SNIPPETS, our daily collection of short items and comments, is here.

--------------------------------------------- 

BARACK OBAMA'S FIRST HUNDRED DAYS is on hiatus until after the conventions.  We've gone through the first 50 days.  The conventions and the launch of the fall campaign will provide new material, new absurdities, and allow us to finish the first 100 days just before the election.  

An archive containing the first 50 days is here. 

---------------------------------------------

Our next subscription drive will be in October.  However, readers are invited to subscribe at any time.  Subscriptions are voluntary, but are critical to keeping us going.  Subscribe in the right-hand column.

--------------------------------------------

THURSDAY,  AUGUST 28,  2008

11:58 p.m. ET:  I'm now reviewing the text of Obama's speech.  You know, it's like one of those extended warranties from a no-name electronics store.  Looks good at first, as long as you don't think about what's been left out.  The more I read, the more deceptive and inaccurate it becomes.  McCain could take this apart in a debate. 

11:27 p.m. ET:  I just saw that John McCain ad again, the one where he congratulates Barack Obama on his nomination.  Earlier I said I could live without it, and that I thought it came off as contrived.  I must say, though, that coming after Obama's attacks on McCain tonight, McCain's gracious congratulations sounded good, and were a solid contrast.  Maybe I was wrong.  Maybe it was a fine idea, even a masterstroke.  You decide. 

10:58 p.m. ET:  Obama has now ended.  He delivered a solid political speech.  If you get into details, of course, things get murky.  But details were not what this speech was about.  I think Obama will get a reasonable bounce from his inspirational speech.  Now it will be up to John McCain to answer it, point by point, to deflate the balloon and prove that the emperor-in-waiting has no clothes.  McCain's campaign has been very sharp recently.  It must get even sharper, and stay that way. 

10:42 p.m. ET:  Obama turns hokey.  "This election has never been about me.  It's about you," he says.  Oh, please. 

10:44 p.m. ET:  Obama has gone through a fairly standard laundry list of Democratic programs, but he's stated the case as well as a liberal can.  Now he's attacking John McCain on national security, a dangerous course begun by Joe Biden last night.  McCain will be able to answer this easily.  Many of the statements Obama is making about McCain's positions are misleading. 

Now Obama's rhetoric is starting to soar into the stratosphere.  He's making foreign-policy promises that are fine, if you're twelve.  But anyone with even reasonable familiarity with international affairs will see that many of Obama's promises are simplistic and even silly.  He will not heal the world in five minutes, or even ten.   

10:36 p.m. ET:  Obama is now saying what he'll do as president.  He introduced this segment by saying he wanted to define exactly what he meant by "change."  The audience cheered, a recognition of the fact that lack of specifics has haunted the Obama campaign. 

10:27 p.m. ET:  Obama speaks.  With a prepared speech, he's fine.  A gifted speaker.  The substance thus far, however, isn't all that compelling.  He's now attacking McCain, and some of his comments are over the top.  Obama began this campaign by pledging to be a different kind of candidate.  As of now, in this speech, he's a conventional attack dog.  It isn't all that appealing. 

10:11 p.m. ET:  The introductory Obama film is on now.  Look, it's slick and professional.  All these films are pretty much the same.  The candidate is perfect, he's the one, he is pure and good, he is your only decent choice.  How can you vote against him? 

9:55 p.m. ET:  Obama will be speaking soon.  The stadium is filled.  I'm looking at the set, which was the subject of considerable criticism.  Some felt it was too grand, too pompous.  I'm not sure I agree.  I've been in television, as many of you know, and things appear quite different on the screen than they do "in person."  This set, viewed on TV, looks within bounds to me.

9:25 p.m. ET:  Joe Biden is now making a surprise appearance before the crowd at Invesco Field.  His remarks seem like a retread of his remarks last night.  This is not good.  It's a turnoff, and Joe Biden has made an art of turning off audiences.

9:17 p.m. ET:  I've now seen the McCain ad, running tonight, graciously congratulating Barack Obama on his nomination.  Okay, it's a classy thing to do, but, frankly, I could have done without it.  It looks contrived and staged, and that's not John McCain.  It will make no difference. 

8:46 p.m. ET:  Al Gore is now speaking at Invesco Field.  I am not listening.  I know the world is burning up, we are all doomed, and the 2000 election was stolen by the Supreme Court, which is controlled by Halliburton.  Why should I listen?

8:30 p.m. ET:  Obama will speak at 10 p.m. ET.  I've read some excerpts from his speech, released by his campaign.  It strikes me as a skillful job, more nuts 'n bolts than most of Obama's sermons.  But I'll withhold judgment until I hear the words come from Obama's mouth.  A speech is spoken, and how it's spoken is often more important than what it says.  So stand by. 

