Democratic National Convention discussion thread

If you're not sure who the people pictured above are, you have some reading and/or television-watching to catch up on, because the Democratic National Convention is in full swing in Denver. Want to weigh in on the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee? Share your thoughts on Barack Obama and running mate Joe Biden right here! And if you say something really interesting, intelligent or interestingly unintelligent, you just may get quoted in a Comments Blog post. 

Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast

Comments

[DaveT]

What a night. Ted Kennedy. Michelle Obama!
To see Sen. Kennedy, weak from battling brain cancer, walked out to the podium and beamed. His voice clear and strong. And to listen to him brought back memories of his brothers JKF and RFK. And brought back pride is is to be a Democrat Sen. Kennedy's address brought tears to my eyes. "The hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." There is hope for us all.
Michelle Obama was brilliant. Her humble beginnings and hard-scrapple life as a child from the south side of Chicago to her life as a lawyer and mother, she gave the nation the real picture of the Obamas. That the Democratic Party truly is the part of the people. Throw out any "elitist" thoughts of the Obamas. This was a great first night.

[OCVOICE]

what a circus. Biden's comment that Michelle Obama's speech was the best in his life shows how incompetent and out of touch he is. Although, you can say one thing about her speech - it was not plagiarized.

[Al B]

Another great LA Times front cover photo- Biden looking like a fool as Obama looks on. Do you guy have Carl Rove pick the photos of democrats prior to publishing these articles? You guys never fail to amaze...

[ken b]

Joe Biden appears to be this years' version of the demented Dr. Dean.

[mando]

Has Biden ever heard of MLK? Anyhow, lets enlighten America on Taxes.
Mccain proposes home sales taxes up to $500.000 at 0%, Obama proposes 28%. Dividend Taxes such as mutual funds, college funds, IRA, or anything that reinvest dividends, Mccain proposes 15%, Obama 39.6%. Income taxes will remain the same under Mccain, Obama propses more than DOUBLING your income tax. Obama will restore the Inheritance tax causing many families to lose property that has been willed to them. Other new taxes proposed by Obama new government taxes on homes larger than 2400 ft, new gasoline tax, heating, gas, water, and,electricity, reitirement accounts, and others.
It is what it is, people. Mccain is not like Bush,

[Red]

mando...are you one of those people who are up to your eyeballs in credit card debt, drowning under an SUV payment on a car you couldn't afford in the first place, and used your house as an ATM to buy a whole bunch of crap you had no business buying but felt you were entitled to have regardless? HOW ELSE DO YOU PROPOSE WE PAY FOR ALL THE DEBT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE US DROWNING IN???? The bottom line is....the Democrats wouldn't have to raise our taxes if the Republicans would stop borrowing and SPENDING money we don't have! The Democrats wouldn't be FORCED to be the *bad parent* and raise our taxes to pay down the Republicans DEBT. Dealing with you people is like dealing with my teenage niece who doesn't understand WHY she can't spend $5,000 a month at the mall when her parents only make $40k a year. WAKE UP...No...GROW UP! It's called *living within your means*...I know...a completely foreign concept to GOP.

If I remember correctly...Bill Clinton left the Republicans a SURPLUS, which means they made sure we had enough money to pay for what we were buying.

I'm actually no fan of Obama, and frankly, I think whoever is elected is going to be doing nothing but moving around the chairs on the deck of the Titanic....but please....the Democrats are always stuck cleaning up after the Republicans who spend with zero thought beyond today.

I guess they are all so rich (how many homes is it that McCain owns again???) that they've never had to learn to BUDGET their money for the things they want. This is BASIC MATH people...you have to actually PAY for the things you buy. The Republicans are famous for BUYING without any thought of how to PAY for any of it!

[zango]

Bidens speach was great. Best ive heard in years.

[Chris]

Youth, inexperience, idealism-- all these things are better than four more years of old white-haired men stealing, killing, and lying at our expense.

