| My first impressions of Denver are that this city, during a major party convention at least, pack just as much weirdness per square mile as my own beloved NYC.
Today I ha to stroll from the Big Tent, where I'll most likely be spending most of my time for the week (you can actually work here), to the place where the DNCC is actually doling out media credentials, about a 20 minute hike. In the space of one block along downtown Denver's main drag, the 16th street mall, I ran into a group of PUMA types, I counted 13 of them followed by at least 50 media folks. Not 20 seconds later, I ran into our own Charlie Rangel strolling down the street and surrounded by mostly convention goers snapping pics. At the end of the block I ran into a group of folks holding signs reading "Homo Sex Is A Threat To NATIONAL SECURITY" and "Time Is Running Out: OBEY JESUS!" These folks were being protected by probably 30 Denver cops who were quite nonchalantly, yet dutifully defending their right to be ignored by the thousands strolling by.
On the next block I ran into a group of folks (left my camera at the Big Tent. Dammit!) carrying a banner that read "Clintons for McCain". I counted 9 of them. They were all wearing McCain gear and carrying McCain signs. They were surrounded by another 40 or so media folks and a couple dozen conventioneers. They were chanting "Biden supports McCain!" to which the converntioneers replied each time "Baloney!" It was quite the spectacle. The interesting thing, aside from their rather puny numbers versus the media throng around them was the fact that they appeared exclusively to be, to my trained eye, republicans. These weren't disgruntled Hillary supporters. They were GOP media bait and the media was biting in a major way.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that you may well see on TeeVee tonight angry "Hillary supporters" chanting for McCain on the streets of Denver. Don't buy it. It's total bullshit staged for the media types dying for it. To see it from across the street, as opposed to from the lens of a camera focused on the rather curiously phrased banner ("Clintons" for McCain?), was to see a rather sad spectacle, 9 folks total, that the assembled media couldn't seem to get enough of.
Don't believe the hype. |
