Love wins. pic.twitter.com/AbGGDbdFAz
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) July 28, 2016
I’ve seen some offhand grousing about the backdrop on the DNC stage, but I can’t agree. Partially because it reminds me of the blue-and-cream grosgrain ribbon handfasting at our wedding (this was 1993! it wasn’t a cliche yet) and yes it is supposed to be a subtle visual reminder that, as with an interwoven fabric, we are stronger together. But more importantly, its very simplicity is a rebuke to the barf-up-a-July-Fourth-party-bag Repub stage set; we don’t need a boatload of ‘patriotic’ flair, because we’ve got enough diversity among the speakers that everyone can tell them apart without a program.
Baud
Awesome photo.
Is there an Emmy category for political conventions?
Fair Economist
I like the distance shot better. Their arms are almost framing a heart. But either image is moving; they remind us we’re on a good team and the right team.
Sarah, Proud and Tall
Reverend is preaching! Turn on your livestreams!
Renie
Great photo!
In my office had a Trump supporter say today that after last week and now this week, she is voting for Hillary. Little by little I planted the seed in her mind by honestly answering any questions she had about stuff she heard in the media.
Keep trying people, some of them can be won over!
Felanius Kootea
Love that picture! I’m still super-inspired by Obama’s speech yesterday.
HinTN
Right versus wrong!
hovercraft
Rev Barber is calling out the evangelicals who preach hate, not love. Jesus a brown skinned Palestinian Jew. I think he may be hearing from Anne Coulter and Megan Kelly. Issues are not left/ right but right vs wrong. Preach it brother. Shout out to the VRA.
EDIT A religious conservative has an arena full of godless liberals standing on their feet cheering, how does the right explain it?
Moral defibrillator of our time, we must shock this nation with the power of love. Can’t give up on the heart of democracy.
Baud
@Renie: Woohoo!
Baud
Ain’t no voice like a preachers voice.
HinTN
@Sarah, Proud and Tall: Yay SPT! Welcome to the heart of democracy!!!
PhoenixRising
What an image. Beautiful, powerful, bittersweet. On Monday, Emmitt Till would have been 75, is what that image triggered for me. Because my mind is a bad neighborhood that no one should go into alone at night.
rikyrah
Go Rev. Barber!!!
Love him.
Mike J
Ah, one of those low information voters. Doesn’t he know that economic redistribution will fix all his problems?
amk
still not a convention thread.
grumble, grumble.
Mike E
Rev William Barber!
scav
Preacher is going after the guns. ha.
Ruviana
Rev. Barber is the best!
rikyrah
The heart of our democracy is on the line this November – YES!
Adam L Silverman
He is most certainly a force to be reckoned with.
HinTN
Bring that defibrillator!
lamh36
I like Rev Barber…he’s fighting the good fight in NC
dmsilev
@HinTN: Clear!
Smiling Mortician
“The moral defibrillators of our time!”
That’s awesome.
Omnes Omnibus
@amk: You can talk about it here, you know.
TheMightyTrowel
@Smiling Mortician: SUCH AN AMAZING LINE
@lamh36: oh no. :( :( :(
dmsilev
I dunno, I think the general manager of Trump Winery gave a more inspiring speech last week.
Redshift
Waiting for the monsoon to stop so I can go into my watch party, but I’ve got Rev. Barber on the radio, so it’s all good.
HinTN
The power of mercy. Is there a heart in this house? Hallelujah
Baud
Kareem!
?BillinGlendaleCA
Nice to see my fellow Bruin.
dmsilev
Do they raise the podium just a bit higher for Kareem?
Mike J
Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!
Nominus
When Bill Kristol burns you, you got burnt.
https://twitter.com/jatayler/status/758768714854662144
Sarah, Proud and Tall
And that’s how you do it.
HinTN
@dmsilev: Amen, brother!
hovercraft
Donald couldn’t tell the difference between Kareem and MJ.
