Convention Characters: more Dems announced

[Ben.]

Good Choices as main speakers for the Dems…

Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-MI)

Rep.Harold Ford (but he spoke in 2000) so perhaps a fair well from John Breaux or Evan Bayh or perhaps Blanche Lincoln or even Jo Lieberman but Lincoln or Breaux would be best if not Ford but Ford would be very good.

Al Gore (D-TN), coz he really has to anyway, having been the nominee last time.

St,Rep.Barack Obama (D-IL) a damn good speaker and he could really be a hit.

Gov.Bill Richardson (D-NM), chairman of the convention and a successful Dem Governor and not a bad speaker could be a good introductory speaker.

I would say they should go in this order…

…Opening…

Gov Richardson – Opens Convention.

…First Full Day…

Rep Harold Ford –First Speech of the Day

Howard Dean – The “fire up the base” red meat speech (keep it sensible Howard )

Al Gore – The Final” Fire up the base red meat” speech (keep ya hair on Al)

…Second Full Day…

Rep Dick Gephardt –A nice generic Democrat speech (a less exciting version of an Edwards stump speech, but doing what you need it to do), besides he has given a great deal of service to the Party.

Gov. Mark Warner – Giving Warner a chance to speech on a national event would be good also, he’s a moderate populist with a strong record and he’s from the south.

Gov Jennifer Granholm –Last Big Speech of the Day again a chance to show case a rising star of the Party.

…Third Full Day…

Barrack Obama – A Great speaker given the chance to begin the last full day of the convention and  WAKE THE DELEGATES UP!, he is a great speaker though

VP Speech – John Edwards, Two Americans, a speech on those timeless values all Democrats like to trumpet kinda like Kennedy’s speech at the convetion in 1980 “The Dream shall never die”.

Nominee Speech- John Kerry

:Convention closes:    

[Ben.]

Republicans

Who’s chairing the convention?  

Zell Miller would be a great speaker to introduce Bush that would certainly help project the right image.

Schwarzenegger would also be a great Moderate Voice to highlight one of the days set of speeches.    
 
Some one the fire up the base a little, perhaps Santorum or JEB Bush in fact “JEB” could be a good speaker full stop to lead on one of the days…but a speaking slot for Santorum would probably work with the base and someone would be need to do that.

Orrin Hatch would be a possibility for an “elder Senator” sorta thing

Some solider who’s been in Iraq and Afghanistan and is good speaker would be great for the GOP, shameless but great, if handled correctly

But Remember for the GOP you need a Hispanic, a woman (Olympia Snowe, could be very good, perhaps a speech mentioning Reagan, she was in his cabinet after all).

[Ben.]

But Remember for the GOP you need a Hispanic, a woman (Olympia Snowe, could be very good, perhaps a speech mentioning Reagan, she was in his cabinet after all).

Ben, you  brought up how the GOP needs an Hispanic...well if Mel Martinez is the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from Florida (I'm hoping that McCollum wins that nomination, though) he would probably speak. Also, the Georgia Senate primary race includes a black conservative Republican named Herman Cain. If he gets the nomination there (which I hope he does) he is pretty Senator-elect since the Dems aren't putting up any serious candidates in November. So Cain would probably receive some speaking time, too. There are plenty other minority candidates running as Republicans. They might not all speak, but they'll be there, supporting the GOP and that is what matters most.

Also, what post did Snowe serve in during the Reagan administration?

Yeah Cain would be a great choice... he's darn good on TV and while he's a little conservative for this Blue Dag! he seems like a really decent guy and i wish him well...

Sorry I assumed on seeing this photo...

 

...that she was in the administration but it was only a meeting... darn! But she would be a good speaker as would Arnie, Zell, Guilliani, Santorum, Owens, Cain and Hatch IMHO  

[Ben.]

     

More convention news trickles out.

Bill & Ted, two of the nation's least popular democrats will have "prime speaking slots."

Arnold is in for Republicans, Dems give "roles" to Kucinich and Sharpton.

Republicans will open with Rudy, Bloomberg and McCain.  Pataki will introduce Bush for the finale.

Rod Paige is on Tuesday, Zell on Wednesday.

No word yet on: Al, Hillary, Colin or Condi.

Including Colin and Condi could turn this good line-up into a fantastic one.  The Dems seem to be struggling with a lot of baggage...

Kucinich, Sharpton, Kennedy and Clinton? that’s just a silly line up!

Kucinich does not command any broad respect or support with the Democratic Party and his vanity campaign for the nomination (which I think is still going on) is a disgrace as has been his neglect during this “ego trip” of his constituents, hell his GOP opponent is far closer to where I stand, Hell! His GOP opponent believes in universal health care!

