TresSugar

Did You Watch Convention Speeches on the Internet?

GeekSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:10:33 -0700

What's so interesting about John McCain's speech at the Republican National Convention bringing in slightly more viewers than Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention to geeksugar? It's interesting because this election has involved the Internet in an inextricable fashion - so much so that this data, the viewing habits of live broadcast television only, could be kinda skewed.

What I'm getting at is that I know a lot of people who didn't tune in to their regular broadcast to watch either speech, and instead watched videos of the speeches online. In fact, since the Internet is where I, and many others, have been getting their election coverage, it makes sense that you wouldn't turn on the TV to watch a speech, confident that they would make it on YouTube (like most important things these days).

So tell me, if you watched any of the convention speeches, did you watch them online?

One Last Look at the Republican Convention: the Balloon Drop!

CitizenSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:00:30 -0700

I was listening to McCain's nomination acceptance speech on the radio on the way to the airport yesterday and it sounded so different than it did in the arena. I actually got to hear the fiery end to the speech, the part where he said:

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

In the arena that night, the whole last minute was drowned out by cheers - and then when the soaring music swelled, the confetti rained down as the harbinger of balloons and the hopeful first family took the stage, forget about it - it was a perfect end to a convention that last Monday, no one even knew if it would happen. But it did, and I'm so glad to have been there.

To see the balloon drop, read more.

I have more RNC coverage to come - parties and panels coming soon!

Should Graphic 9/11 Footage Be Off-Limits in Partisan Context?

LibertySugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:45:00 -0700

While watching the Republican National Convention last night, disturbing images of September 11 put a pit in my stomach. Around 8:40 p.m. EDT, the RNC aired a video that included slow-motion footage of a plane striking the WTC, the towers' collapses, and images of a burning Pentagon, while a narrator conjured up memories of bodies falling from buildings. Even more, the 9/11 tribute video opened with a reference to Iran. The horrific images undoubtedly upset every American, but it left me wondering if the Republican National Convention was the proper time to evoke those painful memories.

The Boston Globe noted that running 9/11 graphic images in a partisan context "was one of the few surviving campaign-season taboos." Keith Olbermann actually apologized to viewers, saying that it was probably not appropriate for MSNBC to show the video.

Supporters of the video could argue that America needs to get real about threats and get real about which president will keep them safe from the threats. The narrator of the video furthers that point saying, "and for too long we've looked the other way. But the enemy is wrong. This is a war America will win. We'll have a president who knows how."

Looking Back: Which Party's Convention Was the Best?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:11 -0700

Phew. I've run into quite a few people over the past few weeks who've seen both conventions top to bottom, and the question came up last night after the last balloon settled: Which convention was the best? In my mind it can be answered on a couple of levels - which convention looked the best, or which was more fun - but when it comes down to it, I think the real question is: Which convention did its job the best?

My mom reported in after McCain's speech saying, "I was worried when McCain started, but was in tears at the end. Your grandpa wanted me to take him to the post office to sign up again." While that's a rousing testimony to be sure, they were solid McCain voters before anyone set foot in St. Paul. So what do you all think? You've seen our coverage of both conventions - which party's did its job with an A++ super-gold star?

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They Said What? Frequency of Words Used by the Parties

CitizenSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:00:24 -0700

Now that it's all done but sweeping up the balloons, the New York Times, ever the data-doyenne, has a different way of looking at who said what these conventions. Bubbles of varying sizes show the amount of times per 25,000 words uttered, that certain phrases were used.

Interestingly, the "opponent's name" count varies pretty wildly - the Democrats used McCain's name 78 times to the Republican's use of Obama a mere 25 times. Up there for both parties? "Change" and "God." While the Republicans were twice as godly, and the Democrats three times as change-y, it seems like both have see the benefit to grabbing both traditional and forward-thinking tropes.

The graph also let's you see who said what - Obama used McCain's name 3.5 times more, and McCain grabbed the "change" mantel from Obama just over half as often. Watching the two conventions, do any of the results surprise you? What do you make of the disparity between use of the opponent's name?

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John McCain Accepts the Republican Nomination!

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:16:18 -0700

Since I made up my mind to vote for John McCain, I've been waiting for this night - and by the sounds of the crowd, an arena full of people agreed with me. The build up to John McCain was appropriately quick and tough and everyone was beyond anxious to get to the goods and see how McCain would follow Palin's speech. It felt different in the crowd. Yesterday's raucous relief was replaced with an enthusiastic solemnity.

The line up was a slate of friends and leaders who testified to McCain's readiness to lead and protect the country. Sen. Lindsay Graham had some particularly strong words:

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Barack Obama doesn't care. I'm just saying - he doesn't get it. Not once was Barack Obama's eloquent voice ever raised in support of Victory in Iraq. Not once was it used to rally our troops in battle. Instead, he inspired those who supported retreat and would have accepted our defeat.

The security theme continued up to the main event. To see who else spoke, and what McCain said, read more.

Former PA Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said:

Who but John McCain has the experience . . the sheer will . . the steady hand. . . and the informed judgment to advance our economic and political interests during these perilous 21st century times? And who but John McCain - and only John McCain - can negotiate from a position of strength and proven ability - because he's already earned the trust . . .respect . . . and admiration of our friends and allies around the world? And I suspect he has the attention of those who would oppose us.

By the time Cindy and family (and Jack!) came out, the crowd was primed. Then John McCain gave the speech he's been waiting years to give: accepting the nomination. With an attempt by Code Pink to disrupt the speech promptly drowned by the crowd's "USA!" the crowd was inspired. On the rebuilt stage that thrust him among the crowd, this said it all for me:

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s.