[johanB]

What is it with the LA Times. Have neocons like Max Boot and consorts so richly provided a voice in the LA Times taken over the editorial functions as well. It is not only the ridiculous choice of pictures they put on their front page, more important it is the lack of representing what actually happens at almost any Democratic event. They have succeeded to put a negative spin to almost every article about the Democrats. Look no further than this morning. The instant negative spin given to Joe Biden, the problems Obama will have to deal with etc. etc. Compared to NY Times or Washington Post or even USA today, the LA Times have become a near equivalent of FOX news, spouting right wing talking points on almost every page.
It reads and feels like Mr Murdoch has taken over the paper. The endless firing process of independent thinkers and liberals voices have almost completely disappeared. Gossip has taken over, case in point the LA TIMES website. Entertainment and lots of nonsensical articles about life style etc. have been given more space than articles that are actually important for the readers. This paper does NOT represent anymore the people that live in this city. There is an incredible dummification process going on that seems supported by the new owner, the new editors and the corporations that advertise in this paper.
Johan B.

[Mel]

MR OBAMA HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH HIS IDENTITY....WHY DO THE WRITERS, EDITORS SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, HE IS NOT IN SEARCH OF HIS IDENTITY.....

I MAY BE ONE INDIVIDUAL, BUT RECEIVING THIS PAPER ON SUNDAYS IS CERTAINLY ENOUGH!.

THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES AT STAKE AT THIS TIME, HE IS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN...PERIOD!!!!

WRITE ABOUT SOME REAL ISSUES. BI-RACIAL AMERICANS EXIST!!!

.....And MANDO....WHETHER YOU'RE A FAN OR NOT.(IS NOT IMPORTANT)......I HOPE ITS MORE THAN CHAIR SHUFFLING....HOW FAR WILL WE ALL GO TO KEEP MR. OBAMA ACCOUNTABLE......HE IS ONLY ONE MAN..WHO CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A COUNTRY THAT WAS WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THE MESS BUSH AND ROWE AND OTHERS

[mel]

RIGHT ON.......ZANGO....I AGREE

[eroc]

Youth, inexperience, idealism--Ah, it all sounds so fresh and new, and worth looking at. But anyone who has experience knows that they can best the idealist pretty much every time. Oh sure, once in a while idealism actually gets somewhere; but its no time to try an unexperienced idealist as president.

Moreover, Obama has had plenty of time to be more than just an unexperienced idealist. He seems to never really have any solid beliefs or opinions or accomplishments- at least that he writes down or says. Personally, I believe that all his "change" rhetoric is nothing more than the old socialist garb that has been rejected and never tried. Simply because it kills the motivation of people. But it does appeal to the lower masses and unthinking sheep.

[PAUL]

Why is the LA TIMES and the Mainstream Media keeping SILENT on the OBAMA/WILLIAM AYERS Story? I'm sure if Sen McCain had Obama's History of associating with a Racist Pastor for 20 years and an unrepentant TERRORIST (Ayers) he wouldn't have gone past Iowa.

[mando]

Senor Red, My wife and I are doing well financially, We own several pieces of property plus our own home. Our eldest is working toward her masters. Our other two children attend catholic school(we pay tuition) My wife and I grew up very poor, I shined shoes and delivered the Herald Examiner as a kid from East LA. My mother cleaned houses for residents in Balwin Hills. My mother divorced my dad when I was a teen. No, I am not up to my eyeballs in credit card debt, we tend tend not to use them. Financially, my wife and I are very responsible, we only buy what is needed; not wanted. By the way, my SUV is alresdy paid for, and so is college tuition.
To spoil ourselved we take family vacations. Finally, I just don't trust POLITITIONS. I am my own leader and I did not vote for Bush. Generally speaking others tell us what we want to hear when they see we are most vulnerable.

[Red]

Well Mando...first of all, it's Senor*a* ; )....and you are a very smart person. It's funny...whenever I post comments, everyone always assumes I am a *man*. Count me as one of the 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling...deep sigh.

In fact, you would be surprised how identical our stories are....however, do you understand that your post sounded like a raging Bush supporter earning millions while not paying a cent in taxes...who wants the Fire Dept. to protect his house during the wild fires, as long as someone else is footing the bill and who pretends our national debt is the fault of the Democrats for giving Police Officers a raise?

My first job...my best friend was the bookkeeper and told me that I, as receptionist, paid MORE in taxes than the owner of the company, who not only didn't pay a single cent in taxes, though he made MILLIONS of dollars a year, he actually got TENS of THOUSANDS of dollars back!!

