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Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

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The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2012 / Post-Convention Open Thread

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91Comments

  2. 2.

    jwb

    I got a comment in before Cole dropped a post on you. If he actually made the speech, though, it will take him a while to clear the arena.

  5. 5.

    PaulW

    Can’t get the complaints on Twitter from the usual suspects about how “rote” or “cookie-cutter” Obama’s speech was. I found it inspiring and motivational, designed to get the Democratic base fired up to campaign for him as well as get moderate voters to give him the benefit over Romney.

  7. 7.

    Todd

    Ever since my big dog passed away, the raccoons have been getting more brazen about stealing cat food on the porch. The cat has squabbled with them a few times this week; tonight, one shoved him aside while he was eating. My 17 yr old daughter screeched at it and beaned it with one of my shoes – are they intimidated at all by pellet guns?

  8. 8.

    kindness

    Obama was Obama. Stewart was funny. Watching Colbert right now. He’s good so far.

    Cliff notes version.

  9. 9.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @MikeJ: They had those tweets pre-rolled. Jesus could have come down and healed the sick and turned water into wine and they would have bitched because he didn’t walk on water. Fuck ’em.

  12. 12.

    Geeno

    I’ve seen Obama be better, but, as always, he rallied for a big finish. On the whole I have to agree with freelancer. I didn’t see a dud speech in the lot, and everything went beautifully from beginning to end.

  14. 14.

    Joseph Nobles

    And a giant hearty fuck-you to Cardinal Dolan who managed to include shout outs to his anti-choice and anti-marriage equality stances in his closing prayer.

  15. 15.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    I used to enjoy John’s crazy late night posts but then he started going out in public without pants. Now I’m worried his condition may be worsening.

  16. 16.

    Mary G

    I am just sitting here in silence letting it all soak in. Pundits can wait. So inspiring. So proud of my president.

  17. 17.

    Michael G

    @MikeJ:

    tbogg links to a guy from American Spectator that thought the entire convention was a disaster.

    It certainly was a disaster for someone.

  19. 19.

    Valdivia

    I thought the speech started slow but with that really good mocking line about the tax cut solution. Then very specific and a soaring finale. That finale made me cry and gave me chills. One of his best.

  20. 20.

    burnspbesq

    I’ve only seen Obama speak in person once, but he has a remarkable gift for making everyone in the crowd feel like they are in a one-on-one conversation with him. You could see that in the crowd shots tonight.

  21. 21.

    PaulW

    @jeff:

    was the speech successful or not??

    Compared to Clinton’s speech, Obama’s was passable. Compared to Romney’s, Obama’s speech was F-CKING GOLDEN.

  25. 25.

    PeakVT

    It always cracks me up when jerkwads living in DC off of wingnut welfare claim to know what average Americans think. How about we wait for some polling data on the Dem convention, m’kay, guys?

  26. 26.

    Jay C

    BTW, did anyone else have problems loading the site?
    Right after President Obama finished, I kept getting “Database Error” notices rather than our usual blather cogent analyses. We break it, somehow?

  27. 27.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Valdivia: I’ve noticed Obama’s speeches always start slow and rise to a crescendo. I’d rather that than the opposite. It’s also hard to sustain a constant high level of energy in a speech, especially one that’s more “sermony” than Clinton’s conversational style.

  28. 28.

    El Cid

    The Onion is pitch-perfect with Biden still being the hell-raising high-school nostalgist with a penchant for embarrassing the nice folk.

    Dressed in a slightly ripped Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt, Biden tapped the top of an Icehouse tallboy, cracked it open, and then informed the 20,000 people in attendance that while the economy is no longer hemorrhaging jobs as it was in 2008, nothing, “not even that little trip I took to Thailand in ’92,” could ever live up to the unforgettable months of June through August 1987, when “the skirts were short, the brews were cold, and you couldn’t walk 2 feet without stepping into some grade-A tang.”
    __
    “Things are definitely better today than back in ’08, but is this the summer of ’87? Not a fucking chance,” said Biden, reminiscing about his “prime seed-spreading days,” when he was a carefree 44-year-old senator cruising the Delaware boardwalks in acid-washed Jordache jeans and his pink Sonny Crockett blazer. “Oh, man, that summer was one hell of a ride. I’d take off the T-tops, pack a cooler full of happy juice, and drive down the strip blasting G N’ R.”
    __
    “And it seemed like every night ended with a little skinny-dipping with one of those hot-to-trot lifeguards,” continued Biden, making sure to reiterate that he was “tan from head to toe.” “Didn’t matter if they were legal or not. No one cared back then.”