ALERT, AT 6:11 p.m. ET:  Reader Alan Bell alerts us to the fact that the mock-up of Air Force One, pictured below, is actually part of a presidential history exhibit at Invesco Field, and may well have nothing to do with Obama's acceptance speech tonight.  London's Daily Mail apparently misinterpreted the photo.  At least that's the latest we have. 

We're always happy to update and correct reports, and our readers are fantastic in supplying good information.  The link to the presidential exhibit is here.

MORE ART

Posted at 3:25 p.m. ET

Such culture we have for you today.  Earlier we reported on plans for the artistic design of the set from which the saint will bless the masses tonight in Denver.

Now readers Jean Spik and Katherine Winterer point out that the set designer also designs for Britney Spears.  Remember when John McCain compared Barack's celebrity status to that of Spears, and was ridiculed?  Apparently John was on to something.

And it doesn't stop there.  London's Daily Mail is running this picture, which they say is a mock-up of Air Force One being delivered to Invesco Field, where Obama will accept the nomination.  Look, I can't confirm this.  But it's too juicy to ignore.  The fun factor overwhelms me.

If the Dems are smart, and occasionally they are, they'd fly the plane off to some undisclosed location, and leave it there.

I hope they use it.  So tacky, so fun.

August 28, 2008.      Permalink          

TRACKERS

Posted at 1:26 p.m. ET

Both trackers are now out for today.  As reported earlier, Rasmussen has the race tied, but reports a trend toward Obama in the last two nights of polling.

However, Gallup is already reporting a sizable bump for Obama.  Gallup had Obama up one yesterday, but has him up six points today.

There is no need to panic.  Indeed, I would expect Obama's bump to grow, even to ten or twelve points.  This is fairly normal for conventions, and we must cautiously assume that the McCain convention next week will reverse the tide.  I stress "assume."  It hasn't happened yet.

We should also note that Gallup polls registered voters, whereas Rasmussen polls likely voters. 

Because of the conventions, I don't think the polls will settle down until mid-September.  Until then, we'll have to ride the roller coaster.

August 28, 2008.       Permalink          

ARTISTIC NOTES

Posted at 1:16 p.m. ET

Urgent Agenda readers are cultured, artistic, and sensitive, so I thought you'd like an update on how the aesthetics of tonight's speech by Barack Obama are being handled.  The New York Times, which respects our feelings and vulnerabilities, and understands our anxieties, reports:

DENVER — When Senator Barack Obama announced in early July that he would give his nomination address in an outdoor stadium in front of 75,000 people, he wowed members of both parties who saw it as an inspired stroke of campaign image making.

But...

With daunting challenges of logistics, style and substance, the plan was hatched before the Republicans began a concerted drive to paint Mr. Obama as a media sensation lacking the résumé to be president. Now Obama aides are feeling all the more pressure to bring a lofty candidacy to ground level, showing that Mr. Obama grasps the concerns of everyday Americans.

Yes, he feels our pain, like another president, but the setting, the mood, must show it.

On Wednesday, workers were still making changes to Invesco Field, home to the Denver Broncos, so it would feel more intimate, less like the boisterous rallies that served Mr. Obama so well early in the primaries, but also created the celebrity image that dogs him.

They were still testing camera angles, so Mr. Obama would appear among the giant crowd, not above it. They took steps to reduce the echo effect, familiar to football fans, of speaking in such a cavernous space. Planners scrapped their idea to turn the audience of 75,000 into a giant phone bank, in response to fears that the cellphone system would crash (people will instead be asked to text-message friends and neighbors to support the campaign, program aides said would be effective nonetheless.)

Some 75,000 fans will be asked to text message?  I'm moved.  The sense of discipline.  The lockstep thinking.  Leni Riefenstahl would be so proud.

And workers put the finishing touches on the backdrop: faux columns intended to suggest a federal building in Washington and create an air of stateliness. (The McCain campaign named it the Temple of Obama, a label repeated by some commentators.)

Well, when the candidate doesn't have an air of stateliness, I guess you do Hollywood sets. 

Some aides worried about the setting overwhelming the message. But those closest to the planning said they had no regrets and were sticking to the sort of big-event politics that no other candidate has been able to match this year.

Fellas, you're not running for the nomination anymore.  Get that text message?

When a close circle of his top advisers presented Mr. Obama with $6 million plans to move his acceptance speech to the football stadium in early July, the candidate asked one question, said Anita Dunn, a senior strategist: “Will it rain?” The campaign produced a raft of meteorological data showing it had rained on Aug. 28 only once in 20 years. (Aides were alarmed, however, to arrive in Denver on Sunday to news of a nearby tornado.)

