The Life Of The Party
CBS News' Andy Rooney has some thoughts about the usefulness of demonstrations at this year's political conventions.
We've all been saying how dull political conventions are ever since the nomination of the party candidate has been decided long before the delegates meet at their convention.
The only groups who have benefited from these uneventful conventions are the demonstrators. Television news producers like some action, so they show demonstrators. And demonstrators depend on that.
You viewers complain about violence on television but we know you're sneaky. You watch it.
It's not all our fault; some of it is your fault.
So, you've been shown demonstrators being arrested, being handcuffed. You've seen them pepper-sprayed. You've seen phalanxes of police moving on them with swords drawn.
Unfortunately, most of the demonstrations at both conventions have been as uninteresting as the speeches. A peaceful demonstration is no demonstration at all.
One problem is that the demonstrators haven't made it clear what they're for or against. We know they're mad but we aren't sure who they're mad at.
They don't have a Vietnam War to protest.
The demonstrators apparently feel that our presidential election has been taken out of the hands of average Americans and turned over to the people with the most money.
Well, you won't find me out there holding up a dumb sign; you won't find me being hog-tied by the police and thrown into the back of a paddy wagon. But if money is what they're demonstrating about, I agree with them.
Our presidential election has been taken over by the people with the most money. Unfortunately, no street demonstration is going to change that.