Thursday, August 28, 2008

What a show, oups, I mean political convention

So tonight was the night for Barack Obama - he is now officially the Democratic presidential candidate. I came in late - his speech was in the middle of bedtime routines California time. So the first thing I watched, using CNN's livestream, was the ending - the tons of confetti, the fireworks, the up beat music, the flags and banners and crying people. If turned on the TV, and you didn't know what was on - and if you were from somewhere else - I'm not sure you would immediately connect that this was a political convention...

They sure can make shows, these Americans. Even a politcal convention is a pretty cool event.

So after I've watched the grand finale of the convention, I listened to the speeches. In one of the after talk show interviews on CNN, one republican observer said (of course a tiny bit biased perhaps...) that Obama's speech should have an C - mostly because he looked so angry - after a convention that had been so much about hope. I watched a sound bite with the sound turned off - and maybe he looked a little angry - or maybe concerned or maybe he was just overwhelmed by the hugeness of it all? After all there might have been 85 000 people watching him live in the arena Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado... Not a very ordinary audience size for a senator...

Tomorrow we'll know who the Republican candidate McCain's running mate will be. The next few days we will probably start seeing bumper stickers, signs on people's front yards for the two different teams. Then it will all escalate the next 10 weeks until the election...

6 comments:

Saltistjejen said...

M såg talet på TV och sa att han är så imponerad av Obamas förmåga att hålla tal. At liksom förtrolla alla åhörare. Öven om man inte håller med i allt )sakfrågor) så dras ma lätt med av hans karisma och sätt att verkligen framföra sitt budskap på bästa sätt.
Själv tycker jag nästan det var lite sektvarning när jag sneglade på TVn då och då. Men det är det väl kasnke när man håller tal inför tusentals redan frälsta??
Det blir spännande att fortsätta föja valet här iallafall!!!

Annika said...

Ja, jag såg talet, Obama gjorde mkt bra ifrån sig. Måtte det bli han i höst! Vilken TALARE han ÄR!!

Annars ja, håller med Saltis, det är lite sektvarning över alla dessa jippos. Känslorna svallar över. FÖ tycker jag att alla demokrater hållit topptal, Clintons, Kennedy, Gore...

Men tja...visst ska det bli lite skönt när allt ståhej är över i november, fast egentligen är det väl inte över förrän i januari.

Ally said...

I haven't been able to watch any of the speeches but while driving to and from places all week, I've heard most of them. Thank God for NPR. I can't handle all the pageantry that goes on with these conventions these days.

I have voter fatigue now and just want this to be over with.

JaCal said...

Saltistjejen - ja, han har verkligen haft förmåga under primaries- nu ska det bli otroligt intressant att se hur det blir i höst. Och ja... sektvarning är bara förordet... Samtidigt är det ju intressant att se hur hur många som är så engagerade.

Annika - ja, det blir en riktigt intressant höst - inte minst med Sarah Palin på andra sidan. Otroligt vad detta öppnar dörrar för framtiden!

Ally - I've been using CNN Live and their video section to get the speeches and less of the "party" ;-) But that is interesting to see too. Can't really imagine the same thing at a political "stämma" in Sweden - haha!. Yes - you have to keep up going to the poll in November! Turn on the radio! ;-)

BeachFitMoms said...

Hi! I've been reading your blog since a few weeks ago and I laugh all the time. I'm from Gothenburg, Sweden, but I live in Seal Beach now with my American boyfriend and I love it. I told him to read your blog so he got a better understanding of my sometimes weird or funny experiences of American society.

JaCal said...

The Swedish style Spy - well, hi there! I'm glad you're laughing - I feel better writing it... unload some of my thoughts - haha. Well your boyfriend sure is welcome too! ;-)