  30. 30.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @eric:

    You know who else gave a rousing speech to adoring fans….

    Clint Eastwood!

    Edit: Nevermind, I read that as “grousing”.

  32. 32.

    ChrisB

    Steve Schmidt’s analysis was right on.

    I don’t see how the DNC could have been better.

    And now we’ll wait and see if it moves the numbers.

  33. 33.

    LanceThruster

    What are the expectations for coattail effects in other races? Improved? Will the Pres. campaign with/for others (still cringing from everyone’s past embracing of Lieberscum)?

  37. 37.

    joel hanes

    @Todd:

    pellet guns

    Get a couple dozen conventional spring/bail mousetraps

    put the pets inside

    put the catfood in center of three concentric rings of set mousetraps, spaced about 1/2 raccoon width apart.

  40. 40.

    Violet

    Family member’s interpretation of Obama’s speech: Obama threw down the gauntlet to the American people: “Give me a fucking mandate. I’ve got the experience to get things done and crush those fuckers (the GOP).” It’s not about Obama, it’s about the American public.

  42. 42.

    patroclus

    The convention overall was very effective for both shoring up the base, re-instituting some of the emotion from ’08 and appealing to any independent/persuadables. Clinton’s speech was the best, Michelle 2nd best, Castro/Patrick 3rd.

    Tonight, Biden’s speech was okay, but not great, Obama’s was quite good (especially towards the end), but not his best ever. Compared to the Republicans, though, even though tonight was the weakest of the three nights, the Dem Convention was far superior in virtually every aspect.

    I’m hopeful for a bounce, but I’m not expecting a big one.

  45. 45.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @The Ancient Randonneur:

    I’ve taking a cold shower since Jennifer Granholm gave her speech. Anything happen after that?

    Clint Eastwood wandered around the stage warily for a few minutes until security lured him off with an empty chair and a whip.

  46. 46.

    Geeno

    @El Cid: I swear sometimes i think the Onion likes being mistaken for real news by winger morons. Especially with the “rarely seen son” article.

  48. 48.

    dance around in your bones

    @Jay C:

    As I noted in a previous thread, them hamsters get tired running the wheel of this blog, specially with so many people giving their witty and pithy comments.

  49. 49.

    Hill Dweller

    @PaulW: Obama could give a soaring speech in his sleep, but being cognizant of the tough conditions in parts of the country, they intentionally made it workman like, save the ending.

  51. 51.

    Valdivia

    @Violet:

    Yes I thought that the flipping of the onus on change and hope onto us, the concept of citizenship was genius. We did it, we accomplished, let’s finish it together.

  53. 53.

    ? Martin

    Look, Australia has asshole conservatives too.

    An Australian mining heiress who courted controversy last month for suggesting her countrymen were just too lazy to be rich is at it again.
    Gina Rinehart, thought to be the world’s richest woman, chastised miners for being “too expensive,” saying, “Africans want to work. Its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day.”

    Nice to know we’re not alone.

  54. 54.

    Narcissus

    I donated. When I went to buy some merch it glitched on me. Anyone else have any issues with the site?

  57. 57.

    arguingwithsignposts

    I said it in the other thread, and I’ll repeat it here: comparing Clinton and Obama as speakers (not to mention the particular speeches they gave this week) is unfair to both of them. They have different styles, different roles, and different goals for their addresses. It’s like comparing bacon and ice cream. Or comparing Will Rogers and Martin Luther King Jr.

    Obama’s speech was more than passable. It was excellent. Was it his best ever? I don’t know, and nobody other than someone who’s watched them all would even be able to make a cogent argument one way or the other at this point.

  59. 59.

    kay

    I went to a watch party and they all loved it.

    I suppose they’re not really undecided voters, though.

    Oh, and everyone thought Jennifer Granholm was maybe a little drunk, but “good drunk”, so that’s okay.

  60. 60.

    Steve

    When I first turned on the speech it seemed like Obama had an angry tone and I was a little bit surprised. But then I realized it was a cold fire. None of that cutesy stuff where you sort of obliquely reference the other guy but not by name. To use a football cliche, he left it all out on the field.

