Convention Watch

For those interested...below is the revised schedule for tonight's GOP convention. Big speakers tonight are Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman.

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

* Video: "Country First" - Narrator: Robert Duvall
* Speaker: Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the Republican National Convention's Committee on Arrangements
* Speaker: U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (Minn.)
* Pledge of Allegiance: Victoria Blackstone, winner of the Stars and Stripes Essay Contest
* Speaker: Miles McPherson, President of Miles Ahead and Senior Pastor of the Rock Church
* Speaker: Ashley Gunn
* Speaker: U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)
* Speaker: Wes Gullett and daughter Nikki
* Video Tribute: President Teddy Roosevelt
* Music and Entertainment: Rachael Lampa

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

* Speaker: Captain Shanna Hanson, Minneapolis Fire Department
* Video Tribute: President Abraham Lincoln
* Speaker: Tommy Espinoza, President and CEO of Raza Development Fund, Inc.
* Video Tribute: President George H. W. Bush
* Speaker: Bill Gross
* Speaker: Captain Leslie Smith, U.S. Army (ret.)
* Video: Medal of Honor Story: Michael Monsoor, U.S. Navy SEAL
* Speaker: The Honorable Orson Swindle, former POW, Lt. Col. U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) and former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission
* Speaker: First Lady Laura Bush
* Remote Video: President George W. Bush

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

* Video Tribute: President Ronald Reagan
* Speaker: Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
* Speaker: U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)
* Introduction of Benediction: Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan

10 p.m. to Conclusion

* Benediction: Rabbi Ira M. Flax, Lt. Col. U.S. Air Force (ret.)
* Introduction of Delegate for Motion and Adoption of Motion to Adjourn: Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan

 

I know it is a small venue, but I hope they can get all those empty seats filled in.

Only got to see the Kennedy, Michelle and Bill Clinton Speeches last week (travel) and I am afraid this might be the only night I can see it this week.

 

Joe Lieberman's speech was pretty amazing. One reporter said Lieberman endorsed McCain only because they are friends and he wants a cabinet position, which is crazy if you listened to the speech. Lieberman was very specific in his reasons. Most Dems disagree with Lieberman, but he truly believes that terrorism is a threat to this country and that John McCain is the better candidate to defend the nation and to fight special interests in DC. Lieberman has known him and has seen him up close and personal. I think his speech was really good and could be very effective. He was the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate just eight years ago. Even though liberal Democrats hate him now, there are a lot of people out in the country who don't play partisan politics that voted for him and trust him.

 

The empty seats I saw were all in places behind the stage that were most likely roped off since they were behind the stage and partially obstructed by the set, but I will ask some of the people I know who are there. If Republicans were as good at stagecraft as the Democrats they would have done something like this. No one can beat Obama when it comes to staging.

 

Two out of three networks chose not to show speech

I just heard from a friend that CBS and NBC did not even carry the Thompson speech. They didn't have to cover the convention last night due to the hurricane and tonight could not be bothered to give the GOP speakers even one full hour. Unbelievable. The Thompson speech was one of the best I have ever heard (in delivery, balance, etc.). The text is too long to post, but here is a link to the transcript. It is fast moving and very easy to read, unlike most speeches. Thompson told a moving story about McCain's life story. It was alternately inspiring, funny and informational. I have not yet confirmed that two networks failed to cover the speech. I find that almost impossible to believe. I have never, in my lifetime, seen the media so in the tank for one candidate. It is way beyond just talking glowingly of one side and then talking trash about the other, which they have blatantly done, but now they are even tilting the amount of coverage in a way that is measurable and undeniable.

 

Umm terrorism is a big problem for everyone. Not just us. I'm tired of revolving around. Yes protect us. But we can't sit scared all of our lives. And not all terrorists occupy Iraq. You can't ever stop it. Just try to prepare for it. This war is not about protecting us from terrorism. If it is then we need to be at war with the world.

 

Well, the candidates are running for president of the United States so I think the main focus should be on us. Or maybe only one candidate is truly doing that. Maybe the other is running for President of Germany. There is some evidence to that effect.

I know Democrats don't like to hear this, but we have not had another attack on US soil and it has been reported that there has been intelligence gained in Iraq that has thwarted attacks here. Intelligence has been obtained there that has also allowed for the capture of terrorists in other parts of the world, as well, so the benefits are not just for our safety.