Oh snap.
dmsilev
@Mike J: Roger Roger.
Smiling Mortician
Malarkey again! At least on the feed I’m watching . . . Drink!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@dmsilev: It doesn’t seem to go that high, they mic’ed his tie.
LesBonnesFemmes
Did I miss Clhoe Grace Moretz already?
Schlemazel Khan
You could not pay me to follow that guy
WHOLE-E COW!
I want a whole night of Rev. Barber
THEN KAREEM OPENS :”I am Micheal Jordan, I can say that because I know Donald couldn’t tell the difference!”
?BillinGlendaleCA
@dmsilev: Over, Over.
PsiFighter37
@hovercraft: That was a good one
HinTN
@dmsilev: Sink the podium, no; raise the lectern.
Mike J
@efgoldman:
Three nominations in a row have been won by the most liberal candidate. We didn’t pick the guy who likes having armed white guys on the border.
WaterGirl
I am trying to read BJ and watch Rev. Barber at the same time, but he keeps staring at me with those eyes. Closing the laptop to listen to him.
Kropadope
@ OP
Tonight’s not yet over.
Baud
These Hillary vignettes are great.
HinTN
Woot
Mike E
Kareem is a mensch…he just followed a tough act, but he done good
LesBonnesFemmes
@Mike J: The Wife and I just watched that a couple of days ago. It’s still great. “Oh, stewardess, I speak jive.”
Jeffro
Sweet little baby Jesus the bombardment that started last night is still continuing tonight … I cannot get over how forceful moral patriotic determined thoughtful intelligent inspirational aspirational and forward thinking the Democrats are (and this is from someone who has been voting D for 30 years now)
This D ship is in good hands … Running like clockwork and unloading it’s guns appropriately and with an amazing intensity. Independents and sensible Republicans should keep that in mind when they are at the polls this fall
Baud
Talk about not running scared. Fighting Trump’s Muslim hate on Day 4. Taking it directly to him.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: Any idea why Kareem had an Armored Division lapel pin? And based on the size of the motto, which was too small to get a look at, it looks like 13th AD: Black Cat. The motto was too long for all of the other ones.
dmsilev
Patriotic American Muslims. But Donald _promised_ that such was impossible.
? Martin
Worth noting that the RNC was almost completely bereft of talk of faith, and completely bereft of it in any sort of generous way. Whatever sway the religious right had is now distilled entirely into opposition to gays and abortion and nothing more. Democrats have spoken quite a lot to faith here and entirely in a positive way, and it’s quite clear that the audience has received it well.
That has not been lost on some voters, particularly young voters, and it’s been done very respectfully. My kids are atheists like I am and none of this has been uncomfortable. There’s no judging, no effort to proselytize. They’ve done a really great job. Barber was fantastic.
hovercraft
Patriotic muslims. Trump can go fuck himself.
Run, Lillian!
I love my party!!!!! The speakers, the crowd shots. Goddamn, it feels so good to be a democrat and the night has only begun. What an amazing week!!!!!!!
Mike E
PBS peeps are hitting Granholm’s bottle, yo…Gwen and Judy are shaky
bystander
So moving. Reminds me that we have so much to lose if Clinton doesn’t win.
HinTN
I know american muslims with UNDIVIDED loyalty to this country. This is a great night.
Schlemazel Khan
@hovercraft:
not with those short ‘fingers’ he can’t
Baud
Hot damn! Pocket Constitution!
Mike E
Trump lacks Constitution!
dmsilev
“Have you _read_ the Constitution?”
Mike J
Baud
“You have sacrificed nothing.”
Cat48
I like the Rev from NC but i wonder what happened to the one who spoke in rhymes & upset stuffy people. Just thought of him.
Bless Capt Khan, may he rest in peace & bless his parents still greiving. Trump embarrasses me!
JPL
@efgoldman: I hate this convention.. I’m running out of tissues..