My husband (from a divorced working class family, who *alone* put himself through an Ivy League school and law school) and I (also from a working class blue collar home and worked through college) left California at the beginning of 2007 for a job on the East Coast. We were tremendously fortunate to have sold before the collapse. I can't tell you how many people we were surrounded by who did exactly what I had described...living PROFOUNDLY above their means and, frankly, laughing at us for years for continuing to drive our Honda's, which are also long paid for instead of leveraging our home equity to impress the neighbors. Instead we chose to work on our home (ourselves),save for college, retirement, and save our equity.

We moved to a beautiful 2+ story brick colonial on 1/2 an acre we were able to buy with cash, we send our kids to Catholic school and like you, have no credit card debt. We buy what we need, and don't spend money we don't have. It's that simple. Not as *fun* as the life the rest of the country was enjoying over the past 8 years, but we're also not now facing financial ruin although at the rate the Republicans are going, it might not be long for all of us.

I absolutely did not vote for Bush & Co., and am sick to my stomach about the coming increases in taxes in order to pay for this mess that the lying self declared "fiscally responsible" Republicans have led us into!

In fact...the people I knew who are the most financially *irresponsible* are Republican because they seem to have the greatest NEED for the STATUS and the APPEARANCE of WEALTH that the Republican party embodies, even if their reality is something quite different.

In addition, I am beside myself about the seeming inevitability of OUR TAX DOLLARS being used to bail out the greedy, lying Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and all of the wealthy Wall St. brokerage firms who will also collapse from mismanagement and greed without it. Don't you *love* corporate America..."Get government and regulation out of our business...until we get into trouble, and then we want the tax payers to cover our gross mistakes (I know because my husband works for one of the firms that happens to *not* be in trouble).

SO...add to all of the coming taxes you mentioned, the cost of bailing out all of our banks and lending institutions so they won't drag us into a Depression and can continue to live way beyond anything you or I will ever enjoy. God forbid they experience a pinch in their standard of living. We wouldn't want them to lose their membership at the Club.

I'm sorry, but being one of the *responsible* people in this country, leaves us, I'm afraid, in the minority and holding the bag. And yes, I am angry at the greed and corruption that is drowning our middle class, and I'm with you...I don't trust the politicians as far as I can throw them!

You should be ashamed of yourself America! Our Founding Fathers would be disgusted. They FOUNDED this country on the ideal of "for the greater good" not on "take what you can".

Now, if you'll please excise me while I step down off of my soap box. |: (

[Red]

eroc...first of all, I'm not an Obama supporter, but you can't be serious calling the Democrats the "lower masses" and "unthinking sheep", especially after the last 8 years of right wing Christian conservatives who ran to the polls en mass to keep gays from marrying in someplace like Nebraska...as though that were actually a possibility. The "guns, gays and God" folks....

Actually, I believe that statistically the Democratic party is now not only the more affluent (think the GOOGLE guys), but also more highly educated. You know...us latte drinking elitests? That's so funny because in our Ivy League educated household, my husband refers to the Republicans as the "uneducated masses" . I just LOVE how they continue to live in utter poverty and deprivation without health care or a living wage for themselves, just because the guys they're voting for tell them they share their "values"...they are also selectively BLIND when they want to be...think Dick Cheney and his lesbian daughter with the grandchild she had with her partner??... Talk about lower masses of sheep!!!

Karl Rove famously stated publicly that "Education was dangerous and needed to be avoided at all costs because it *made people more Democratic [than Republican]". That's right Karl...keep 'em dumb so you can stay in power!

Bill Clinton's *Socialist* agenda created unprecedented numbers of jobs and growth, wealth, progress, historically record low numbers of people in poverty and on welfare.

In fact...as he stated last night in his speech...the past 8 years are the FIRST time the Republicans FINALLY had to FULLY put into practice all of the ideas they've wanted to put into action, because they finally gained control of ALL branches of our government...and LOOK WHAT A MESS THEY MADE.

What *kills the motivation of people* is working 3 jobs just to pay for food, while caring for a severely ill child because you can't afford medical insurance or a doctors visit. College is completely out of reach because you were paying $5 a gallon for gas to get to your job and essentially being a single parent because your spouse has been in Iraq on back to back deployments for 5 years, then coming home injured with no medical care! VERY MOTIVATING!

