RNC 2008

Inside The Belly Of The Beast

Bill Scher — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:47:03 -0400

Progressives should be both encouraged and wary about what Rick Perlstein experienced firsthand at the Republican National Convention. In my interview with Perlstein for my LiberalOasis radio show, he contrasts his visit to St. Paul with his experience at the 2004 Republican convention, and concludes that "the myth of the omnicompetent...conservative political machine that can crush cities with its bare hands has to be retired for good."

But Perlstein adds that we underestimate the importance of John McCain's choice for a running mate, Sarah Palin, at our peril, for she represents the continuation of a long-running pattern of conservatives attempting to use the "culture war" to maintain political control. In this podcast, Rick and I explore the signs of hope that could be gleaned from St. Paul as well as the scarier moments.

St. Paul: Parting Thoughts

Rick Perlstein — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:42:45 -0400

At a panel discussion hosted by Campaign for America's Future at Golden's Deli, an alternative progressive space during the Republican convention, Bernie Horn and I arrived at intriguingly different hypotheses about why the Republican convention went down the way it did.

(Before I go on, I'd like to say I would have loved to blog more comprehensively about the panel, on the consequence of Republican economics, but I was, sadly, fifty late for said panel. Why? I was detailed by police. By railroad police. It's a long story with a happy ending. Walking along the Mississippi River on the way to the space, I decided to take a short cut—ever take short cuts during Republican conventions—by ducking underneath a parked train. Upon emerging on the other side, I was met by a stern-faced cop: "You shouldn't have done that." Fun fact, new to me: you never, ever should cut underneath a stationary choo-choo under any circumstances. It's dangerous itself. I apologized as he checked my media credentials and asked for my I.D. "This is pretty serious," he said, as we began the interminable wait for the back-up police with the bomb-sniffing dog. While Fido sniffed for any explosives Perlstein might have planted on the tracks, I made small talk with the first cop, who turned out to be quite kindly: "Don't worry about. Guy from Fox News did the same thing yesterday. Thought I'd be all buddy buddy with him because he was from Fox and I'm a cop"—and here comes the happy ending—"but that was lost on me. I'm a Democrat." He may be reading this now. Hi, genial Democratic railroad cop!)

Anyhoo. I caught the tail end of one of Bernie's always-illuminating discussions on how progressives should frame their message for persuadable swing voters. During my time I discussed the historical roots of the exceptional success Republicans have had framing their party as tribunes of ordinary middle-class Americans.

During the Q&A someone came to what has become a very familiar question: will it work this year?

Bernie pointed out something interesting. Though Sarah Palin's speech was brilliant example of its particular genre, he said, basically agreeing with what I wrote Friday, we should make no mistake: this was an unusual speech to hear at a national convention. At least since 2000 and Bush's feint towards "compassionate conservatism," the (very effective) Republican strategy is to aim their conventions at persuadable swing voters. That's what I expected myself: shot after shot after shot, on the Big Brother video screen, of windmills followed by black children followed by more windmills. Sarah would present herself as the snuggly and safe face of Republican warm-and-fuzziness. Instead, of course, she was out for blood, matching phrase for phrase the nastiest extrusion of Spiro Agnew ca. 1970.

The question is why.

My hypothesis was this: conservatives have been in power so long they've lost the ability to see where there own parochial rhetoric ends, and the vernacular begins. It was unintentional: they no longer know how to speak "ordinary American," much like Democrats allegedly had trouble speaking in the American grain in the bad old days of the 1970s. They only know how to talk to themselves.

Bernie had another idea: that it was entirely intentional.

Either way, things don't look good for the conservatives. Because, as Bernie pointed out, if they still feel like they have to consolidate their base even during the traditional season for reaching out to the center, that means they are badly behind in their strategy. And I pointed out that, if true, this is quite a triumph for Barack Obama's strategy. This year the Democratic presidential campaign has constructed its game plan, for the first time in generations, around the idea of mobilization. The idea that, by flushing out new voters, and contesting traditionally conservative states, they can rejigger the electoral map, instead of counting on squeaking by in a couple of key swing states like Ohio and Florida. This strategy would apparently have the Republicans running scared: they put Sarah Palin up there to put on a conservative get-out-the-vote strategy, trying to get back to square one of where the Republicans usually are by the time they pick their nominee. If they were confident, they'd be making their feints to the center. They're not confident: they agree that the game has changed.