You had me at "country first." The crowd drowned out the last minute of the speech with a deafening roar, and I finally got my balloon drop. God bless America, indeed.

What did you think? Did McCain do his job? Was the speech a winner?

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This Is It! Are You Watching John McCain's Speech Tonight?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:43:53 -0700

Tonight's floor session just started and I've already teared up once. I don't stand a chance. Trace Adkins sang the opening national anthem - no accompaniment, just his booming voice - and after one line, the whole crowd started to join him. Tentatively at first, then by the end the hall was ablaze with song. There is a heck of a lot of red worn in this hall tonight, and people are ready for the main event.

John McCain is set to take the stage at 10 p.m. ET, preceded by Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota; Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida; former Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee; and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas. What are you looking for McCain to say? What would constitute a home run?

To watch all of the speeches live and see more pics, read more.

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The Daily Show Live! Plus, Jon Stewart Serves Karl Rove, Hard

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:30:39 -0700

With a ramped up convention, comes amped up comedy. The Daily Show was out in full-force yesterday, with Samantha Bee interviewing the more creatively dressed delegates. In this scene she was doing a little role-play, pretending to be Bristol Palin while the lovely delegate played Sarah. Hilarity ensued.

My favorite part of this video? The women behind me while I was filming having this conversation: "What news show is this?" "I don't know." "Oh, I think it's that Daily thing." "What? Oh, you mean that show all the kids watch?" Ha. And not 10 minutes before, in that very spot, Karl Rove strode past me - he might have escaped my camera, but he didn't escape Jon Stewart on last night's Daily Show. He had some pretty blistering things to say to Mr. Rove. To see what, read more.

A head like uncooked dough? Now, now. He seemed like a very nice man yesterday.

The Morning After: Rebuttals Fly to Palin's Big Speech

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:56:20 -0700

No sooner had Sarah Palin's speech ended last night and the cheers faded were people clamoring to hear the response and analysis to it. I was the star of my shuttle bus for having the first-shot email from the Obama camp on my phone - I did a dramatic reading of it for my bus-mates.

The first shot included, "The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speech writer and sounds exactly like the divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years." The kids on the bus noticed the double-helping of Bush immediately. Now, the morning after, the fact-checkers are doing their duty on the speech, including these nuggets:

Palin said: "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

The rebuttal: Sarah Palin might have changed her mind on this one recently. However, a comment here notes that Palin actually slashed funding for schools for special needs kids by 62 percent.

To find out what else they zeroed in on, read more.

Palin said: “But listening to him speak, it’s easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.”

The rebuttal: Obama helped pass the 2007 Ethics Reform Law, which curbed the influence of lobbyists and was described as the “most sweeping since Watergate.” In the first week of the 110th Congress, Obama joined with Senator Feingold to introduce a “Gold Standard” ethics package. Many of the Obama/Feingold bill’s most important provisions were included in the final ethics reform package passed by the Senate in late January.

Her speech was wildly and widely well received, with headlines like "Palin delivers star-turning performance at RNC." What do you make of the rebuttals? Was her speech factual?

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Day 3: Mitt, Mike, Rudy, and Finally! Sarah Palin Speaks!

CitizenSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:15:27 -0700

Ah! Now this is more like it! The arena was rocking tonight, and it finally felt like a real convention. Fast forward to the end, they loved Sarah Palin - and it's crystal clear the Republicans are fired up! It was a packed line up and here are the highlights: GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele was the first speaker to rouse the full arena saying, "So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil and promote oil and gas production at home. In other words, drill baby drill! And drill now!" The crowd erupted in a chorus of "Drill baby, drill!"

Mitt Romney (whose hair is just as flawless in person) sounded very Reagan-esque, saying, "Our economy is under attack. China is acting like Adam Smith on steroids, buying oil from the world's worst, and selling nuclear technology. Russia and the oil states are siphoning more than 500 billion dollars a year from us in what could become the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history. This is no time for timid, liberal empty gestures."

Oh, yes. The gloves were off tonight. To see more highlights and the main event, Sarah's big speech, read more.

Mike Huckabee was a huge hit, both with laughs and tricky issues, rousing the crowd saying that Sarah Palin got more votes running for mayor than Joe Biden got running for president. He then addressed Obama's candidacy saying:

I grew up at a time and in a place where the civil rights movement was fought. I witnessed first hand the shameful evil of racism. I saw how ignorance and prejudice caused people to do the unthinkable to people of color not so many years ago. So, I say with sincerity that I have great respect for Senator Obama's historic achievement to become his party's nominee -- not because of his color, but with indifference to it. Party or politics aside, we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country. But the Presidency is not a symbolic job, and I don't believe his preparation or his plans will lift America up.

Rudy Giuliani got an enormous standing ovation and had perhaps a more New York bluntness to his remarks saying as president, "it's not good enough to be present," and "this is not a personal attack . . .it's a statement of fact - Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada."

And then Sarah Palin! After a more than two-minute ovation from a crowd packed with handmade signs reading "Palin Power," and "Soccer Moms for Sarah," Palin was finally allowed to speak. And when she did, the crowd couldn't have been more enthusiastic, and I couldn't stop thinking, that's a woman! That's a woman up there! Palin said,

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.

She seemed sprightly and iron-strong all at the same time, and addressed each of the subjects bandied in the media for the past week, with delicacy and pointedness. "Here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this great country." Huge, deafening applause.

Given the number of times she was interrupted by wild cheers and applause, the audience was charmed and very, very charged up. Were you? And when John McCain came out at the end? Forget about it. Complete and total of the best kind of Republican pandemonium. This crowd has spoken: McCain/Palin '08.

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