The Obama and Biden Show

25 August 2008

Democratic inboxes have been bombarded for days with emails from the Obama campaign and the Democratic Convention. Today, came the latest installment of the elegant communications operation - a video of Obama and Biden making a joint appeal for funding on the first day of the Democratic Convention. Aren't they cute together?

I'm headed to Denver for the convention tomorrow, and am looking forward to experiencing what promises to be a pretty massive and exciting event. I did apply for press/blogging credentials, but only 120 bloggers were selected to join. So I don't know how much of the official show I'll be able to catch (FYI - there's going to be a live webcast). The real reason I am going, is for the activities surrounding the Convention. Activists from across the country (and around the world) are making their way to Denver, to host and participate in dozens of events, parties, dinners, fundraisers, and at least two film festivals.

Personally, I'm also interested in studying how the use of internet and email for this Convention, which they themselves are calling "the most technologically savvy of its kind". For instance, they've set up a website called America's Town Hall where anyone can submit text or video questions for the Convention. They have apparently also scattered YouTube video recording kiosks around the Denver venue so people can record comments on the spot. Is it democracy in action, or just clever marketing? I think it depends how they use it.

The mood promises to be quite different from the Democratic Convention in 2004 where Boston police struggled to get anti-war protestors to remain inside a fenced area during daily protests. I still remember meeting 4 College Republicans who took turns wearing a giant foam flip flop (remember Kerry the "flip-flopper") who couldn't understand why people were being so mean to them. Of course, the left is still mad about the war and Bush, but Obama's dreamy message of hope and change and Bush's guaranteed exit, has got people thinking more positively.

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