If we were told on 9/11/01 that we would go seven years without another major attack on US soil, few would have believed it. Call it coincidence if you want, but if we had been attacked it would take about 2 seconds for those on the left to say, "see we aren't safer than we were and it is all Bush's fault." Funny how it is only Bush's fault when something bad happens.

 

7 Years without a major terrorist attack? Hmm. I guess before 9/11 it was an everyday thing right? I'm tired of wars. Terrorists come from all over the world. NOT IRAQ! Thats stereotyping right there. It's time that we had a president that is concerned about what is going on in the U.S.. Not the Middle East.

 

Regarding your link, did you notice that up front they realized they did not need all that room. It is a little hard to put up all those platforms that the audiance were standing on (the equivilant of bleechers) after the crowd has shown up! :mrgreen:

Regarding St. Paul, this pretty much confirmed what I saw last night:


Convention crowd is sparse

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The first clue that the convention hall isn't quite full is the air conditioning: walking into the Xcel Energy Center is like walking into, well, an Alaskan winter.

As you may have noticed on TV, there are empty seats all over the arena. The section directly to the right of the stage is nearly completely devoid of people. The club-level seats are practically deserted. The upper deck has plenty of room. (The sky suites seem pretty crowded, at least from the lower bowl.)

Part of the problem with the Twin Cities as a convention site is that while the business takes place here in St. Paul, most of the hotels -- and nearly all the nightly parties after the sessions adjourn -- are in Minneapolis, about 30 minutes up the road. There may be quite a few Republicans staying in, watching the convention on TV (or not) and then heading out to socialize afterwards without bothering to drop in for the show. There are short lines at the security checkpoints, no crowds in the restrooms, clear paths through the concourse between speeches.

Compare that to Denver last week, where the fire marshall closed the Pepsi Center and Mile High Stadium nearly every night, and you get a sense of that enthusiasm gap the press is talking about.

On the other hand, the Republicans have about half as many delegates as the Democrats -- while only 2,380 people are casting votes here, that would only barely win a candidate a majority of the 4,126 delegates in Denver.

The real test may come Wednesday night, when vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin headlines a speakers' roster including Cindy McCain. If a crowd doesn't turn up then, you might see half-price hot dogs for sale by Thursday, when John McCain shows up to accept his party's nomination.
― Mike Madden
Salon Magazine

 

I watched quite a bit of the DNC and had all intentions to watch the RNC. I got to watch some last night of Thompson's speech about of McCain and got so depressed I turned it. I know he was telling us of McCain's story, but it really wasn't the upbeat kind of convention the Dems put on. I thought Laura Bush's speech was a little on snoozing side also.

 

Does anyone know what time Palin is speaking tonight?

 

My guess would be 9:20 pm to make sure the networks are done with their introductions.

 

Here's the only schedule I could track down:

7:00 pm – Ceremonial burning of the U.S. Constitution
7:15 pm – Spiritual Medium Sylvia Browne performs psychic séance in desperate attempt to raise Ronald Reagan from the grave
7:35 pm – "The Pleasures of Adultery" - with Newt Gingrich & Rudy Giuliani
8:05 pm – Gay sex party in Men's Restroom hosted by Senator Larry Craig
8:35 pm - Transvestite Ann Coulter – "My Life as a Man"
8:55 pm – Live satellite feed from Federal Prison – Ohio Rep. Bob Ney
9:05 pm – Guest speaker ex-Florida Congressman Mark Foley " Joys with Young Boys"
9:25 pm – Oliver North – "Iran is Evil, but I sold them weapons anyway"
9:40 pm – Bill O' Reilly – "The costs of sexual harassment and phone sex with employees"
10:00 pm – Gay sex party in Men's Room hosted by Ken Mehlman and Geraldo Rivera
10:25 pm – Check John McCain to see if he's still breathing and if his adult diaper needs changed.
10:35 pm – N.R.A. President hosts an assault riffle target practice on Gays and Mexicans.
10:45 pm - Call emergency squad after a drunken Dick Cheney accidentally shoots his friend in the face.
11:00 pm – President Bush performs his hilarious comedy routine where he looks for Iraq's fictitious WMD's under guests tables.
11:15 pm – Governor Mike Huckabee does his famous uncanny imitation of Gomer Pyle.
11:20 pm – Group intervention to get Rush Limbaugh back into drug rehab
11:45 pm – Go up on rooftop and throw rocks down at homeless Vets sleeping in alley.
12:00 am – Live satellite feed from Federal Prison – California Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham
12:20 am – Convicted felon/Fox News analyst G. Gordon Liddy – Lock picking secrets
12:40 am – Guest speakers Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz – "How to lie your Country into a War"
1:00 am – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay – "Tips on Money Laundering"
1:15 am – Hookers arrive for after party