It's just like the Obama crowd to try to predict the weather weeks in advance.  They seem to feel they have a direct connection somewhere.

...the circular stage in Denver was inspired by Kennedy’s. A Sky Cam above the field will provide bird’s-eye views. Mr. Obama’s family will sit on seats on the floor before him, along with voters from swing states. The goal is to highlight ordinary people, and then mobilize them to work for the campaign.

The Obama campaign dismissed Republican attempts to turn the night against them.

“I know that Senator McCain and his people are shooting barbs on the opulence of our convention from the mountaintop in Sedona from the McCain estate,” said David Axelrod, the campaign’s chief strategist. “I don’t think it warrants a response.”

Especially when you haven't got one.

Why do I think we're about to see an embarrassment?

August 28, 2008.      Permalink          

BULLETIN:  The first tracker is now out (at 9:34 a.m.).  Rasmussen, which had McCain up by one yesterday, reports a tie today.  Tracking polls are conducted over a three-night period. Rasmussen reports that Obama's numbers have improved in the last two nights, reflecting events at the convention.  Rasmussen projects that the convention will give Obama a modest bounce.  Of course, the Republicans meet on Monday. 

LAST NIGHT IN DENVER

Posted at 7:10 a.m. ET

(Note:  An earlier version of this story predicted rain in Denver tonight.  The forecast is now for clear weather.)

The Democrats had a good night last night.  John Kerry spoke and no one listened, which is good news for the Dems.  Bill Clinton gave a solid political speech that inspired the hall, if not the audience at home.  His ego, of course, was on full display.  He reminded listeners that he, too, just like Obama, was called inexperienced when he ran for president in 1992.  The implication was that he'd proved himself wonderful, and that Barack will as well.  The problem is that many American didn't think "wonderful" described his tenure in the White House.  Most presidents don't get themselves impeached over lying to a grand jury.  Most don't respond to terrorism by taking out an aspirin factory and some weed patches in Afghanistan.  And most don't sell the Lincoln bedroom to the highest bidder.

Still, Clinton's speech was politically effective.  He still knows how to feel our pain, although, at his current astronomical income, he probably feels less of it than before.  Or, maybe he just hires someone to feel pain, or describe it to him.

Joe Biden also passed muster with a classic Democratic speech portraying the nation as sinking under the weight of special interests and sinister forces in the White House.  But Biden also committed the greatest blunder of the night - going after John McCain on national security.  He didn't make the case, and suggesting that Barack Obama has better judgment on securing the nation is not an argument that should be advertised.  Also, the viciousness of Biden's attack on his "friend," John McCain, may come back to haunt him.  While Biden has some admirable qualities, the fact is that he opposed most of the Reagan policies that led to the successful end of the Cold War, opposed Gulf War I, is incredibly soft on the Iranian mullahs, and actually suggested chopping Iraq into little pieces.  The words "Biden" and "visionary" are not usually placed together.  By attacking McCain so strongly he opened himself to equally strong attacks. 

It's a fact, though, that conventions rarely matter all that much.  The soaring speeches and stinging attacks are usually forgotten within a few days.  It's only when something goes very wrong that a permanent impact might be felt.  The Democratic wreckage in Chicago in 1968, when the convention was surrounded by violent demonstrators and less-than-disciplined police, did not help the party's image.  Nor was it polished four years later, when the Dem convention became so disorganized that George McGovern was forced to make his acceptance speech at 3 a.m.   

Tonight, though, may count.  Barack Obama accepts the nomination in an outdoor setting that already is making some Democrats nervous.  Outdoor political rallies are not exactly an American thing.  I don't know, maybe he got the idea when he visited Berlin, where that sort of choreography was perfected decades ago.  Obama tried to explain yesterday that he wanted the outdoor event in a huge stadium so that all common folk who wanted to attend could do so.  That is complete nonsense, of course.  You can see it better on TV.  The planned rally just reminds us of the grandeur that is The One.  He has come to save the world, and a world-sized rally suits his style.

But Obama has to deliver.  The public has already tired of the empty rhetoric and grand flourishes.  Other speakers at his convention seemed larger than their candidate.  Now he gets a chance to reintroduce himself.  He has sagged in the polls, and he needs this night.

