Celebrating The Political Parties' Parties

Unconventional Wisdom About The Serious Business And Goofiness That Is The Way We Pick Our President

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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Today's convention comes on the 100th anniversary of a Democratic Convention in Denver that nominated William Jennings Bryan to carry the Democrats' banner.

Contrary to the belief of many of my colleagues, I did not attend that gathering but I have been to a couple since.

I attended my first Democratic convention in 1968 and every one since, so this will be my eleventh convention with the Democrats. Next week will mark my tenth with the Republicans, so I've been to 21 in all.

I have to say that first one for me was the most memorable - not for political but for personal reasons. My first daughter was born nine months to the day after that one. As she later remarked, Chicago in '68 wasn't all fighting in the streets.

At another Chicago convention in 1996, that same daughter met the guy she married.

How could I not like conventions?

For sure they aren't as spontaneous as they once were - they're more infomercial than nominating conventions.

But they are still important, the rare time in American life when so many of us take a break, gather round the TV, and concentrate on the same thing at the same time - a combination of goofiness, political spin, bombast, talent show and serious business, deciding who we want to lead the nation.

It may not be the most efficient way to do it, but it's the way we do it, and it seems to work for us.

I guess conventions are an acquired taste, but I wouldn't miss one for the world.

[skeezix06]

Nice try. I won''t be watching. Your guests were neither presuasive or convincing.

[timelag]

Dear Bob Schieffer,

Well, you don''t have to pontificate about whether Wesley Clark is "denigrating" John McCain''s POW experience, because now it''s pretty widely accepted that McCain is denigrating it himself.

If you ask me, Clark casting doubt on the idea that being a former POW should qualify someone for the job of chief executive was not "denigrating" anyone''s service, it was just voicing an opinion, one that many have agreed with in the days since, you might have noticed.

On the other hand, the McCain camp using the POW history as a non-sequitur response to pretty much any topic, whether as a dodge ("It''s outrageous to accuse John McCain, a former POW, of cheating!"), a ploy for sympathy ("John McCain had only one house for five years in the Hanoi Hilton, so having seven houses....") has cheapened and denigrated the experience beyond words.

This is also a view widely shared now by the way, with Time, Newsweek, and many others weighing in on the subject.

So in light of your performance with Clark, when you nearly got the vapors at the idea that anyone would use the phrase "POW" in anything less than uniformly pious, reverential terms, you must be literally fainting with shock from how McCain and his camp have used it to score cheap points, and ready to pronounce in the same righteous tone that the McCain camp is now "denigrating" the POW story themselves.

Yeah, I won''t hold my breath.

[xlib]

Say, did your side decide to send the Denver homeless to movies or give them bus tickets out of town?? I bet "recreate 68" is revving up for a good time. Nothing like watching a aged hippies try and bring back the good old days. I hear your protestors don''t like the diggs planned for them should they get arrested. Don''t worry, I''m sure your msm won''t cover the protests just the reverie and joy from listening to the empty suit, the messiah read off the teleprompter his speech. Ah, the joy.

[texomaleo]

Hi CBS,

Drop by a Green Party convention sometime. Our small but sincere party really focuses hard on the issues in committee meetings, caucuses, and on the convention floor. You might find the corporate-free environment refreshing.

The local party in the city that hosts it always knows how to get us out to local watering holes and entertainment venues for putting the party back in politics too.

[texomaleo]

Hi Mr. Schieffer and CBS,

Drop by a Green Party convention sometime. Our small but sincere party really focuses hard on the issues in committee meetings, caucuses, and on the convention floor. You might find the corporate-free environment refreshing.

The local party in the city that hosts it always knows how to get us out to local watering holes and entertainment venues for putting the party back in politics too.

[texomaleo]

Hi Mr. Schieffer and CBS,

Drop by a Green Party convention sometime. Our small but sincere party really focuses hard on the issues in committee meetings, caucuses, and on the convention floor. You might find the corporate-free environment refreshing.

The local party in the city that hosts it always knows how to get us out to local watering holes and entertainment venues for putting the party back in politics too.