    By the way, my dad was born during FDR’s admin (kinda hard for me to grasp that, actually), and I asked him if he’d ever heard anyone better than Bill Clinton over all those years. Answer: No way.

  61. 61.

    Mary G

    @Lyrebird: I missed Granholm and Gabby Giffords and just watched both. Unbelievable. The faces in the crowd when the governor got going were priceless, and she just got looser and looser. Wow. I predict the faux outrage and concern trolling will be ginormous, and I predict that she couldn’t care less.

  63. 63.

    TaMara (BHF)

    @Lyrebird: Everyone keeps saying she was lit. I don’t know. But I remember one opening night when I just didn’t think we’d had enough time to prepare and I decided a shot would calm my nerves. Let’s just say my delivery that night was…vibrant.

    So I could see her doing that. Perfectly understandable.

  65. 65.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @PaulW:

    Can’t get the complaints on Twitter from the usual suspects about how “rote” or “cookie-cutter” Obama’s speech was.

    I thought it was pretty workmanlike. I think that’s a necessary consequence of being the actual president applying for an extension of your job. The pivot was the “citizenship” bit, and to me, it gathered a lot of momentum after that.

  69. 69.

    JustAnotherBob

    I’ll be staying home this weekend.

    Just sent the next couple of weeks ‘going out money’ to help with the push.

    How about starting to identify some take-back-the-House places to help? I can go out next year….

  71. 71.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @arguingwithsignposts: Also, and I’m surprised not to see more people saying this: President Obama had to seem Presidential in a very different way from four or five, or eight, years ago.

    Totally other task giving a speech now as President than when he was a candidate; as more than one commentator pointed out last night, one reason Clinton could give the speech he did last night was that he isn’t President anymore.

    Obama was clearly aiming at rising above it all and letting others be the attack dogs and all the other well-worn techniques, but also he’s really selling something very different now, he talked of stability, security, don’t put in two greenhorns who will stumble around in foreign policy and all the rest of it.

    I’m not even saying I agree with all of Obama’s foreign policy but it makes complete sense to me that he would give a different kind of presentation tonight than either himself as candidate years ago or the others in the convention tonight.

    It wasn’t a competition with Clinton or anyone else. Different job.

  72. 72.

    kindness

    Todd. A wrist rocket and ball bearings works for racoons. They can be mean. Don’t get close to ’em.

  74. 74.

    jl

    Watching Granholm speech, which I missed earlier.
    What is with boring dweebs here saying she was drunk?

    She was damn high as kite on something!

    Great speech. I love this speech.

    Probably high on “Eat Shit GOPer Mfckrs and Ahole Money Boys!” Granholm was governor of MI when this shit went down. She probably begged rich GOP aholes for money, and watched GOPer conniving to kill her damn state, and jerks from Bain Capital and others laugh in her face. She just may be fired up and ready to go.

    I love that speech. And I am love with Jennifer Granholm.

    And Wiki says she’s married. Damnit. I am bereft.

  75. 75.

    Hill Dweller

    @Bill E Pilgrim: Lawrence O’Donnell said the Obama people had a hand in every single speech that was made during the convention, including writing a lot of Clinton’s speech. Every speech built on the other, and each had it’s own goal.

    Clinton could be the wise cracking speaker because he didn’t have any responsibility for governing. Obama can’t do a comedy routine while presiding over this economy.

    As I was saying, Obama can give any kind of speech. He’s the Hendrix of speech making, but they obviously didn’t want to give a mostly lofty speech. It was about steadfastness, safety and reliability.

  77. 77.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @? Martin:

    Gina Rinehart, thought to be the world’s richest woman, chastised miners for being “too expensive,” saying, “Africans want to work. Its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day.”

    She earned her money the old-fashioned way: she inherited it.

  78. 78.

    CT

    Crushed. It.

    Bill did all the dissecting of the repubs last night so Obama could soar tonight.

    Best convention speech he’s ever given.

  79. 79.

    magurakurin

    @Hill Dweller: this is exactly right. The pundits are just assholes and they say what they decided to say before hand regardless.

    Obama couldn’t have been any clear about his role and the purpose of the speech as being workman like as others have mentioned. He said, paraphrasing, Things are different now from then(2008) I’m not the candidate…I’m the President.