August 28, 2008.      Permalink          

UNKIND ASSESSMENT

Posted at 7:07 a.m. ET

The New York Sun, a small, but influential, and decidedly neo-conservative paper, has not taken kindly to the proceedings in Denver, and feelings are not hidden in today's editorial, which is far more harsh than my own appraisal:

You heard it here first: The Democratic Convention in Denver will go down as a disaster the likes of which have not been seen since Patrick Buchanan's 1992 speech to Republicans in Houston. It's hard to know what Senator Obama was thinking. After returning from speaking to a large outdoor rally in Germany, he headed to Hawaii for a vacation. Meanwhile, the candidate of "change" somehow managed to allow the first night of his convention to be dominated by Senator Kennedy, who ran for president in 1980 and who has been in the Senate since 1962.

Mr. Obama allowed the second night to be dominated by the candidate he defeated for the nomination, Senator Clinton, who has been on the national stage since her husband was elected president in 1992. He allowed the third night to be dominated by President Clinton, who has been on the national stage since he gave the convention speech nominating Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Bubba comes in for some tough words:

Mr. Clinton's rousing conclusion was to tell voters that back in 1992, Republicans tried to paint him as "too young and too inexperienced to be commander in chief." "Sound familiar?" Mr. Clinton asked. The suggestion that Mr. Obama might be another Bill Clinton might be appealing to Mr. Clinton — for the Clintons, it is all about them — but it's totally out of tune with Mr. Obama's theme of "change." As out of tune as Mr. Obama's selection of a running mate, in Senator Biden, who has been a senator for 35 years. Mr. Biden was serving as a senator back when Senator McCain was still a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

And...

What's more, there are Clinton-like elements of Mr. Obama that voters may yet find unattractive. Where Mr. Clinton had a real estate deal with felon Jim McDougal, Mr. Obama had one with Tony Rezko. Mr. Clinton stressed that "a President Obama will choose diplomacy first," but Mr. Clinton's aversion to the use of military force allowed Al Qaeda to gather strength to attack America.

Did you feel the knife go in?

Mr. Clinton assured the crowd last night about Mr. Obama that "When he cannot convert adversaries into partners he will stand up to them."

That line got a pathetic response from the leftist crowd that is the party's base.  Standing up to dictators isn't their specialty.

Mr. Obama clearly couldn't stand up to the Clintons. Even after he clinched the nomination, he allowed them to dominate the convention. If he can't stand up to the Clintons, how is he going to handle America's enemies around the world? And if he can't run a successful political convention, how can he run the country?

If I were Barack Obama, I wouldn't count on The Sun's endorsement.  They seem to be leaning the other way.

August 28, 2008.      Permalink          

A CHILLING EFFECT

Posted at 7:06 a.m. ET

The Los Angeles Times reports on an outrageous attempt by the Obama campaign to stifle basic American freedoms.  There have been several stories like this, and they raise profound questions about the way Obama would see the American Constitution, should he by chance get elected in November:

In a surprising attempt to stifle broadcast criticism of its candidate, the presidential campaign of freshman Illinois senator Barack Obama is organizing supporters to confront Chicago's WGN radio station for having a critic of the Illinois Democrat on its main evening discussion program.

"WGN radio is giving right-wing hatchet man Stanley Kurtz a forum to air his baseless, fear-mongering terrorist smears," Obama's campaign wrote in an e-mail sent to supporters. "He's currently scheduled to spend a solid two-hour block from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. (Wednesday night) pushing lies, distortions, and manipulations about Barack and University of Illinois professor William Ayers."

And...

Obama's campaign is urging supporters to call the radio station to complain. "Tell WGN that....

...by providing Kurtz with airtime, they are legitimizing baseless attacks from a smear-merchant and lowering the standards of political discourse," the note said.

Gee.  The sky must be falling.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that WGN would give a slimy character assassin like Kurtz time for his divisive, destructive ranting on our public airwaves," the note continued. "At the very least, they should offer sane, honest rebuttal to every one of Kurtz's lies."

Zack Christenson, executive producer of the long-running interview program "Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg," said the response from Obama supporters was strong. Rosenberg like Ayres is a college professor.

"I would say this is the biggest response we've ever got from a campaign or a candidate," said Christenson. "This is really unprecedented with the show, the way that people are flooding the calls and our email boxes."

This may be a taste of what we can expect if anyone dares to criticize President Obama.

Christenson also stressed that the Obama campaign was invited to send a representative to appear on the show to balance the discussion of the newly-opened documents. But the campaign headquarters just down Michigan Avenue from the station refused the request. This is not the first time Obama's organization has sought to steer supporters to influence a broadcast outlet airing criticism.

The McCain people should jump on this.  Frame it as an example of hack politics at its worst, which it is.  The Obama people have an inflated view of themselves and their candidate.   Someone has to let the air out of their balloon.

