Democrats meet for the DNC in Charlotte, NC for the 2012 DNC. Day One: Needless to say the “look” of the crowd is quite different than the wide angle shots we saw of the delegates at the Republican National Convention.
… and democrats FINALLY got their message about Obamacare (ACA) right. It took awhile, but cheers for putting faces, names, and facts that can counter the balderdash coming from the right about the health care debate. Now they have two more days to keep telling undecided voters: that’s the change you voted for, and that’s what was done.
As I am (obviously) a Liberal, it feels good to see a party that actually looks and acts like it represents all Americans, and doesn’t just say that it does by promising that prosperity will eventually “trickle down” to the rest of us.
To me one of the most important thing for all Americans to take from the first day of the 2012 DNC is the crowd: how they look and how they behave during every speaker, not just those in prime time. There is a sense of unity and optimism that was totally lacking at the 2012 RNC. “Stronger Together” Put together Democrats from all corners of the country with diverse backgrounds spanning generations, states, religions, and economic backgrounds – and they’re one big family looking to make it better for everyone. (Including your whacky aunts and uncles who love goofy hats.).
When I look at the delegates at the DNC, even when cheering for the speakers who are unknown to them, it’s a much happier crowd: many more smiles than sneers. They are just as patriotic, waving flags with the best of the republican bunch, but It is a party that LOOKS like they want to move forward… After sitting through the RNC last week packed full of melodrama-type booing and hissing coupled with speaker after speaker “wanting to go back to the way America was” (where’s Opie when you need him?), the first day of the DNC has been VERY refreshing, indeed. Happy, positive, and wanting to move forward, not backward.
Day One of the DNC “off prime time” speeches have been working to bolster the standard Democratic themes, while also pecking away at some of the RNC claims that were of… questionable truthiness:
- Maria Ciano, former GOP voter, from a Republican family had a quotation I’ve been waiting to hear on a large stage for a long time, “I still believe in small government, but I do not believe in the Republican Party.“
- There was also a very short video and speech about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that featured a young girl, Zoe, who requires a lot of health care… by the time she was 6 months hold she had already needed half of the lifetime cap on her health insurance coverage. Once that cap is reached, they don’t pay anymore, and people don’t get health insurance. Obamacare removed the lifetime cap on payments that insurance companies placed on their insurance. If Obamacare is repealed, like all Republicans say they want to do, the lifetime cap will be re-instated. What does that mean for families like Zoe’s? VERY good moment to help people understand why keeping Obama in office is so important.
- A 28 year-old college student who lost both his parents because they didn’t have health insurance that covered the medical procedures they needed to survive.
- Saying no to Romney-nomics, which is nothing more than the standard Republican policy for decades: cut taxes, bust unions, privatize (voucher) Medicare.
- “We cannot move backward with Mitt Romney, we must move forward with Barack Obama.”
- Many shorter speeches that revolve around the theme: the Democratic Party is one of inclusion, not exclusion: Black, Latino, Man, Woman, Gay, Straight, whatever. Democrats will work with you.
- Democrats also adopt the “hard work is rewarded” theme, but add to the end “and everyone should pay by the same rules.”
- Highlighting the success of the auto industry “bail out” that resulted in GM being once again the largest auto manufacturer, and the million jobs that are tied to that industry (and they paid back all the money to the Fed. government.)
- Democrats also addressed the Welfare issue that the Mitt Romney Campaign has been pushing, against all repudiations everyone who knows better. Obama does NOT remove the work requirement, the waiver is given to states if they do even BETTER than the current system in getting people to work: 20% better. It’s what Mitt Romney always asked for when he was Governor. Pity he must have forgotten that.
- Not cool: Having a person from Glee sing the national anthem… I have issues with Glee as a cultural phenomenon. For that I side with the Republican chant, “We can do better.”
- Having the Democratic women in Congress all up on stage was a nice counter to Ann Romney’s “I LOVE YOU WOMEN!!!!” shout. It was a very clear distinction between the Democratic Party that DOES and the Republican Party that just SAYS they they do.
- “There is no room for politicians who are against women… especially politicians who don’t understand how women’s bodies work.”
- Candidate for Congress from Illinois, Tammy Duckwoth‘s presence as a wounded warrior was well placed and a great story: family of immigrants, father was a vet, she was an army officer commanding a Black Hawk company, flew combat missions… lost her legs in battle… has done amazing work for vets, and now is running for Congress. Living proof of what it means to be “a real American”, can we do for this country what her crew did for her? Let’s finish the job.
- MA Gov. Deval Patrick: Wow. Seriously. Wow. Nice speech. And again they’re doing what they need to do: list the accomplishments that the President has made so that people who have been blinded by the political fog know the truth. Well done, Governor Patrick. Very well done. Good speech… even though before 7pm PST, I might have to move you to the “prime time speeches” section just because you did so well!
- Hard gig for Gov. Martin O’Malley to have to follow Deval Patrick. But he did get the crowd to chant “Forward not back!”, which is good. And true to what’s most important: explain the facts. Cut through the lies and get Americans to know the truth about the Obama Presidency, not SuperPAC ads and right-wing funded movies.
The Big Speeches at DNC Day One
Mayor of San Antonio Julian Castro:
(yes, you were seeing double, he has a twin who is running for Congress)
At 37 years old, Mayor Castro is a youngster, but not new to politics and public services: he first won office as a city councilman when he was 26 years old. His job: tell the American story as it America really is: a nation of immigrants, and a nation that, when everyone has equal access to education, then that’s a nation that is “American” as well as a pro business nation. And a good message to repeat “Mitt Romney Says No!”… but when he paused on the health care for all and paused…. “actually….” that was priceless timing. Well done.
I don’t know about you, but to me, it’s very clear that Democrats and Republicans live in two entirely different countries.
Michelle Obama’s speech at the DNC:
Of course, the intro video was great, but they all are, though I like how it was about her and her work, not just her talking about her husband.
The introduction by Elaine Brye, a mother of four children, all in active duty military, brought something else home that we didn’t see in the RNC: real people faces, and names to the wars that this country has been fighting. All we saw at the RNC was lots of “thanking the troops” and that America should declare at least three more wars. At the first day of the DNC, we learned more about the people who are actually fighting the wars and the people who support them. An important message.
Uh oh… she started by talking about Love… I wonder what Chris Christie thinks about that? However, she did go into a similar theme that the Republicans tried during their entire convention, that “they came from hard times, no money, etc.”… I’m not sure she needed to do that. The Democratic Party has always been the part of “the working man”. Interesting that they felt it was necessary to spend so much time on the same theme… a segway into a larger point? Ahhh.. the glass ceiling… playing by the same rules… success doesn’t count unless you play by the same rules.
Good line, “Being President doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are.” And NICE dig, “No amount of data or numbers can help you make the decision” but Mitt CAN read a spreadsheet ;)
As Michelle Obama has proven so well at doing: she makes all the issues personal – not political. And once again, EMPATHY… something that, we hope, is a characteristic of leaders that should be at the top of the list.
Her closing. Wow. Seriously. Wow.
Connect. Michelle did it tonight, Democrats. If you want to win, you have to follow her lead.