I love Mr. Khan.
hovercraft
Have you even read the US constitution, I will lend you my copy.
Have you ever been to Arlington.
You have sacrificed nothing.
Watch the clip Khizr Khan
The entire speech is a snap/
batgirl
I’d like to see Mr. Khan and parts of his speech running in commercials nonstop!
Smiling Mortician
Are you guys watching the “Backstage” stuff? It’s fun.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: My guess is that CPT Khan was serving in one of those divisions.
ETA: He was in 1ID; I have no idea.
HinTN
@Mike E: Fuck PBS, go to CNN or elsewhere.
Schlemazel Khan
@Mike J:
I’d gladly waterboard the fucker until he releases his tax returns
WarMunchkin
Conservatives must be so pissed. We stole their shining city rhetoric and now we shoved their pocket Constitutions down their throats.
Schlemazel Khan
@Smiling Mortician:
No, where do you see that?
Baud
@Smiling Mortician: I’m thinking of buying the DVD. It’s that good.
dmsilev
The Onion’s summary of Obama’s speech last night was great. Favorite bit: At one point, the scrolling text at the bottom read “Biden whips full tallboy at heckler”. Oh please, oh please, oh please…
Quinerly
@WaterGirl:
He’s got some eyes!
japa21
Well, two boxes of Kleenex just got wiped out by my wife and me. If Trump says anything against that speech he will have proven to just about everybody that he represents the lowest of the low.
dmsilev
“I happen to have
Marshall McLuhana 4-star general right here”Run, Lillian!
@Smiling Mortician:
Where is that? I am on C-SPAN.
Quinerly
Tweety just choked up! He’s moved. Rachel cried.
Jay C
Whoa!
First, Rev. Barber, then Mr. Khan….
My only fear is that Hillary Clinton’s speech will pale by comparison…
scav
And they’re going with a crowd behind him. Together. Thinking there.
dmsilev
@Quinerly: Tweety was silenced by something? Truly, that is a miracle.
Baud
@Jay C: Me too. I wasn’t worried until tonight, but everything else is so strong.
Mike J
@Omnes Omnibus: He was Headquarters Company, 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.
hovercraft
Jake Tapper wants to know how the gop let the issue of veterans and patriotism get away and stolen by the democrats. He doesn’t seem to realize that there were only two themes last week, Donald is the greatest and Hillary is evil.
Baud
@dmsilev: And a blessing.
Truegster
Seriously, this convention is killing the GOP, I love it. I couldn’t imagine a better line up to take the American voter away from the GOP, they are destroying the base narrative of the right.
Cat48
I’ve never seen Kareem make a joke b4, mighty funny Michael Jordan. Heh
Schlemazel Khan
Now we have even stolen the stupid “U-S-A” chant from them. Of course we are using it correctly but the GOP must be shitting themselves right now!
dmsilev
Are there some dipshit protestors who are being drowned out by the USA chants?
Mike E
@HinTN: Watch CNN…why do you hate me? Heh.
I am cable-free, and tuning in to live coverage for the 1st time this month to see history!
kirbster
I’m loving this convention, even though it’s as subtle as a sledge hammer. With each passing minute, the RNC “Donald Trump Show” looks cheaper, shabbier, and more half-assed!
.
WaterGirl
Rev. Barber. Wow. I am blown away.
? Martin
@WarMunchkin: Yeah, well, it was pretty clear they weren’t using them any more.
Baud
@efgoldman:
1993-94 and 2009-10. And wee threw it away.
PsiFighter37
That’s a lot of important retired military people up there. I wonder if the frequency of the USA chants are to cover up Berniebros chanting.
BlueDWarrior
@? Martin: I think it is important that as we talk, online especially, that we save our vitriol in this regard for the religious types who use their religion as a cudgel to beat people over the heads with. To me, ‘going after’ everyone who professes the faith is just a waste of time, words, and/or bytes.
Run, Lillian!