August 28, 2008.       Permalink          

WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST 27,  2008

11:20 p.m. ET:  On balance, the Democrats had a good night.  At least they got to some issues.  However, one thing you couldn't help notice was that Barack Obama, presumably the star, looked awfully small compared with the others on the stage.  We were told by Bill Clinton and Joe Biden that Obama should be president, but their arguments were unconvincing and vague.  They couldn't point to one major accomplishment of Obama's that the public knew, or that was truly impressive or dramatic.  This isn't, after all, a race for the presidency of the senior class.   

The end of Biden's speech has already generated some negative heat among TV analysts.  Going after John McCain on national security is like going after Michael Phelps on swimming.  Reasonable criticism was fair, but Biden's attack was far too strong, and didn't inspire confidence in Biden's own instincts.  You can't describe a man as a friend one minute, as Biden did of McCain, then attack him so viciously the next, while still calling him "John."  Doesn't play well. 

11:02 p.m. ET:  What we're seeing on the screen right now is the traditional massing of the candidate's family - Biden's family - on the stage.  Every cousin whose name was forgotten years ago is up there.  I assume Biden knows some of them.

10:55 p.m.  ET:  Obama has now come down to the podium.  Major applause, etc., etc.

10:53 p.m.  ET:  Biden has just attacked John McCain rather viciously on foreign- and defense policy.  His comments were breathtakingly oversimplified, and I thought rather risky.  McCain can take him on this one.

Biden has finished.  Good political speech, and brief enough, for a change.

10:42 p.m. ET:  Biden is now speaking.  It's a good, personal speech, I think.  His claims about Obama's accomplishments are way over the top, as the McCain forces will point out, but Biden does have a way of reflecting concerns of "ordinary" people. 

The crawl under the Fox picture tells us that Obama will come down to the podium after the Biden speech.  There is precedent for the top of the ticket making an appearance before his acceptance address.  I believe Kennedy did it in 1960, and Obama is trying to present himself as the second JFK, which he is not.
 

10:27 p.m. ET:  Biden will speak in minutes.  The convention is watching a film about him now.  Very personal, rather effective.  But, ultimately, it's the top of the ticket that counts.

Joe Biden's son has just been introduced.  He will introduce the nominee.  The son, who is attorney general of Delaware, was introduced as "Captain," because he is a reservist.  That is understandable, but somewhat inappropriate. 

10:11 p.m. ET:  The convention awaits Joe Biden, who will give his speech accepting the vice-presidential nomination.  Based on his past speeches, I suggest ordering out for enough meals to last through the weekend. 

9:42 p.m. ET:  Michael Dukakis was just interviewed on Fox.  I learned he is still alive.

9:26 p.m. ET:  Clinton has just finished.  I must say that he confirmed his status as one of the best political speakers of our time.  A rousing speech.  Hollow in substance, of course, with some ridiculous claims, but a rousing speech nonetheless.  How effective?  It may help Obama a bit, but speeches like this tend to be forgotten quickly.

9:15 p.m. ET:  Bill Clinton speaks.  He is, as Karl Rove predicted, giving a full endorsement of Barack Obama.  Does he mean it?  Of course not.  But Clinton is a slick speaker, and he's doing what party loyalty and his wife's future demand.

Fascinating moment:  Lots of cheering about what Obama will do for peace, health and other good things.  But when Clinton said that Obama would stand up to our adversaries, the crowd gave only a tepid response.  Pretty much tells the story of the Democratic Party over the last generation.

9:06 p.m. ET:  Bubba has been introduced.  He got a bigger reception than his wife did last night.  I was surprised that he wasn't escorted into the hall by the Denver Bronco cheerleaders, but that's another story.

8:56 p.m. ET:  Bubba is about to speak.  Note the time.  It's about 6 p.m. on the West Coast.  A lot of people are still getting home or having dinner.  They didn't give Bill the best slot, which would have been an hour later.  Wonder why.

8:43 p.m. ET:  Karl Rove, on Fox, predicts that Bill Clinton will give a full-throated endorsement of Barack Obama tonight.  Rove is also saying, remarkably, that Joe Biden, the v.p. choice, must reassure Americans tonight about the qualifications of Barack Obama to serve as president.  Imagine that, the v.p. guy must vouch for the top of the ticket.  Amazing.

---------------------------------------

REAL-WORLD ALERT:  From The Times of London:   "A new Cold War between Russia and the West grew steadily closer today after the Kremlin gave a warning about 'direct confrontation' between American and Russian warships in the Black Sea.  Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, declared that Russia was taking 'measures of precaution' against American and Nato naval ships. 'Let’s hope we do not see any direct confrontation in that,' he said."