STARVING PEOPLE LIVING ON TOP RAMEN BECAUSE THE ONLY JOB THEY COULD GET *WITH* THEIR COLLEGE DEGREE DOESN'T PAY A LIVING WAGE OR BENEFITS DOES NOT MOTIVE THEM...IT JUST EXHAUSTS THEM.

ALLOWING PEOPLE IN THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO WORK 3 JOBS WHILE DYING OF CANCER BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD MEDICAL CARE DOES NOT MOTIVE THEM TO RISE ABOVE AND BE MORE, IT SIMPLY KILLS THEM.

THROWING SOMEONE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC WITHOUT A LIFE JACKET DOESN'T MAKE THEM A BETTER SWIMMER, IT JUST DROWNS THEM.

My husband, at 18 years old, was able to not only get accepted to an Ivy League college, BUT he was also able to work and put himself through college there!! Tell me, what 18 year old could do that today even if they wanted to?

Right now, the fastest growing place in the world is Dubai. Do you know WHY?? Let me tell you, as I have heard it recently out of the mouth of a top individual at one of the largest investment firms in the world....They are building the **infrastructure** they need before PURCHASING ALL of our companies and domiciling them in DSUBAI WITHIN THE NEXT 15-20 YEARS!!! This is NOT some urban myth, it was stated at a large conference for Financial Advisors! And watch out because they've got the money to do it.

So, unless you're on board to educate our children and make damned sure we are the best and the brightest, the healthiest and the most productive and progressive once again, you'd better start learning Arabic, otherwise you aren't going to have a job. And you thought there was a stink when some Belgian company bought Budweiser??

Our comment was that we needed alternative energy IMMEDIATELY to cut them off at the knees before they cut us off, and his reply was - "Yes, exactly".

They LOVE to see us continue to bury ourselves in debt to be at war with them and then use OUR TAX DOLLARS to build up their countries...it just leaves us weaker and less capable of holding on to our companies when they are ready to take over.

[Matt]

Historic event? Sure.

Unfortunately, Barack's policies are going to kill the economy--starting with the small business owners. I've lived in Europe and can't understand why the dems want to pattern our nation's economic policies after their socialist policies. They don't work. I listened to a fine speech peppered with scary socialist views.

Also, I'm disappointed how the dems keep trying to divide this nation into rich and poor. Not only is it hypocritical, but irrelevant (Clintons, Obamas, Edwards--all very rich....). Everyone (rich and poor) should be paying taxes. All this coventing other's riches needs to stop. (Note: I'm far from rich).

It is true that Obama is more hip than McCain, but when it comes to the future of my great country, I prefer someone with a track record and experience.

[Gia]

mando: I agree, I was a republican years ago, but not a fan of bush, did not vote for him, but now, the American people have no where else to turn. I do not trust mr. obama, as I have researched his previous voting records (in the senate and on the state level) as well as finding out how much he raises the bar (like he did in his great speech tonight) but then backdeals his own sweetheart deals like he did over and over in Illinois. He will sell you half short every time! But always with a smile. Be very, very careful when someone is telling you what you want to hear. I was in vegas during the debates, and one thing alerted me - that he repeatedly has done - when asked a simple yes/no question it took him 189 words to answer it. He is not very good on his feet, but can deliver a prepared speech pretty well.

One last thing, I know a lot of people want to see change, myself included, but you don't throw yourself at the feet of someone because they say they are different. This is your future, your kids future, don't embrace change just for the sake of change - oh dear god look what happened after 9/11 - everyone ran and just dumped our civil liberties and rights away - stop and think, be critical and analytically creative.

This guy is not what he seems to be.

[DaveT]