@Jay C:
She really killed it with her speech in NYC, the night she passed the delegate threshold to secure the nomination. I have high hopes for tonight.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: The only one active during OIF and OEF was 1AD: Old Ironsides. That’s why I was curious. In his service photo he’s wearing 1st ID and his memorial page indicates his assignment as: Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division.
Quinerly
@Adam L Silverman:
I am so glad someone is now here to take over the lapel pin watch. I need a break.
Baud
This guy has a military voice. He could be in the movies.
Timurid
@Adam L Silverman:
Maybe these guys?
Credenzal Jocularity
@Nominus: I’ve seen some crazy stuff in my time, but That. Was. Awesome.
Mnemosyne
@Smiling Mortician:
Blog favorite Awesomely Luvvie (Luvvie Ajayi) is one of the interviewers.
PsiFighter37
I wonder if John Allen tried out for the role of President in Independence Day. He’s got some pipes.
? Martin
@PsiFighter37: That’s my feeling as well.
Gin & Tonic
“You have sacrificed nothing.” Amazing.
Quinerly
@Baud:
“You can’t handle the truth, Donald!”
Omnes Omnibus
@Mike J: Yeah, I ETAed
dmsilev
@PsiFighter37: That’s my guess. Of course, it also means that the BernieBros are identifying themselves for easier muzzling once Clinton is on in a half hour or so.
Ben Cisco
GEN Allen is raining fire!
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: I wonder if Khareem’s father or uncle or grandfather served during WW II or Korea or Vietnam in one of the ADs.
Mnemosyne
@WarMunchkin:
And now we have a Marine general (ret.) giving us a pep talk.
When do we have to drop and give him 20?
PsiFighter37
God I hate the Berniebros. Spoiled white people who have no skin in the game except for being pissers.
Quinerly
@Schlemazel Khan:
They’ll say we plagiarized them.
Mike J
bluehill
I kind of expected more tweets from benedict trump and allies, but given their position that America is a “divided crime scene” what can they say except that America isn’t great. Even they know it isn’t a winning message so Trump has to make some crazy statements just to get air time, which just increases the doubt about his ability to be president. He’s losing the news cycle and with it his free advertising. I’m still amazed at what has happened to Reagan’s party to enable the dems to become the defenders of American “exceptionalism.”
lamh36
@hovercraft: But how does that play with uneducated whites…I’ve been told the Dems aren’t focusing enough on uneducated whites
I know, I know, I’m being a Petty Betty
Baud
Doesn’t the general know about the emails?
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: His dad served in WWII.
Schlemazel Khan
The tone would have gone over well last week.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: I’ve been in the other thread
Adam L Silverman
@Timurid: No it was the Armored Division Triangle with three internal sections: the top yellow, the bottom left blue, and the bottom right red with the lightning bolt crossing a cannon imposed on a tank tread in the center and the motto below. I have a 1st Armored Division lapel pin because I deployed with the 2BCT/1AD.
http://www.priorservice.com/ardivpin.html
Baud
@bluehill:
Makes sense since we’re the ones that make it exceptional.
JPL
My dad was at Pearl Harbor on the Nevada when it was bombed, and he always said that Republicans were phony flag wavers. He would really like this convention.
Quinerly
@dmsilev:
I just switched over to MSNBC. Actually quite good.
Belafon
raven
Schlemazel Khan
rare as hens teeth, a living MoH recipient
Mnemosyne
@dmsilev:
Anti-war protesters.
Quinerly
@Baud:
Nice little chuckle for me at #129.
Adam L Silverman
@PsiFighter37: @Ben Cisco: @Mnemosyne: He’s one tough Marine. And a very sharp GO. My final assignment on my civilian mobilization during the summer of 2014 was funded through his office at the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Security Dialogue. He’s a class act.
PsiFighter37
I’d like to hear the Berniebros boo a MoH recipient. Given how tone-deaf they are, I would not be surprised.