And let's hope the-one-we're-been-waiting-for notes this crisis, potentially very critical, in his acceptance speech tomorrow night.

IN-THE-TANK HEADLINE FOR TODAY:  From The New York Times, on Barack Obama:  A Nominee of Mystery and Consistency.  Did The Times say "consistency"?  Did it actually say that?  This man has changed more opinions than neckties.  Can anyone figure out his stand on most of the major issues?  Consistency?  Well, the Information Minister will be pleased.

CIVILIZATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS

Posted at 6:20 p.m. ET

Ms. Hillary's speech did not pacify the most passionate of her loyalists.  The term "kamikaze" comes to mind.  The Washington Post reports that bitterness endures, and that travel plans are being made.  Hard to know if this will last, but clearly the Obama camp will not have a complete "one land, one leader" moment.  There's one land, leader to be decided:

They listened, rapt, to a 20-minute speech that many proclaimed the best she had ever delivered, hoping her words could somehow unwind a year of tension in the Democratic Party. But when Clinton stepped off the stage and the standing ovation faded into silence, many of her supporters were left with a sobering realization: Even a tremendous speech couldn't erase their frustrations.

Despite Clinton's plea for Democrats to unite, her delegates remained divided as to how they should proceed.

There was Jerry Straughan, a professor from California, who listened from his seat in the rafters and shook his head at what he considered the speech's predictability. "It's a tactic," he said. "Who knows what she really thinks? With all the missteps that have taken place, this is the only thing she could do. So, yes, I'm still bitter."

Truth be told, this happens fairly often at conventions.  At the 1976 Republican convention, Ronald Reagan conceded defeat to President Gerald R. Ford, but, in his speech, barely noted Ford's existence.  Jimmy Carter, unblessed memory, won the election.  And at the 1980 Democratic convention, Edward R. Kennedy threw in the towel in his bid to take the nomination from Carter, but ice formed on his lips as he did it.  Ronald Reagan won the election.

Divided parties suffer from the divisions, and often lose by narrow margins.  In 1968, a bitterly divided Democratic Party nominated Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey for the top job, only to see him lose by a whisker to the never-popular Richard M. Nixon, by then a political retread.  The Dems who stayed home on election day made the difference.

So unity can count - a lesson both parties might note.

Some Hillaristas aren't listening:

For Clinton's supporters, it was difficult to accept her speech as the public finale of her campaign, because this moment once held such tremendous potential. Shelby Leary, a delegate from West Virginia, stood to watch a video tribute to Clinton's success as a trailblazer and then chanted "Hillary" for 30 seconds with the rest of the crowd. Anne Price, from Washington state, wore a dozen Clinton buttons and wiped tears from her eyes.

It seemed a particularly resonant moment Tuesday night, which marked both Women's Equality Day and the 88th anniversary of women's suffrage.

Some will, as Cold War reporters liked to say about people who lived in dictatorships, vote with their feet:

"I hate Obama so much that I'm going to devote as much time to McCain as I did to Hillary," said Adita Blanco, a Democrat from Edward, Okla., who has never voted for a Republican. "Obama has nothing. He has no experience. The Democratic Party doesn't care about us. You couldn't treat [Clinton] any worse."

Perhaps the best example of the persistent divide in the Democratic Party came after Clinton's speech Tuesday night. The lights went down in the Pepsi Center, and some influential Democrats left downtown for good. They planned to head for the airport and fly home, long before Obama accepts the nomination in a speech at Invesco Field on Thursday night.

Clinton will hold a private meeting with her top financial advisers Wednesday, and many donors plan to leave immediately afterward. Terence R. McAuliffe, Clinton's campaign chairman and the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also plans to leave before Obama's speech. Many of the women from 18 Million Voices, Fiechter's pro-Clinton group, booked tickets for Wednesday and Thursday because "we really are taking a position of being indifferent to Obama," Fiechter said.

Didn't Aretha Franklin sing about R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  Not too much respect for the nominee from many of the Hillary delegates.  And,as noted below, Bill will be skipping the nominee's speech. 

The key point, to be determined, is how much effect all this will have in November.

August 27, 2008.      Permalink          

A MAJOR DIS.  FROM FOX NEWS:  "In another sign of lingering discord between the Clinton and Obama camps, FOX News confirmed Wednesday that former President Bill Clinton will not attend Barack Obama’s Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver Thursday night."

Why doesn't he just put on a McCain pin and get it over with? 

