Sunday, August 08, 2004

Ahhh, another love fest is almost here. The Democrats have just finished their love fest, now it is time for the Republicans. I find the conventions to be curious things. Large numbers of people gather together to praise a person and lift him or her onto a pedastal he or she really shouldn't be on. Some of the people present covet fiercely the limelight that they are forced to shine on someone that they personally believe is inferior. Of course there are always those smart folks that find a way to get at least a little of the attention on themselves, by wrangling one of the many speaking spots. Now these spots are supposed to be used to tell what a wonderful president the candidate will be and to shore up the main message that the party wishes to tell. While the speakers do what the party wants, they also insure that the pubic knows their name. And if they have really good speach writers, and at least passable speaking skills they look like the next best thing that party has to offer in the next state, or federal election. Then there is the matter of what message the party shows. Neither party highlights the aspects of their party that are the least palatable, they focus on the best they have to offer. They also repackage their agenda in the best light, stretching the truth most of the time. Of course, the opposing party is quick to point out this practice, while continuing to do the same thing. You know, everyone one is always complaining about the glut of lawyers in politics, I think that the most logical profession for a politician to start off in would be used car salesman. One of the best things about these love fests is the groupies. You know, the folks with the lights, cameras, microphones and studios. I hear news people talk about how it is their responsibility to be the voice of reason in this sea of political waste, but come Convention time, they seem to turn into 14 yr old boy band fans. Asking hard questions seems to take a back seat to critiqueing speaches and posturing whether a candidate's wife said a naughty thing. If they are not falling over themselves to fawn on the participants of the love fest, they act like the hard rock groupies who diss everything the boy bands do. I mean we either get news people who are swept up promoting, I mean reporting, the Convention, or we get news people trying to trash the Convention . How lucky we are. Just think, only 13 more weeks of the campaign.

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