Take heart, those depressed by the latest blips of the day-by-day polls: They're playing on our playing field for once. It's Barack Obama's world. John McCain is just living in it.

St. Paul Notes (Final Notebook Dump)

Rick Perlstein — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:05:48 -0400

• That "JUST SAY NO TO B.O." bumper sticker with the picture of Barack that I mentioned yesterday? I asked one of the vendors selling it, "Isn't it a little juvenile to say your political opponent smells?" Answer: "Well, maybe he does. You never know."

• Did you know that "Comrade" Barack is a Communist? A faux Soviet-style T-shirt informs me of the fact: "CHANGE...SURRENDER...MORE TAXES...HIGHER SPENDING."

• Not too many places you see a dead ringer for Abraham Lincoln, complete with stovepipe hat, and don't blink an eye.

• T-shirts with the shape of Alaska in bright red and the legend, "DRILL, BABY DRILL!" It encapsulates a point Digby likes to make: if you want to find childish sixties-style insurgent rage, the right is the place for it these days. Tho' the insurgents this time, of course, are struggling on behalf of oil companies' windfall profits.

• I was at the Republican convention in 2004 and was, frankly, swept away by its majesty—the staging was magnificent. This year the staging is pathetic. The catwalk they erect for McCain's acceptance speech resembles the set of a Miss America pageant ca. 1974.

• "Attention, ladies and gentlemen. Republican National Committee security wants to remind you that you should be displaying your Thursday credentials today."

• Tonight's entertainment: jazz flute straight out of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

• The row in front of me, six seats to the left: Time magazine's Matt Cooper. Directly in front of me, two reporters from Roll Call assiduously study Cooper's Wikipedia page.

• Some reporters don't stand for the presentation of the colors. Careful! Robin MacNeil did that in 1964 (he was Canadian) and was nearly beaten up by enraged conservatives. During the pledge of allegiance, a reporter keeps his hand over his heart as he runs up the arena stairs. Does that count as patriotic?

• Now they're passing out the "handmade" signs.

• As soon as the speakers started pumping out Heart's "Barricuda" in reference to Sarah Palin I immediately presumed the party of property was committing theft of intellectual property. I was right:

Rock group Heart is furious with John McCain for bucking a request to stop playing their 1977 hit, "Barracuda," and is puzzled by the use of a song about "soulless" executives as the theme for his running mate, Sarah Palin.

"I feel completely [expletive'd] over," the band's Nancy Wilson told EW on Thursday night after their song was played following McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. According to TMZ -- which broke the scandal, the band has filed a cease and desist order.

The tune was first played as a theme song for Palin, and the band acted swiftly. They issued a statement asking the campaign to stop use their music. "We hope our wishes will be honored," the band said. Tough luck. Following McCain's speech on Thursday night, what pumped through the speaker system? That's right ... "Barracuda."

Palin got the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" for her fierce presence on the court with her high school basketball team.
After the speech, Nancy and her sister Ann issued the following statement to EW:

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

• The bottom of the barrel in the politics of conservative cultural grievance was scraped by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who said liberals never get anything accomplished because of —get this!—the way their voices sound:

Last night, for the first time in a long time, millions like me whispered to themselves, “thank God, someone finally gets it.” We heard a voice that spoke with the accent of real America, not the washed-out, mainstream TV-speak that sometimes soothes the soul, but never solves the problem.

And:

We are the gun totin’, God fearin,’ flag wavin’ Americans who are excited to see two crack shots on the ticket with the status quo in their sights. We don’t need to elect someone to install an ATM machine on Pennsylvania Avenue that debits your liberty to fund wasteful programs, and won’t do the one thing that can drive down gas prices.

• Nap time with Timmy Pawlenty: McCain sure made the right call on this one.

• Stepford Cindy goes over like saltpeter.

Sarah's America (two)

Rick Perlstein — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:02:11 -0400

Here's another NIXONLAND parallel. In 1966 George Wallace, when he couldn't run for governor again because of Alabama law, decided to run his wife Lurleen instead. (He pledged, magnanimously, to work as her "adviser" for a dollar a year.) Liberals had high hopes for her primary opponent Richmond Flowers, the state's former attorney general, who they hoped would ride black registration under the new Voting Rights Act to the Statehouse. Then, as I write,

Richmond Flowers ran his campign into a ditch when he pointed out that Lurleen was a high school dropout. An attorney general's lapse in chivalry was apparently more disqualification for higher office than the lack of a twelfth-grade education. his support crumbled. Lurleen won in a landslide.

