Hello, Kossacks. I'm sitting here in the International Ballroom at the DNC winter meeting. The candidates just got started with their short statements to the room. But I wanted to post briefly about Obama's speech and the crowd's response to it.
(OMG)
It almost felt like I was on the Ed Sullivan show when The Beatles played.
My notes to the speech are after the fold, and I will be sitting here for a while--so if you have any questions...fire away.
Notes taken During Obama Speech
(Crowd goes wild...they love this guy--no music, just endless cheers)
Congratulates Dean for victory.
- Proved that progressive, "common sense" message is not restricted to one region. It can sell everywhere.
- We are going to compete everywhere
- Sometimes you feel like you're a part of a "reality TV show" Obama is trying to address the problem of stardom.
- Obama has a very distinct way of speaking. I never noticed it until now. The contrast with Dodd is huge. Obama does not sound like a politician so much as a community leader. Very noticeable.
- "Campaigns should not be about how we can make each other look bad, but about how we can do some good."
- Rivals are not each other or the other party, but "cynicism"
(this is the theme in the final chapter of my book, BTW...and it is a theme from Teddy Roosevelt...)
OK...this is a big statement he is making: laying claim not to issues, but to the nature of politics itself. He is talking at length about "cynicism."
- Cynicism makes our politics small.
- If we spoke the "truth," we would not be afraid to speak
- "We internalize our fears, we edit ourselves, we censor our best instincts."
- We have "lost faith" in the political process. "We don't really think we can transform this country."
- "We don't have time to be cynical" (the "wasting time" frame--very important)
- "This is not a game" (keeps pushing this theme)
- "We owe it to the American people to do more than that."
- "We owe them an election where votes are inspired."
(this is a great speech)
- "We have always been the best when we aim high" (Kennedy's frame)
- "Let's have a serious discussion..." (variation on the "conversation" frame)
I am just now noticing that Obama is a mix of bold statements about principles and relatively cautious statements about policy promises. Interesting mix.
The crowd goes wild again, this time about his statements about Iraq.
- "Let's have an honest debate about how to end this war in Iraq."
This is a "here are the rules of the game as they should be" speech. He's trying to take on the whole system of doing politics, doing media--he wants to establish ground rules for the whole system. This is what makes this speech distinct--he's framing the entire idea of politics, not just in it, he is saying how it should be.
A campaign against "cynicism." This would be the correlate to the "audacity of hope."
- "We've had a lot of plans. What we've had is a shortage of hope."
And he's done.
Oh, boy. I don't know if it's really possible to relay the energy that literally explodes in the room when people cheer for this guy. Like the response to seeing Elvis or The Beatles, maybe? That's close.
I'd hate to have to follow that if I were running in '08. Incredible stuff.
But Clark is next...and I bet he will be fantastic, too.
Wes Clark
Here is Wes Clark.
- "Good morning, I'm Wes Clark. I'm a soldier and I'm fighting for our country."
Here are my notes taken listening to Clark:
- Clark is also hitting hte "optimism" frame ("We offer optimism")
- Like Dodd, Clark is saying nice things about Reid and Pelosi.
- Asks the room to take a moment to reflect quietly on the sacrifices of the troops (nice idea, probably not such a great execution)
OK...here comes Wes talking about Iraq:
- "I read the papers...I check the names...for me it's personal" ("personal" frame seems new)
- Troops in constant danger--Clark is invoking the "competence" frame in a patriotic tone.
- President mistakes "slogans for strategy"
Clark is reciting his military resume, pretty much.
- "I know what it is to plan and prepare for war."
- I think Clark is going hard at a "competence and experience" frame.
- "I am the only person who has done the things that need to be done in Iraq."
OK, "experience" seems to be Clark's big frame.
Now he's turning to the frame of "equality and justice."
About the reactions to Clark: The room is not overwhelmed by Clark. He has a statesman-like quality, but he clearly is not hitting the bullseye in terms of tone and presence.
- invoked McAurthur
- Speaking about about the need to move past the politics of "spin" (channeling 1990s Bill Clinton, here)
Wes finished. Nice response, but not a home run.
(Edwards is up next...)
John Edwards
John Edwards is up.
HUGE roar. Susie Turnbull is introducin him.
I'll pick up Edward's speech from the start...
Edwards walks in to John Cougar Melencamp music.
- Edwards acknowledges the death of Molly Ivins
- "Why are we here?"