Sharpton’s only qualification would be because he is black, but he has so much corruption associated with him that he’s far more of a liability, that said NY is “his” city and he would be a crowd pleaser, so perhaps he could be given a low-key speaking slot, he’s funny and entertaining to listen to… to emerging leaders from the African American community Harold Ford and Barack Obama should both be given prominent roles at the Convention and I think that Obama should be the one to give the final “closing speech” to the convention.

Others who should speak would be Bill Richardson, Jennie Granholm, Dick Gephardt and Mark Warner… most of these are emerging as today’s Democratic leaders, with Gephardt it is a chance for a former party leader to make a farewell speech to his party and extol his take on Democratic values and principles I think he should be given this chance (and he should NOT be VP).

Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton would show a party looking to past glories and old approaches, likeable and gifted a speaker as Clinton is, the party should make use of him on the campaign trial but he does not need to make a big dominating speech and nor does Ted Kennedy (that said Teddy did give one hell of a speech back in 1980!  but that sure was a long time ago). The Party must look to the future fringe figures like Kucinich and Sharpton should not be the centrepieces! and not should the heroes of the past! I doubt that this is how the Democratic Convention will unfold I think the likes of Obama, Richadson and others will speek but the figures I have mentioned Granholm, Warner etc… would be very very good to have speak and would project the right image.

Of course the Left should be represented and so on that note I would recommend that on the first full day (as in 2000) the left be given time to “speachify” in a not to abrasive way in an effort to appease the base, so I think that Al Gore (who really from protocol, as the last nominee, should speak) and Howard Dean should speak and that yeah perhaps Sharpton should be given a brief turn on the podium, he didn’t put too much of a foot wrong in the democratic debates and can “probably” be relied on not to do something stupid… but for the most part the characters that I have mentioned (Obama, Richardson, Granholm, Warner etc…) should be the kind of people pushed to the fore at the convention to project the right image, and then Edwards (who better darn well be the VP) and Kerry can make their speeches            

[Ben.]

   

More convention news trickles out.

Bill & Ted, two of the nation's least popular democrats will have "prime speaking slots."

Arnold is in for Republicans, Dems give "roles" to Kucinich and Sharpton.

Republicans will open with Rudy, Bloomberg and McCain.  Pataki will introduce Bush for the finale.

Rod Paige is on Tuesday, Zell on Wednesday.

No word yet on: Al, Hillary, Colin or Condi.

Including Colin and Condi could turn this good line-up into a fantastic one.  The Dems seem to be struggling with a lot of baggage...

Sharpton’s only qualification would be because he is black, but he has so much corruption associated with him that he’s far more of a liability, that said NY is “his” city and he would be a crowd pleaser

The Democratic convention is being held in Boston, not NYC. The GOP will be in NYC

Doh!

Yeah I know, I remember it being announced, personally I thought it should have been Seattle, its modern city that is thought of and perceived of as modern and “forward looking” by most Americans and it looks out from the very edge of America onto the Pacific Ocean while at the same time it is not seen as being as Wacky and Ultra Liberal as say San Francisco or Liberal and divisive like say the other major West Coast City Los Angeles.    

Getting the two places mixed up again but ignore my point about NY and my argument still stands

[Ben.]

I doubt Gore, Sharpton, or Kucinich will have any prominent role. Kennedy and Dean probably deserve a speech, but nothing huge.

I agree though, Clinton and Edwards should talk a lot. Hopefully Edwards will be giving a Wednesday night speech.

Barack Obama, Mark Warner, Jennifer Granholm and Dick Gephardt should all speak.

John Edwards should speak and with a little luck will be giving the Wednesday night speech.

I think for the Left that Ted Kennedy (I expect that he might be the one nominating Kerry, and it makes sense) and Howard Dean (so long as he doesn't get carried away and starts calling Republicans and the DLC evil) and perhaps Al Gore should speak, in fact i think that Al Gore as the last nominee has to speak  (?)  

[Ben.]

Ben, those ideas make practical sense, but I don't know if the party will follow them. Unlike the GOP this year, the Dems seem to be going with the "highlight raving to energize the radical base" strategy, which almost never works in this country.

Yeah you guys have done pretty much what i would have recommended your convention line up looks very good indeed, IMHO... hopefully we'll select the likes of Obama, Warner, Granholm and even Gephardt (kinda a "thank you" from the party) and Dean (for the base) for speaking spots the same with Richardson and perhaps Bayh and maybe Breaux (it would be ace if Breaux would be able to speak though, sadly i doubt he will be asked)... but from what we're hearing you guys look like having a far far better convention that us  


...for God's sake you'll have the three Republicans (McCain, Giuliani and Arnie) most liked and respected by moderates and independents and even Democrats being given prime speaking spots! while what have we been told to expect?!? Denis Kucinich given a "role" and Ted Kennedy!

[Ben.]

I hear Obama will make a key-note speech? is this true and when is he speaking? Still no Pro-life speakers at the Dem convention  I mean either Warner, Breaux or Lincoln would be very good choices IMHO.