Anyone else think that's a wholly weird description of the Democratic convention?
If the 2008 campaign was one of aspiration and idealism, this year is about survival, and it showed in how the convention played out.
There was still plenty of intensity — both in the speeches and in the vibe among the convention-goers. But this convention was a grimmer, edgier affair than the one four years ago.
Speakers attacked and ridiculed GOP nominee Mitt Romney with a vigor they did not show against John McCain in 2008. They aggressively embraced liberal positions on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. They presented a more united front than they had four years ago, when they were still trying to heal from a divisive presidential primary. And they sounded far less confident that they would prevail in November. ...WaPo
I admit I didn't sit glued to the screen over the past several days. Saw some of the online videos, heard much the main speeches on the sat radio. What did strike me was how much (this was unexpected) the speakers and many of the attendees seemed so much more self-confident, humane, and intelligent than anything we've seen on the other side. Seriously!
Cheerful. Focused. Appreciative. Energetic. Hardly "grim" or "edgy." No smirking. No anger. No looks of total disconnection from the world that stood out in video clips of the GOP convention. What did I miss?
Comments