Tinare
God I hoped that those assholes would have lost their voices by now.
raven
@Adam L Silverman: Kahn was with the 201st Foward Support Battalion
In 2003, elements of the Battalion deployed with Task Force 1-63rd Armor in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the entire Battalion deployed again in 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
Baud
Wait, a young person voting for Hillary? Is that legal?
SiubhanDuinne
That USMCGen (Ret) made me want to go down to the nearest recruitment center and enlist first thing tomorrow! And I’m a pacifist out-of-shape almost 74-year-old broad.
dmsilev
@Quinerly: I’ve got the YouTube stream going in another tab. Works pretty well.
delk
Idiots have covered up the ‘H’ ‘I’ and ‘Y’ and parts of the second ‘L’ on their Hillary signs to read LIAR.
PsiFighter37
Holy crap this actress was born in 1997! I’m so old
Joel
General Allen’s speech was intense. I heard it on the radio, which probably made it feel even more intense.
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: Yeah, but we were speculating about Kareem was wearing the Armored Division pin.
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne: So Navy then.
SiubhanDuinne
@raven:
Khan (or Kahn) ‘s father had me in tears. Sobs.
PsiFighter37
@Tinare: They’ve probably been complaining about how hard they’ve had life for a long time now – so their bitching and moaning pipes have a lot of training.
dmsilev
@Belafon: That’s bullshit. The GOP Convention was about hating Others.
Baud
Sherrod!
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: That makes sense then. And would explain why its 13th AD: Black Cat!
Mnemosyne
@PsiFighter37:
I think they tried, but he just kept going and ignored them.
Anne Laurie
New post up top, with livestream links!
Quinerly
@delk:
Where did you see that?
hedgehog the occasional commenter
Damn–the speakers get better and better. Blown away by Rev. Barber. Geez, and now there is an ad for Dick Morris’ new book on. Fuck that guy.
scottinnj
Holy crap, the Bernie Bros were really chanting when you have a medal of honor receipient on stage. negative respect to them and Bernie. Assholes
raven
@Adam L Silverman: What happened was that you young guys got in there and screwed up the TOE with all those damn regimental combat teams and screwy unit structures. It was way better when we just had divisions, field forces, USARV, MACV and all that shit!
PsiFighter37
Sherrod Brown looks a bit more put together and less hoarse than usual.
delk
@Quinerly: Tweet from Brad Mielke
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
SNORT
raven
@scottinnj: They are going to boo Hillary.
Ben Cisco
@Adam L Silverman: Made me want to suit up and I’ve been out for over 20 years!
Tinare
@PsiFighter37: Too true!
Jay C
Genl. Allen’s speech was definitely da bomb: I was about ready to jump up and salute (and/or enlist!): that’s the sort of energy the Party needs…
hovercraft
@lamh36:
The media is so stupid, Anderson just said to Axelrod that the dems were responding tonight to the criticism that they hadn’t focused enough on police widows and ISIS, Ax gently explained to him that there was a plan all along on the various themes. Last time I checked working class whites are patriotic.
HinTN
@Adam L Silverman: Damn right
peej01
Sherrod just called Trump a “millionaire” .
Mike E
@PsiFighter37: True story: I went to a Mondale rally in Phila near City Hall in ’84, 20 yrs old, standing about ten yards away from the podium when a heckler next to me started yelling, “Baby killer!” in the middle of Fritz’s speech. A guy even shoved that dude while others seemed uncertain what they oughta do about this jerk (“STFU!” “It’s free speech! Don’t touch me!” “Leave that a**hole alone!”) That’s where I started a “Babies for Mondale!” chant that got everybody going, drowned out that moron and he got out of there without any harm.
Mondale droned on with his speech, but I still wonder what he thought of all that
Credenzal Jocularity
@Baud: Whaaaaa….? My right wing co-worker assured me Sherrod Brown was an affirmative action racialist.
