and staging. Somebody else was responsible for the message and substance. In my past professional opinion, Hillary did well last night.

I flipped through the channels and spent a few minutes on every network in our local cable lineup that was covering the convention. I wanted to see how each one approached the event. The big three didn't jump in until later in the night, but it was all DNC all the time for all the others that make news their business - and a few others. I don't ever remember BET covering a political convention before. It'll be interesting to see if they spend as much time with the other party next week.

There are so many talkers on TV these days. CNN has their "analysts," Fox News has their "contributors." ABC, CBS and every one of the NBC networks all have their "political experts." The competition among them is as crazy to watch as the official stuff we tuned in for. All of them, especially the two angry ones, are jockeying for bragging rights and camera time with the important peeps. I think CNN won out this time. Their set up is in the middle of the convention floor with a perfect view of the stage and unrestricted access to the VIPs. FOX is about a mile above the Mile High City in the arena rafters. The roles will likely be reversed next week though when they become the official voice of the GOP meeting.

If you want to get the best coverage without all of the over-the-top, non-stop analysis, spin and commentary, turn on CSPAN and enjoy a convention without all of the filters.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought Hillary did a great job.

Anonymous said...

I see you and the cable company reunited! LOL