    In other words, I can’t make the same sort of speeches as then because I’m on the clock here. I’m working. He subtly emphasized this when he said to his daughters “yes, you have to go to school tomorrow morning.” Tomorrow is a work day, and I’ll be back on the job as well.

    It was an outstanding speech because it really was a no bullshit comment about what has happened, what is happening and what the presidents plan for what will happen is all about.

    Rmoney is so, so, so fucked.

  80. 80.

    JustAnotherBob

    @Steve:

    I was born during FDR’s presidency. I’ve never seen a better political speech than the one Clinton delivered. JFK inspired. Clinton educated.

    And I’ve never see a more capable president than Obama.

    He’s got everything that Clinton has plus the discipline to make it work.

  81. 81.

    JustAnotherBob

    @jl: Watch her video – the end when she walks off into the wings. The CSPAN version.

    She wasn’t loaded, she just chewed the scenery a bit too much.

    A bit more coaching and toning it down a notch would have made that a speech of record. It was sort of like a pre-TV/amplification actor getting it all the back rows, came off a little over the top when you saw it up close.

    The way she telegraphed the jobs saved to all the different states was a winner.

  83. 83.

    1badbaba3

    It sure was nice to have the last three days to ourselves with a bare minimum of reichwing intrusion. Our voices, our words, our faces, our Presidents, celebrating positive accomplishments, goals, ideas. It was kinda like a really cool vacation. Now if we could make those awful teabaggers just go away….

    Oh well, I guess we’ll have to settle for making them irrelevant.

  84. 84.

    Mnemosyne

    @? Martin:

    Gina Rinehart, thought to be the world’s richest woman, chastised miners for being “too expensive,” saying, “Africans want to work. Its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day.”

    So she’s going to move her mines to Africa so she can take advantage of all of that cheap labor, right?

    Please, like her business managers aren’t sick of trying to explain how “mining” works to her.

  85. 85.

    JustAnotherBob

    @1badbaba3:

    Just make them lose big time in November and then they will be irrelevant.

    This is the last presidential election that can be won with nothing much more than the white male vote. Nixon’s Southern Strategy becomes extinct in November.

    The next version of Republicans will have to move hard to the center to win, if it’s anywhere close this time the Baggers might have some voice in 2016. If we kick their butts this time then they will get ignored.

    It would be a great idea if everyone would make even a $5 donation tonight or tomorrow. Make the number of people donating send the message. We can’t match the guy contributing $100 million, but we can outvote his sorry ass.

  86. 86.

    Mnemosyne

    @Hill Dweller:

    Obama can’t do a comedy routine while presiding over this economy.

    I dunno, he did the comedy parts pretty damn well, like “Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call me in the morning.”

  87. 87.

    WaterGirl

    @Mnemosyne: I thought that was Biden. But after watching so many speeches in the past 3 days, I could have that wrong.

    I do agree, though, that Obama did comedy well tonight.

  88. 88.

    Mnemosyne

    @WaterGirl:

    Nope, that was the prez. He got some other good ones off:

    “If you’re sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me – so am I.”

    “You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally.”

    “If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent’s advice and ‘borrow money from your parents.’”

    “If the critics are right that I’ve made all my decisions based on polls, then I must not be very good at reading them.”

    Biden brought the brass knuckles, but Obama brought the straight razor. And the best part is, nothing drives Republicans crazier than being mocked.

  89. 89.

    GG

    @? Martin: The relative sanity ratio is still probably better than here, but the global fucks never give up. The idea that Tony Abbott is taken srsly – as in could possibly be the next PM – is a clue. Meanwhile I’m told by ppl who live there that one of those horrific supertrawlers is heading towards Tasmanian waters.

    @arguingwithsignposts: well said!

  90. 90.

    GG

    @? Martin: The relative sanity ratio is still probably better than here, but the bastards never give up. The idea that Tony Abbott is taken srsly – as in could possibly be the next PM – is a clue. Meanwhile I’m told by ppl who live there that one of those horrific supertrawlers is heading towards Tasmanian waters.

    @arguingwithsignposts: well said!

    I’m mostly just so in awe of what a fantastic bunch of people spoke at the convention. All.Of.Them.

  91. 91.

    Another Halocene Human

    @pseudonymous in nc: Dead thread, but what bullshit, when South African miners are striking to get $50-60/day (not sure what their hours/days of work are, but it’s equivalent of $9x40hrs, not saying they only work 40hrs, though).

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