Day 3 Begins

Here I am, two and a half hours before the third call to order of this years Democratic National Convention.  Sitting in the same seat as I was last night, check out the video on Youtube to see my view.  Right now Melissa Etheridge is on stage practicing for her performance tonight.  This morning I was at the New Hampshire delegate breakfast.  I interviewed Congresswomen Carol Shea Porter and Obama campaign co-chair Jim Demers.  They were both very nice

On to the news of the evening, Day two was a busy day in the convention hall, we heard from governors, senators and congressmen/women.  All of them had one general message, the need for change.  Hillary Clinton was the headline speaker, coming out in full force for Obama.  Her speech aimed to convert the very last Hillary supporters to Obama’s side.  I spoke with New Hampshire Democrats chairman Raymond Buckley about Clinton’s speech:

Tonight, day three of the Denver DNC is a little over two hours from starting.  Tonights speakers are to include: House speaker Nancy Pelosi, New Hampshire’s own Jean Shaheen, West Virginia senator Jay Rockefeller, Senate majority leader Harry Reid (interview on youtube.com/politicsfitzu), Former President Bill Clinton, Massachusetts’s Senator John Kerry, New Mexico  governor Bill Richardson and Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden.  Its expected to be a lot bigger than yesterday’s lineup. 

This morning our reporters Tanner Acebo and Logan Mack went out to a Michelle Obama event.

-Derek Gorman

Shot In The Leg

So apparently some sort of higher power did NOT want me on the floor tonight. I was going to get my credentials to get on the floor in the main area so I could get some coverage for a story, but life had other plans. I waited in line in press room for quite a time until finally I reached the desk where they were handing out passes to get on the floor. Well right before I go that pass in my hot little hand, a security guy comes over and informs the people in line that the floor is closed off to any more reporters .So basically I waited in line for nothing and I was none too happy.

I was stuck in this room...hating my life

Life decided to cheer me up as we headed over to the Skye Lounge to see Dennis Kucinich speak. We took a cab over and the cab driver was a very nice young gentleman. He told us he had been working as a cab driver for 10 years and that the convention gives him a lot of business. I asked him what his craziest moment in cab driving was and I got quite the answer. He told us that he had been robbed 2 years back and was shot in the leg when he chased after the criminal. He also told us about how a couple paid him 300 dollars to allow them some “freedom” in the back of the car (if you know what I mean).

After a pleasant conversation with the cab driver we arrived at the bar where Dennis was set to arrive. The bar area filled up pretty fast as eager citizens awaited the arrival of Kucinich. He arrived shortly after we got there and the room exploded in support of the democrat. I got to ask him a few questions about his earlier speech and his support of Barack Obama.

 

The whole room was captivated by Dennis, I was captivated by his wife Elizabeth (if you know what I mean). Overall I was impressed by the event and was glad we rushed over to attend. After yet another long day it is time to prepare for the next.

 

One day we can be together Elizabeth...one day...

 -Robbie Michaelson

Wake Up America!

Eric and I rushed into the convention hall today to try and get credentials to get on the floor the the convention. Being unable to do so, we proceeded to get some seats to watch some Democrats praise Obama some more. Now that we are a couple days in it seems as if people are just repeating themselves over and over. Basically the whole convention so far can be condensed into the following words and phrases:

• Hope

• Change

• Eight Years of Bush/Cheney

• Four more years of the same

• Dream

• Barack Obama

 

Every speech seems to be a mixture of these phrases. Once in a while a lame joke was thrown in for good measure, but besides that it was more of the same. One democrat who really gave a compelling speech was Dennis Kucinich. For such a small guy he really knows how to make his presence known in the hall. He pumped up the audience with a unique delivery of how he wants to see America improved. “Wake up America!” he shouted as he listed the problems our country is facing and the changes needed to remedy them. It was the first speech I heard that gave me a tingle down my spine and the first speech where I had no choice but to give a round of applause. I had never really paid much attention to Kucinich before, but after seeing him in person I think I’ll make it a point to learn more about him.