- "Somewhere in America an 8-year-old girl is going to bed hungry..."
- "Somewhere in America" is Edward's big refrain. This is really Edward's strength--at telling the story of his vision. It is a bit lengthy, but it definitely moves the room.
- "It doesn't have to be that way." Edwards is building--setting up his big theme of "change." The frame here is the experience of the American family. The "two Americas" narrative has evolved here a bit, but it is familiar.
- Edwards locates every policy issue within these stories of working class Americans who have problems or crises that they cannot solve--"...it doesn't have to be that way...that's why we are here..."
- "Will you stand up for that man in the emergency room?"
- "WILL YOU STAND UP, WILL YOU STAND UP" (Crowd goes wild"
This is a very good framing--people standing together--unity, protection--crowd is going wild.
- Quotes MLK - we cannot stand by quietly while Bush escalates this war
- "Silence is a betrayal"
- Comes out against "non-binding" resolution
- George Bush is not the decider--the American people are (this is more of a one-liner at this stage...)
A word about Edwards' tone: He is sounding tough and strong. No doubt. He has a script, but he's reading it firmly, and connecting with the room.
Edwards has this way of going on a bit after the room erupts with applause.
- "This is the time for political courage."
Edwards is now weaving the "silence is betrayal" frame into healthcare, poverty, and other issues. This is a very powerful theme.
- Edwards is putting his heart into this. Dare I say it: this man WANTS to be President. It shows.
Big finish, now.
- We are not the country of the Superdome after Katrina, we are not the country of Abhu Ghraib, etc.
- "The United States of America is better than that."
- Here's Edward's big frame of "act now"--this is an interesting idea, the "dont' wait until 2008, do it now" frame
Edwards done. Fascinating speech. Obama and Edwards are great speakers, each in their own way.
Kucinich is next... (time to change laptop batteries)
Dennis Kucinich
Here's Dennis...
He had to quiet down the room to get started. Hmmm..
Kucinich began with a rousing, rallying speech against the war.
Since I changed batteries, he has been telling a story about his trip to Lebanon with his wife--how horrible it is there as a result of the recent war.
His voice has become very quiet. While the story is powerful, it does not quite fit well into this particular venue. It's not entirely clear what he is trying to move us towards.
- Here it is: he is painting a picture of compassionate people in the Middle East who like us, but not our government
- Actually...I find this particular speech too heavy handed
- "I promised the people of Qana that I would bring their message back to America..."
_ "to work for a world where all children are safe.
- Kucinich invokes Lincoln, but then turns to a discussion of the "9/10" project
- Help discover the "beauty of our nation" to restore the soul of America
- Kucinich is reaching for a big finish--invoking an image oof a "shining city on a hill"
- "Crown thy good, America. Crown they good."
- Kucinich gets a fairly good applause at the end.
Dennis ends with "America the Beautiful" playing in the background.
HRC is next.
Hillary Clinton
Here comes Hillary. First mention of her name and the room exploded with cheers.
She's the final candidate speaker of this morning session. It should be a big finish.
Here's Hillary.
- "I'm Hillary Clinton and I'm running for President. I'm in and I'm in to win." (crowd goes wild...again)
- Thanks Dean
A quick aside: Hillary is using an extended military metaphor--"wage" the campaign, "lead the charge." She's framing the election in terms of war. Tuff talk. The room is loving it.
- Hilary talks about a two stage process--first work with the Senate, then after she wins: really change the country.
-"Things are not quite right. We know it. We feel it."
-"The basic bargain. If you work hard and did your part" (This is the classic "moral accounting" frame and she's tweaked it a bit since Bill Clinton used it.
- Talking about the "promise" of education, now. The promise of American life is an incredibly important category of "super" frame, as it were, for the Democratic party. Actually talking about "vision" "action" "promise"--each of the top candidates is tapping into a big, big frame to structure everything they say.
As an aside: Hillary's speech is clear, but it is short on moments that send the crowd into cheers. It seems she has more substance than Obama or Edwards, albeit less charisma at the podium. Such a fascinating contrast between the candidates. She's definitely in her element up there, but in a different way.
- "Renew the promise of America." (there it is again--"promise." I have a whole chapter on "promise" BTW).
- Somme anti-war hecklers in the audience
Aside: There are Code Pink folks in the room, and various other people shouting.
- Hillary took control with this line, "If I had been President, I would not have started this war."
- "IF we in Congress don't end this war...as President I will."