The conservative opines here seem bent on some return to the cold war. Liberals are commie-pinkos. You all cry about socialism. Any hint of helping the poor and middle class is stuff of Chairman Mao. What you all are is greedy, self-important money hungry losers. You don't care about America, but only that your pocket books are full. You do nothing to help the community. You take but you don't give back. Your so-called Reaganomics was pure highway robbery. Trickle down rubbish. The rich got richer. Cheney and Bush have filled the larders of all their rich pals. And the tax payers were the victims. Tax rebates? HA! Where did Bush get that money? From borrowing. And adding to the national debt. Mr. Bush (because he doesn't deserve the right to be called President) has been on a spending spree worse than Paris Hilton at Gucci.
Billions of your precious money, Mr Mando are going to Iraq. Funding a war that was wrong. And proven so. The Iraqi government has over a TRILLION dollars in their own banks. But have spent nothing to fund this war, or even repay us for our trouble. Let alone the thousands of American military lives that have been lost. Billions of dollars leave this country to places like China. Billions of dollars that we incur as debt. Billions of dollars in profits by Big Oil. Yet American consumers still pay premium prices at the pump. The late William F Buckley called Bush one of our worst presidents in American history. Not worthy of being a true conservative. We are bleeding money. The poor and middle class are being robbed. I don't give a damn about if you had a hard life and grew up poor. We live in the here and now. But your arrogance shows. So you made a little money. Kudos. The American dream worked out for you. But on the backs of many many people beneath you that need your help. I grew up poor. From a working class family. Yada yada yada. I graduated at the top of my class and have my master's degree. I earn a good living. But I still believe in helping those that are less fortunate than me. So call me a socialist. I don't care. Liberal idealist. So what? What counts is working toward a better America. And how dare some arrogant moron refer to the vast majority of this country as "the lower masses and sheep." Well sir, let them eat cake. These sheep as you call them easily fell for the rhetoric of George Bush and now for McCain. "Oh, the terrorist are right outside my door!!! Who will save my family and me?" So these people are idiots huh? And you know better. The sucker that was born every minute is you my friend. If you believe that McCain will turn this country around you are wrong. But you don't want that. You are quite content with your BMW and your fancy home and your comfy gated community. And hedges high enough so that you don't have to see the real America staggering and scraping trying to feed their family or hold on to their homes. Keep your blinders on. But you are riding your horse backwards. Mando and the rest of you are part of the problem. Not the solution. You are a drain on society by simply doing nothing. Yeah, tell me to go out and hug a tree or join the Peace Corps. Look pal, I'm here and I'm doing my part. I participate in society instead of watching it from a couch. Obama did his part. He went out and helped the poor in the South Side of Chicago. I lived in Chicago. I met Obama. He's a righteous man. Has McCain done any of that? Has he reached out to the needy of Arizona? Or maybe there are none there. So that's his excuse. Mr. Hero Veteran voted against the new GI Bill. What gives? He doesn't have any compassion for his own kind. McCain for years opposed torture. And he should know. It ain't fun. But he's caved in and now supports limited "torture." Or shall we say, strong interrogation. My dad was in the U.S. Army in WW2 and was a POW interrogator. Geneva conventions, my friend. No water-boarding. No naked humiliation. He just asked questions. So what does McCain stand for. I don't know. Is he qualified to be a leader? If you consider being 72, I don't think so. All of our greatest presidents had no real experience. Lincoln was in the Illinois state legislature but only in Congress for a year. Was he prepared for the great Civil War? Most Americans despised him. He won by a slim margin. JKF was a senator for a very brief time. A young man with no real aspirations of becoming president only because Joe Kennedy, Sr. forced him into politics. But we hail them as American heroes.
You just want to live in your own little comfort zone. Change is scary indeed. Change could be considered a bad word. Change could be considered seditious. Change may only be fluff. But change did free the slaves. Put a man on the moon. And moved us away from the corruption and lies of Richard Nixon. We need a sense of idealism to push us forward. We need to redeem ourselves and to the world. We need to work harder. We need to be less selfish. We need more optimism. And less negativity like many of the opinions expressed here. We are all jaded by politicians. But they ARE politicians. And they are not miracle workers. YOU and I and the rest of us need to make this country great. Not make more money. Not buy another house. Or brag about our vacations in Tuscany. Do something real. And quit complaining.

[Tom Z]

McCain, what a "Maverick"!! He finally has gotten the Republican party to do something the Democrats did a quarter century ago. And this is the man to lead us in the 21st century?? By picking a hardline conservative? That makes him the break-away Republican he claims to be.

[Irischermann]

McCain just announced Sarah Palin as his VP. This is truly a bold and well-played strategy to break from the typical conservative mold of the Republican party. She's a woman, mother and a military wife.

Make no mistake: these are the ONLY qualifications John McCain needs her for in order to show he's for "change" and to steal the votes of bitter Hillary Clinton supporters away from Barack Obama.

If the McCain/Palin ticket wins, it's ONLY because bitter, confused Hillary die-hards sold out their party and country for superficial theatrics created by the Republican party to maintain their control and further their agendas.