 

I'll probably watch it on C-SPAN and miss out on all those talking heads.

 

C-Span is probably your best bet. The schedule is below. I saw Michael Steele speak in person last year and he is one of the best speakers I have ever seen anywhere on any subject. His speech won't be covered by the networks and probably not even by the cable news channels due to the hour he is speaking, but C-Span should carry it. He is worth watching not only because he is a great speaker, but because he is a GOP rising star. You will definitely be seeing him again.

One thing the attacks on Palin have done is increase public interest. Due to all the controversy she is likely to have one heck of a huge audience. If she does well it will be a great pay off. If she bombs, it may be all over.

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

* Call to Order, Introduction of Colors: U.S. Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)
* Presentation of Colors: Law Enforcement Memorial Association (Minn.)
* Pledge of Allegiance: Sharon Clahchischilliage and Mary Leavitt
* Singing of "America the Beautiful": John Shillington and Ruby Brown
* Invocation: Father Edward Reese
* Speaker: U.S. Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)
* Video: "Country First: Prosperity," with narration by Robert Duvall
* Speaker: Anne Beiler
* Speaker: U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
* Speaker: Renee Amoore
* Speaker: State Sen. Abel Maldonado (Calif.)
* Speaker: Carolyn Dunn

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

* Speaker: Dr. Elena Rios
* Speaker: Ruth Novodor
* Speaker: Christy Swanson
* Speaker: Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams
* Speaker: Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Luis Fortuno
* Speaker: Meg Whitman, former President and CEO of EBay
* Video: Sen. McCain's Economic Reform Package
* Speaker: Carly Fiorina, former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard
* Prayer: Bishop Thomas Wenski

8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

* Speaker: GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele
* Speaker: Former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
* Speaker: Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.)
* Musical Performance: John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Cowboy Troy

9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

* Speaker: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (N.Y.)
* Speaker: Gov. Linda Lingle (Hawaii)
* Video: Sarah Palin
* Speaker: Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin

10 p.m. to Conclusion

* Procedural Activities Required for Nomination of the Presidential Candidate: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
* Roll Call: Sec. Jean Inman, Assist. Sec. Connie Nicholas, and Assist. Sec. Rosie Tripp
* Benediction: Rev. Eva Rodriguez
* Adjournment: U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)

 

Just what I would expect from you Clif!! Then..........you call me ignorant & uneducated!!!

 

The Memphis Mafia

I didn't read the entire schedule when I posted it and just noticed that John Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy are performing. I am sure the networks won't show it so I guess you'll have to watch C-span or cable news to see that. Should be fun. Rich wrote a song called Raisin' McCain, but I have not heard it yet.

 

Time

Note that times in the schedule posted earlier appear to be in St. Paul time since my tv guide shows the network coverage as beginning at 10 p.m.

It won't much matter what anyone says tonight though. The media will report it all the same, regardless the outcome, and the storyline will be Obama-Biden good, McCain-Palin bad. Just the latest example can be seen here. If it hadn't taken the media over a year to finally report the John Edwards' baby scandal (long after he withdrew from the race) I might not be quite so cynical, but the media is not even trying to pretend to treat D's and R's the same. At some point recently they must have decided no one was buying it anyway so why hold up the charade.

 

I think you limit yourself to much when you just blame the media, even one of McCain's advisers is shaking his head on Palin (not to mention Noonan, but she is conservative media). This was an off the record honest evaluation that is all over the internet right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrG8w4bb3kg

 

Calm down baby, Americans are smart they don't believe everything on TV, they will make decision with thier head and vote for candidate that matters most for them. About media, you got Fox, they cover the convention very well, arn't they?