DNC hopes for ‘08 to be unlike ‘68
This is an excited moment to be in and nothing has really even started. After landing in the airport and taking a drive to my dormitory, I began to see the beauty that Denver has to offer. But it wasn’t until later in the evening did I realize what I was about to be a witness to.
But first, a little bit of background info.
I am sitting in the computer lab of Regis University which is located just outside the downtown area of Denver, Colorado. I am currently enrolled in a program through the Washington Center that assigns us fieldwork related to my area of interest (media coverage of the DNC). The program gives us credentials to hear key addresses from current and previous Democratic officials, as well as attend workshops related to the convention, panel discussions, and small group sessions. Speakers will include Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Dukakis, Leah Daughtry (CEO of DNCC), Governor Bill Ritter (Colorado), and Governor Ed Rendell (Pennsylvania).
While there is no guarantee that I will actually get into the convention itself, the people that work for the Washington Center have assured us that if we play our cards right, we can get our way in. My roommate fortunately got a media credential so he will be able to attend just about everything and hopefully will be able to put in a good word for me to get one as well.
Tonight after a long and arduous orientation, my small group (consisting of ten people) met with our faculty leader who gives us assignments and takes us to random other locations that she is able to get us into. After this I had a really good discussion with four of my group members about what we expect, our guesses for Obama’s VP, and a handful of pessimism about the outcome of the election.
I am certainly excited to report about my experience while in Denver but I didn’t realize until I started researching more about the amount of stuff that I will be able to have the opportunity to cover. Music benefits like Rock the Vote, speeches, parties, rallies, and of course, protests will all be found in the next two weeks.
Apparently there is a warehouse that was converted into a jail which will serve as a mass holding cell and will include cages, barbed wire, and signs warning of stun-gun use. This was discovered by Denver investigative journalists Rick Sallinger and Erin Rosa and was also verified by CBS4News. This holding cell is separate from the “free speech zones” that will be set up 700 feet from the Pepsi Center’s doors.
Because of these things, there have been groups protesting before the convention takes place. In Berkley, California, outside of Obama headquaters a group called World Can’t Wait protested the free speech zones that they and other protestors will be guided to while attending the DNC. A group called Recreate 68 is also planning a week long of protests that will include marches, rallies, speeches, and live music.
There is even a group called Yippies Colorado who are taking a page from the 1968 Yippies led by Abby Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. The new era Yippies decided to stage a publicity act where they beat each other with inflatable “peace” baseball bats outside of the Pepsi Center. Their purpose was to suggest to media and police a gentler weapon that could be used by protestors and cops during the convention; an obvious act to mock the dangerous artillery that was used during the 1968 convention in Chicago.
With all of the convention excitement that will take place during the two weeks, it will certainly be important for me to remember that not all is well in the world of the Democratic Party. While many people may think that attending the DNC shows that I am biased towards the party, I can honestly say that I would love to attend both but could not afford to because of school and financially. I am most certainly intrigued by what goes on inside the makings of the convention, but I know that even if I do not get the credentials to get inside, there will be a story to report from the outside.
Tags: Chicago, Democratic National Convention, DNC, Regis University, Washington Center, Denver, Colorado, Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Dukakis, Leah Daughtry, Governor Bill Ritter, Governor Ed Rendell, Recreate 68, Obama, Pepsi Center, Rick Sallinger, Erin Rosa, World Can't Wait, Berkley, California, Yippies, Abby Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Yippies Colorado, 1968, Democratic Party
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