- "We need SMART STRONG LEADERSHIP."
Aside: Heck yes! The "smart and strong:" frame has been pushed endlessly in the blogs (ehem...) and it is good to see it make its way into a stump speech.
Another word about Hillary's tone: She takes some time to warm up, but I have to say--she's a good stump speaker. She responds to the crowd, she's quick to respond. She holds the room, I'd say, not as well as Obama, but maybe a bit better than Edwards--close call between the two of them.
- Returning to the theme of "fighting" back--TUFF TALK!!
- "...I believe we can marshal our faith..." First mention of religion in any of these speeches. Interesting. I didn't even notice that it was missing.
"Join me on this journey!"
Hillary's out with "You ain't seen nothing yet..."
Crowd goes insane again.
End of the Session
That's the end of this general session and I'm heading to shake somme hands, recharge the laptop and maybe eat something.
I will check back later and be back up tomorrow. In the meantime...talk amongst ya'selves...
Post-Game, Blogger Alley
Found an outlet, although not some food. I may start scrounging through half empty popcorn boxes, soon.
For some reason, the place for bloggers is called an "alley"--a blogger alley. A few familiar faces here, including BarbinMD and KagroX. Gina is here, too (as are others...).
Overall, my impression of the speakers is: Very interesting. This is going to be a great primary season.
Each candidate has their own big frame that they are pushing. Let me try to summarize them one at a time, here.
Obama: Cynicism vs. Hope
Obama seems to be the biggest framer on the block. His tactic, today, was to not frame a single issue, per se, but to frame the entire idea of politics. His talk had echoes of Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln.
His idea is that Americans have "lost faith" in government. I have to say, I like this framing very much--and not just because I have pushed it in the past as a way to reframe the right's use of religion. I like it because it establishes a strong ground from which to go after any future swiftboating. Obama is not just claiming ownership over votes--he's claiming ownership over what counts as legitimate politics. He gave a great speech--although not perfect.
Edwards: Standing Up
Edwards has the most rousing call to action of any of the candidates. His refrain "Will you stand with me?" literally brings the room to its feet. It is a great, great line and invokes classic progressive frames of America as a unified group of people standing together (ehem...pushed ad naseum in early Frameshop posts). But Edwards also has a great way of setting the stage. He talks policy, but not using the language of bills and legislation. Instead,he locates policy crisis within family moments. It's very powerful stuff.
The room loves Edwards, too, which is a problem for Edwards at times. He has a slight tendency to go on a bit long in his anecdotes, often finishing a story long after the crowd has already exploded in a show of support.
Another great speech, although not perfect.
Hillary: Fight, Bring Back the Promise
Hillary in many ways stood alone, and not just because she was the only woman in the field. If Obama was 90% charisma and 10% specifics, Hillary is about 70-30 the other way. She clearly knows her stuff. Also, she was the only person to be heckled--during the section on the war. But she did a good job dealing with it. She ratcheted up her passion and held the room.
Hillary's supporters lover her--they go wild at certain points. But those points are fewer and further between than the other speakers. She was the only speaker who actually spoke in what felt like policy specifics. Her broad frame? She uses an extended military metaphor to talk about the election as if it will be war, then she talks about the bringing back the promise of American--living up to what she calls the "bargain." It's moral accounting that worked for Bill--it might work for her, too.
All three were great, albeit not perfect. If I had to rank them, I'd make it Obama, Edwards, Hillary. Although that is no indication of anything other than my in-the-room impression.
For Clark, Dodd, Kucinich: the room was against Kucinich. It's too bad, but with few exceptions, it did not seem like this will be the year where he gets much play.
Wes Clark has a quiet, but methodical presence that people like. But I did not get the sense that he was really prepared as a serious candidate. I may be wrong on this.
Chris Dodd--no matter what you may think of his candidate--came across as a good humored, smart, senior statesman. He is a great story teller, and will be a huge asset to the Democrats even if I doubt he will top the ticket. But after listening to him--I am very glad he's on our team.
And that's all for now, folks! My fingers are pooped and I have not eaten anything but sugar free gum since 5am.
We have a chance to shake hands with candidates in about five minutes, so I'm going to head up to the rooms.
Thanks to everyone for your feedback and comments. Feel free to use this thread to discuss the BM (Big Media) coverage.
I'll be back up for tomorrow morning's session at 9:30am, which will include: Biden, Richardsan, Gravel, and Vilsack.