GET OUT THE AIRSICKNESS BAG.  FROM FRANCE'S AFP:  "DENVER, Colorado (AFP) - Some of them aren't even old enough to vote yet, but impassioned by the message of hope preached by Barack Obama they have flocked here to help crown their idol, the Democratic standard-bearer.  These students and high-school pupils are the youngest delegates to the Democratic Party convention, joining a flood of young people under the age of 30 who have swollen the packed convention center."

Go back to school and learn something.

TRACKERS

Posted at 1:35 p.m. ET

Both trackers are now out.  As reported here earlier, McCain has taken the lead, although only a one-point lead, in the Rasmussen survey.

However, Gallup, which had McCain two points ahead yesterday, today has him one point behind.

Averaging both polls today, it's a tie.

A distinguished scholar cautioned me that it takes about a week to identify trends in tracking polls, and I agree.  We report them every day here with that understanding.  Also, polls results will vary from day to day due to the margin of error and ordinary statistical noise.

Bottom line, it's an incredibly tight race.  There is no sign yet that Obama has benefited in the least from his naming of Joe Biden as his vice-presidential pick, or from the start of his convention.  Poll results tomorrow should start to reflect any impact that Hillary Clinton's appearance had. 

McCain names his v.p. choice at the end of the week.  His convention begins Monday. 

August 27, 2008.      Permalink          

BULLETIN AT 9:30 A.M. ET:   First tracker of the day is out.  Rasmussen, which had Obama up three points two days ago, and had the race tied yesterday, now shows McCain up by one.  Cautionary note:  This does not take into account last night's speech by Hillary Clinton, which was shown on all networks.  We might see any impact from that tomorrow morning. 

LAST NIGHT

Posted at 7:04 a.m.

Thanks to Hillary Clinton, the Democrats had a good night last night.  Her speech, carried by all the networks, did what it had to do.  The tracking polls probably won't pick up any effect until results are published tomorrow.  Today's results will reflect polling taken a bit too early.

But, on reflection, I still think there's a disconnect between today's Democratic Party and the country.  I had the feeling that the party continues to talk down to the American people.  Americans realize there are real threats out there, but you'd never know it from the Democratic convention.  National security is lumped in with every other issue, as if survival was on the same priority level as building better bridges.  There is, as there has been in the party for a generation, a lack of maturity.  We're told that tonight will be "national-security night" in Denver.  But what will they say?  The base of the party is indifferent to national security.  Having a national-security night is like giving a dinner for some local politician who's been ignored for years.  There'll be nice speeches, and everything will be forgotten tomorrow morning.

The key is how this is playing with the American people.  Well, first off, Hillary proved herself a better campaigner last night than either Obama or Biden, which was clearly her intent.  Biden is an okay, although somewhat abrasive speaker.  We'll hear him tonight, but he's speaking on the same night as Bill Clinton. The matchup reminds me of a comment that Bing Crosby once made about Frank Sinatra.  A talent like that, Crosby said, comes along once in a lifetime.  "But why did it have to be my lifetime?"  I'd imagine that Biden will have that same view of Clinton tonight. 

There are reports that Obama's handlers want him to tone down his soaring rhetoric when he makes his acceptance speech tomorrow night.  More nuts 'n bolts.  Prove to the people you understand the issues.  Don't sound like a Sunday pastor.  Well, okay, but that assumes there's some beef there.  We'll have to see.  It's perfectly clear from the polls that Obama has worn out part of his welcome.  We may soon find out if there's a "new Obama," like the "new Nixon."  The new Nixon was elected in 1968, but things eventually didn't work out.

Stay tuned.  And watch the action in the trackers to see the effect on public opinion.

August 27, 2008.      Permalink          

BLANKLEY

Posted at  7:01 a.m. ET

One of the subtexts of this campaign is the role of the mainstream media, which once again goes to extremes to embarrass itself.  Tony Blankley, British born and an astute observer of American politics, has some thoughts about the institution that one English press lord called "the froth estate."  Consider:

The mainstream, moron media. It's odd, but I find their predictable nonsense quite comforting.

There is so much change in the world. I don't know whether Michelle Obama thinks America is "downright mean" and not a country of which she is ever proud (except as it loves her husband) or whether, as Monday night, her heart is all aflutter at the flapping of Old Glory when she is not being a sister to her brother, a daughter to her mother, a mother to her daughters, a wife to her husband, and, oh yes (though not mentioned Monday night ) a $300,000-a-year employee of a Chicago hospital so closely connected to Mr. Obama and his public relation's firm that it would need their finest surgeons to separate them at their shared pockets.

Such warmth from Tony.