This can’t be him.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: So was I. . . in the other thread.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: Thanks! I googled Kareem and was not surprised it confirmed for me that he wasn’t in the Army. His dad makes sense.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: Tracking on that. He had the Big Red 1 arm patch in the service photo, which is why I couldn’t figure out Kareem’s lapel pin. Thanks!
raven
@Adam L Silverman: Oh no way Kareem was. He went right from UCLA to the NBA.
sigaba
@efgoldman: Bloomberg called him a “con man.” Nobody wants to go that last step though. It’s sorta not worth it I think.
raven
@Adam L Silverman: Got it, I suspect someone will figure out why he had that particular unit pin on.
WarMunchkin
Think those protestors were disrespectful of the General, but also that there’s no actual way to protest without being disrespectful. If you’re going to protest war, Leon Panetta and John Allen are the people to do it during. So I’m not as angry at them as I could have been. I do think that the anti-war left has been utterly defeated in general though – and it’s not because of tactics like you saw there.
I’m not quite sure how to build a real political coalition that opposes use of drones and recognizes U.S. roles in starting the very international conflicts we seek to solve through military force. The best we got was Obama. And I’m not comfortable with responding to anti-war protests with chants of “U.S.A.”. Traumatic as fuck, after what we went through after Iraq.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: The guy you want was part of my faculty teaching team at USAWC. He’s a retired O6 with a PhD in military history and is the Army’s grand old man of doctrine. He’s the guy that came up with force modularity.
Professionally I think we’re one Corps headquarters short. They should never have cased V Corps colors.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: Actually citizen’s arrest:
https://twitter.com/BobbyAllyn/status/758773925069266945
Adam L Silverman
@Ben Cisco: Like I said he’s a sharp Marine and was, from what I saw, an excellent general officer.
raven
@Adam L Silverman: I think it’s funny, I try to keep up with this stuff but I think that damn velcro unit patch thing really killed it!
PsiFighter37
@raven: I have no doubt. Assholes gotta show they have no class.
PsiFighter37
Bacerra seemed like a solid speaker – wonder why he didn’t get selected.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: I knew that and his bio online confirmed it.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: Most likely his Dad’s unit was in 13th AD during WW II.
Schlemazel Khan
@efgoldman:
They have a basketball team?!?
Adam L Silverman
@raven: It did make squaring away one’s uniform blouse after laundry day nice and easy though.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Sown-on patches just stay in place.
Mike in NC
@Adam L Silverman: One of Kareem’s books was about an African-American armored unit in WW2. Forget the name but check Amazon.
Cat48
Obama was fond of Gen Allen, he wanted to assign him to NATO, but he could’nt get enough votes in Senate, so he kept him around as an advisor after he retired. He made a job for him.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: A lot of Soldiers I know just had their name strip, US Army strip, and rank insignia sewn on.
Adam L Silverman
@Mike in NC: Here it is:
https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Arms-Battalion-Forgotten-Heroes/dp/0767909135/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469758179&sr=8-5&keywords=kareem+abdul+jabbar+books
The 761st BN was and independent armor battalion. At the Bulge it was attached to 26th Infantry Division. So I still have no idea where the Armor Division pin comes from then.
Matt McIrvin
@Adam L Silverman: So how does that work? Are they gonna try to rush the stage like the idiots at Trump rallies?
Mike in NC
@Adam L Silverman: Thanks. 761st Tank Battalion (Black Panthers) won a Presidential Unit Citation for service in the ETO.
Adam L Silverman
@Matt McIrvin: I have no idea.
Adam L Silverman
@Mike in NC: Doesn’t surprise me. The did have an armor patch for their uniforms, but my guess is since they were the Black Cats and the 13th AD was also the Black Cats is the explanation for the lapel pin.
frosty
@Adam L Silverman: Yes, Kareem’s family, friend or neighbor (I forget which) served in an AA armored unit in WW II and he wrote a history of it. I don’t have the details but you could lool it up,