The right is spinning their "you're not allowed to criticize a lady" nonsense as "feminist." Actually, it's feudal.

Sarah's America

Rick Perlstein — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:53:45 -0400

I love this bit from a September 2 Wall Street Journal article about Wasilla, Alaska, under the Sarah Palin regime:

Wasilla has neither a planning nor a zoning board, and it shows. “The box stores and businesses are king,” says Curt Menard, mayor of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which includes Wasilla. The town “is a wild, wild West show, in the development sense.”

City officials do review projects, but “I haven’t seen anything stopped,” says the 64-year-old Mr. Menard, who has a small airstrip in his yard...

St. Paul Notes (VIII Is Enough!)

Rick Perlstein — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:54:00 -0400

Last night's liveblogging was an Intertubular freak; the Xcel Center is supposed to be a wifi-free zone during the proceedings, but somehow the gods smiled on your humble correspondent, and I got a couple of hours to throw up some posts. Then, like a summer rain, it was over before you could blink. But I kept on liveblogging the old-fashioned way--in my Moleskin notebooks. Before I head out to the proceedings tonight, here's some of what was written therein:

• I think I see Paul Weyrich wheeling along, looking forlorn and alone. He's the wingnut who co-founded the Moral Majority among other pioneering New Right outfits, then, in 1999, declared in an open letter to supporters, "I no longer believe that there is a moral majority. I do not believe that a majority of Americans actually shares our values"—and went on to counsel a separatist strategy for conservatives (shades of Todd Palin?) And though he hates Big Government and all its works, he is a huge advocate for bigger subsidizes for Amtrak, because he happens to like choo-choo trains, though not for buses, because he thinks they're gross. Principled conservatism at work.

• 8:33—I just saw my first black person who wasn't on stage, part of the support staff, or a professional athlete.

• You know that great opening paragraph of Moby Dick? The one that begins, "Call me Ishmael.? It continues: "Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off..."—and tonight, I know the feeling. Only the hats are cowboy hats, and they belong to the Texas delegation. They've been doing ever more intricate call and response rituals on every convention floor since 1964, and damn, are they preciously annoying.

• Bumper sticker slapped across plastic "straw" hat: "EVERY DISASTER IS A CHANGE." The owner appears well-pleased with his own cleverness. Get it? Obama—"NObama," around these parts—is for change, but change isn't always good!

• Bumper sticker slapped across back of blue blazer: "STAND UP FOR AMERICA!! BE AMERICAN!!" Guess which colors?

• I ask a fresh-faced lad from National Journal if their glossy program for tonight is up to date, given how they keep on changing the speaker lineup. "They waited until the last minute to print it. But I think it's up to date as of two hours ago."

• 9:07—the obligatory video tribute to Reagan. (Remember in the eighties how the Democrats demonstrated their staleness every season when a bunch of candidates always vied to be the one labeled "Kennedyesque"? That's about where the Republicans are now.) The breathless narration: "America loved their new president. No, of course, they didn't. Reagan's approval rating out the gate were anemic. "Reagan brought unprecedented economic expansion." No, of course, he didn't. "By putting country first, Ronald Reagan saved our America—very NIXONLAND, that "our."

• Fred Thompson is not miked hot enough. The whole thing feels so underwhelming I feel like I'm at a Democratic convention. He sounds older, even, than McCain—who luckily, in the soft-focus stills in the background, is only showed in the bloom of youth. He has "actually governed instead of just talked a good game in the Washington cocktail circuit"—or something. Half-hearted jokes about the "panic" Palin has brought on among the opposition. "She's governed a municipality, and she's governed a state!" Sara and John—"they're "not going to care how much the alligators get irritated, they're going to drain that swamp!" McCain was not just troublemaker at the Naval academy but the leader leader of the troublemakers. Once dated a stripper. When a Democrat goes on stage an brags about another Democrat dating a stripper, apocalypse will indeed be nigh.

• When he says, This is the kind of character that civilizaitons since the beginning of time have sought in their leaders" I expected a much more resounding ovation than that. I was damned excited to be at the Republican convention in 2004 at Madison Square Garden—swept away by the drama and stagecraft despite myself. But I've seen episodes of Dharma and Greg that had me going more than this. He finally gets the crowd going with the promise that, in Iraq, "Now we're winning." Up goes the "USA! USA! USA!" But really should hire seat-fillers to crowd out the empty sections just to the right and left of the stage; they're really off their game this year.