-Robbie Michaelson

The First Night

            The Pepsi Center in Denver last night was almost unrecognizable as the place the Denver Nuggets play basketball.  From the cheap seats, high up in the arena, the floor and the lower levels looked like a sea of closely packed delegates.

 

            While the evening’s activities were carefully scripted, the delegates’ enthusiasm was genuine.  When they waved placards or cheered they did so because they seemed genuinely excited to be part of the Democratic National Convention.

 

            That the evening was carefully planned was evident in the giant teleprompter, just behind the Virginia delegation.  Guests in the galleries on the podium side of the arena could read along as speeches were made.  A large red timer counted down the seconds of each speaker’s allotted time.  Michelle Obama got 21 minutes, and at times she seemed to be trying to make up the time lost to the delegates’ long, loud cheering that greeted her.  Her brother, Craig, had six minutes to introduce her.

 

            When Michelle Obama finished, not only the delegates, but the thousands of guests in the many galleries that rise to the eaves of the center, spontaneously stood to give her a standing ovation.

 

            At times earlier in the evening, a dull rumble of people talking seemed to indicate that few were paying attention to the many speakers.  This appeared particularly true of Candi Schmieder, a largely unknown precinct captain who had been chosen to speak.  However, when Schmieder said that she had decided to go to college, the applause was sudden and widespread.

 

            The tightly choreographed lighting made the convention floor look as dramatic in real life as it did on television.  One thing that may not have been evident to viewers at home was how much a physical presence the press was in the hall.  The skyboxes around the arena had been converted into open studios for Fox, CBS and other organizations.  The anchors all sat with their backs to the convention, facing their cameras, using the convention and the speakers’ podium as a backdrop for their programs.

 

Closer to the floor, less prestigious news outfits filled two tiers of open boxes.  The on-air talent stood almost shoulder to shoulder against the waist-high front walls, again with their backs to the hall doing stand-ups before their closely packed cameras.

 

Several news organizations even had mini-stages right on the convention floor.  Wolf Blitzer and four panelists were visible at the largest one on the arena’s right side must have blocked the view of several rows of the California delegation. 

 

At some point in Michelle Obama’s speech, a change was visible.  The anchors in the sky boxes – in an almost unbroken line around the arena – had turned around in their chairs.  Down below in the two tiers of open boxes, the reporters were leaning on the front walls, this time looking towards the podium.

 

Down in the floor stages the panelists continued facing the cameras.

 

-Professor Paul Bush

In the Building!

It’s a beautiful view from the press box at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.  It’s just minutes before this the second day of the Democratic National convention is scheduled to start.  On the bill for tonight are such names as Ted Sorenson, speech writer to President John F. Kennedy, Iowa governor Chet Culver, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the governor of John McCain’s home state Janet Napolitano, our very own John Huston, governor Deval Patrick (check out youtube.com/politicsfitzu for a preview) and of course Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.  It is definitely scheduled to be a memorable night with the theme of “Renewing America’s Promise”. 

I sure have had a productive day already with two interviews under my belt before the convention starts.  In my brief to the news team this morning I said “yesterday was a pre-season game, now it’s time to start the season”.  It feel like Denver has the same attitude, weather its the on the floor, around the city, the media and even security, this is the big leagues, and the season has started.  I noticed a drastic rise in security presence on my walk to the Pepsi Center this after noon.

The entire Franklin Pierce news team is hyped up for tonight, I even let them sleep in a little. Keep your eyes out for updates all night on Youtube.com/PoliticsFitzU and Piercemediagrouponline.com for the latest from the Democratic National Convention here in Denver.

-Derek Gorman

I was talking future this morning!

Here I am live at the NH delegate breakfast in Denver.  The convention has been going really great so far.  This morning I got two interviews, and when brainstorming questions I must have had the future on my mind.  I wanted to focus on some NH and youth issues, so I decided on energy and education as well as the First in the Nation primary.  I spoke with Terie Norelli, the speaker of the NH House and Sylvia Larsen the NH Senate President. Both were very excited about the First in the Nation and very confident that New Hampshire will continue to be the beginning of the political cycle.

What Does Denver Think?

So what does Denver really think about hosting the DNC?

-Derek Gorman