I'm all in favor of trying to make change my friend - although it's not likely to be a lasting relationship. But I confess that a little stability can be a comfort also. And that is why last Saturday morning was such a comfortable moment for me. When I turned the TV on, the political cable shows were filled with liberal pundits, liberal anchors, liberal guest historians, liberal weather gals and guys, liberal news you can use chicks, liberal political "strategists" (i.e. out of work former Democratic National Committee gofers.) What a relief - nothing had changed.

And the predictable crowd did its predictable thing:

And, of course, all of the above immediately went about their predictable chore of transforming Sen. Joe Biden from what he is to what Mr. Obama needs him to appear to be...

...So every liberal "expert" on television Saturday morning spontaneously asserted that Mr. Biden is no Washington insider - because he commutes an hour by train home most nights. His heart is "back home in Delaware." This is a most preposterous, risible, farce of a lie - so naturally each and every one of the liberal media repeated it straight faced and very earnestly.

And they couldn't contain themselves.

The next endearingly obvious lie was that Mr. Biden was not really from Delaware (a small, reliable Democratic state), but rather from Scranton, Pa. (a big, swing state) - even though Mr. Biden left Scranton as a young child at about the same age that Mr. Obama left Indonesia. So why is Mr. Obama from Chicago and Mr. Biden from Scranton? But, because Mr. Biden had his nappies changed in Scranton (also the mythical home of Hillary Clinton during the primary season, I seem to recall), the moron media tells us he is real popular in Pennsylvania and will help carry the state for Mr. Obama. Except he never registered more than a few single digits in the Pennsylvania poll when he was running in the primary this season.

I hope Biden didn't accidentally read this.  The man has pride.

Nothing against old Joe, but if Mr. Obama had selected a ham sandwich as his running mate, our old friends the mainstream moron media would be just as gushing and enthusiastic ("by picking a ham sandwich, Mr. Obama, in a master stroke, has sent a dog whistle message that he is not a Muslim - as Muslims abhor ham...")

Blankley is right, of course.  Americans are learning what the term "in the tank" means, and the in-the-tank media continues its downward spiral in public esteem.  MSNBC, for example, has essentially taken itself off the list of serious media outlets by becoming a subdivision of the Obama campaign, a situation so awkward and unprofessional that some of their "talent" had an on-the-air spat about it yesterday. 

But now Americans have alternative media.  The First Amendment may save the nation yet.

August 27, 2008.      Permalink          

"What you see is news.  What you know is background.  What you feel is opinion."
    - Lester Markel, late Sunday editor
      of The New York Times.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Subscriptions to URGENT AGENDA are voluntary.  Why subscribe to something you're getting free?  To help guarantee that you'll continue to get it at all.  Subscriptions sustain us.  Payments are through PayPal and are secure, but you do not have to sign up for a PayPal account.  Credit cards are fine.

FOR A ONE-YEAR ($48) SUBSCRIPTION, CLICK:

FOR A SIX-MONTH ($26) SUBSCRIPTION, CLICK:

IF YOU DON'T WISH A SET SUBSCRIPTION, BUT PREFER TO DONATE ANY OTHER AMOUNT TO SUSTAIN URGENT AGENDA, CLICK:

SEARCH URGENT AGENDA:

POWER LINE:

It's a privilege for me to post periodic pieces at Power Line. To go to Power Line, click here.

To link to my Power Line pieces, go here.

THE CURRENT QUESTION

This space will regularly raise questions that relate to the news, but transcend daily headlines.  The idea is to stimulate talk about basic issues. Our last question asked: 

Last week we asked,

What do you think will be the single greatest crisis facing the new president in his first month in office?

You can view the answers here.

NEW CURRENT QUESTION

What would you like to see President Bush accomplish in his last five months in office?

If you'd like to send us your thoughts, click:
response@urgentagenda.com
(Please stay within two or three paragraphs.  We try to print every reply, if space allows.  Place your name at the end of the message if you wish your name published.  This question will stay up through Sunday.)

CONTACT:

YOU CAN E-MAIL US, AS FOLLOWS:

If you have wonderful things to say about this site, if it makes you a better person, please click:
applause@urgentagenda.com

If you have a general comment on anything you see here, or on anything else that's topical, please click:
comments@urgentagenda.com

If you must say something obnoxious, something that will embarrass you and disgrace your loving family, click:
despicable@urgentagenda.com

If you required subscription service, please click:
service@urgentagenda.com

FAVORITE SITES (List will grow)

Power Line
Faster Please (Michael Ledeen)
OpinionJournal.com
Hudson Institute
Bookworm Room
Bill Bennett
Red State
Pajamas Media
Michelle Malkin
Diana West
The Weekly Standard
The New York Sun
Real Clear Politics
The Corner
City Journal
Gateway Pundit
American Thinker