• "...not with a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad," he reads of a teleprompter. I leave the arena for a respite from the overweening staleness in the air. A pretty woman passes out "JUST SAY NO TO B.O." bumper stickers. Class, nothing but class.

• Really, the only thing I have to say about Joe Lieberman is that someone should remind him that when he makes phlegm-drenched, gutteral noises in the back of his throat between sentences, the microphone picks them up.

Alaska Hockey Notes

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:08:00 -0400

I'm sufficiently bored to start cruising Proquest Newsstand for references to the Republican running mate's future son-in-law, Levi Johnston. Perlstein shoots, Perlstein scores!

Wasilla hockey enters break on a hot streak; [State Final Edition]

Copyright The McClatchy Company Dec 23, 2007

It seems all that tough early season competition against Anchorage schools is paying off for the Wasilla Warriors hockey team.

Wasilla skated to its eighth straight win Thursday and ninth in 10 games with an 8-1 rout over Colony at Menard Memorial Arena.

Matthew Friese scored a natural hat trick in the third period -- two of his goals were seven seconds apart late in the game -- and added two assists as Wasilla improved to 6-0 in North Star Conference play and 11-5 overall.

Wasilla was outscored 26-6 in losses to Cook Inlet Conference foes Chugiak, West, Service and Dimond.

But since falling 9-1 to unbeaten Dimond -- a team which is showing signs of pure dominance against everyone -- on Nov. 16, Wasilla has yet to lose and has outscored opponents 56-10.

The Warriors averaged seven goals a game during that span, while giving up an average of just 1.25.

Wasilla posted several significant wins during the streak: A 3-1 victory against Chugiak at McDonald Memorial Center in Eagle River, two conference wins against resurgent Palmer, and a 2-1 win over Soldotna, a team which could still challenge for first place in the conference.

Wasilla's second line contributed big during Thursday's win. Levi Johnston scored Wasilla's first two goals, one in the first and another in the second period, and added an assist. Dane Wilson had a three-point night, contributing a goal and two assists.

Adam Friese added three assists.

Blake Huppert scored early in the first period for Colony (2-3, 7- 8), which had won 4 of 5 entering the game. Colony traveled to face Juneau-Douglas and came away with a pair of 8-1 wins.

Conference play resumes Jan. 10, when Colony hosts Homer at Palmer Ice Arena, Wasilla hosts Soldotna at Menard Memorial Arena, and Palmer hosts Kenai at Palmer Ice Arena.

NORTH STAR CONFERENCE

Boys Standings Through Sunday

W L T Pts Overall GF GA

Wasilla 6 0 0 12 11-5-0 80 42

Palmer 3 3 0 6 9-5-0 66 45

Soldotna 3 1 0 6 7-5-0 48 32

Colony 2 3 0 4 7-8-0 70 68

Kenai 2 4 0 4 4-11-0 26 78

Homer 0 5 0 0 3-10-0 29 74

Thursday's results

Wasilla 8, Colony 1

Soldotna 9, Kenai 0

St. Paul Notes (Lucky VII)

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:59:31 -0400

TR on the video screen gets no applause, nor his founding of the National Parks Service.

Who's "acclaimed inger and songwriter Rachael Lampa?" Others seem as baffled as I, save for the fourteen people in the Ohio delegation clapping along. (Ms. Lampa, it arrives, sings like a mouse, only more out of tune.)

Oh: "Rachael Lampa was named #1 Female Artist by Christ Community magazine. But—wow—I just did a Nexis search on her name and got back not a single hit. Then I hit the Proquest Newsstand database. One hit from April, five from 2006, a nice mention in the September 23, 2005, Wyoming Tribune - Eagle. She does, to her credit, nail the key change.

Oh, wait. She's lip-synching.

A Timesman just showed up, and started flipping channels on the New York Times table's flat screen TV.

They play AC/DC during the set change. Isn't that the devil's music?

St. Paul Notes (VI)

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:42:38 -0400

Third person of color on the podium, a South Asian adoptee.

I keep waiting for someone from the New York Times to come and kick me out of their seat, but they're apparently somewhere else, doing something more exciting. Like defrosting the refrigerator.

St. Paul Notes (V)

Rick Perlstein — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:21:53 -0400

Second black man of the evening. A preacher.