Reporting from Denver for Docudharma

DENVER, CO-Hey everyone. I told some of you I was going to Denver. As they say here at Docudharma, “Here I am.”

It was a pretty long trip and I had to figure out the whole public transportation thing. After no sleep and an empty stomach (Midwest Airlines charges for lunches on their flights!!!!) trying figure out how to get into Denver got a helluva lot harder. But I made it. The cool thing about the flight was sitting behind Rich, editor of Michigan Liberal. Great guy.

Denver’s definitely clamped down to the max. Police are in riot gear all over the city. Helicopters are flying overhead. When I got into town I went straight over to The Big Tent. It’s interesting. It’s like a Oscar party of some sorts with Entertainment Tonight-esque MTV-like reporters outside the entrance. There’s also lotsa security. Why, I don’t know. Picked up my creds five minutes before they closed and that was that.

I checked out The Tattered Covered Bookstore. It’s a big and beautiful independent bookstore right next door to the Big Tent. I only bring this up because as I was sitting oustide, going through my Big Tent “goodie bag,” I saw George Stephanopolous. We made eye-contact, nodded to each other, and he went in the bookstore. Didn’t get to talk to him (or grill him).

It kinda feels like all the locals have evacuated the city and the only people around are conventioneers, media folks, and cops. There are all these people walking around on cellphones, wearing credentials around around their necks, and all the men are wearing navy blue blazers and the women look all chi-chi’ed up. It’s like being in Boston on Newbury Street… if you know what that means.

I didn’t make it to the Recreate ’68 rally yesterday. However, the annoying Grif Jenkins of FOX News covered it and let’s just say, the demonstrators were there to greet him. Some of you may have seen this already. If not, here it is. Caution…. Rated-R profanities to follow- LOL!

Here’s another perspective of that same rally.

I was actually kinda disturbed with the little girl on the dad’s shoulders. She got caught in the middle of the ruckkus and she really shouldn’t have been there. I’m not against bringing children to rallies. I actually encourage it. I just don’t think she should have been exposed to this. I dunno. Maybe the dad was in a situation out of his control. It doesn’t mean Grif Jenkins should be accosted. He damn well should. I would just remove that girl from the situation as fast as I can.

OK. Enough of my soapbox. I’m here to report on the stuff that matters. Today is Monday and here’s the agenda at The Big Tent. I plan on being there most of the day and will have some live dispatches from the event. Expect lotsa pictures too. If you have any ideas on things you like to see, let me know. I plan on covering some of the rallies, spot interviews with shakers and movers of the Democratic Party and the blogosphere, etc. I’ll be at the PDA conference on Friday and hope to speak with Vincent Bugliosi, author of “The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder.”

Look forward to hearing from you. On my way down to The Big Tent.

– ctrenta  

15 comments

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  1. Our own Docudharma correspondent at the Convention.  Yay!

    Thanks for this, crenta.  Crossing my fingers that you’ll get a chance to speak with Bugliosi.

    I’d like to see and hear whatever catches your eyes and ears.

  2. personally, i fuck fox ‘news’ every chance i get 😉

    agree on the kid on dad’s shoulders…the way that camera was swinging around, i wouldnt have wanted any of my kids nearby at that age….but it’s hard to say from the video’s perspective whether he was willingly participating or caught up in something…

    and, who knows…maybe she’s the one who STARTED the ‘fuck fox news’ chant…;)

  3. covering this from your angle. I’m really looking forward to the fresh perspective of bloggers at this event!!!!

  4. Sounds kinda surreal, as one would expect! It will be great to get your POV along with the more ‘conventional’ (thats’s a pun) view. Thanks so much! Take care of yourself!

    • Viet71 on August 25, 2008 at 19:48
  5. as the sacrificial lamb.

    Some of us think Denver was/is on the short list of capital cities for the future fascist dystopian New World Order world.  Evidence can be had by searching on the anomalies of Denver International Airport.

    • rich on August 26, 2008 at 02:17

    Thanks for the shout-out!

    You should’ve tapped me on the head or kicked my seat and said, “hello.”  

  6. 1)

    There are all these people walking around on cellphones, wearing credentials around their necks

    …this reminds me of the national convention of the main health insurance providers in San Francisco a couple of months ago at the convention center.  The delegates would come out of the doors from the auditorium into the glass enclosed foyer.  The first thing these guys (and also some gals who looked mostly like secretaries) did was start to fumble in their pockets for cell phones.  Reminded me of the way people used to reach first for their cigarettes after having been deprived for a few hours.  Actually, quite a few of these reached for cigs also.  The the absolute rapidity with which these guys reached for cells was like an addiction or, maybe, “…better check if I’ve missed any important deals!!!”…

    2) From the police state in China at the Olympics to the police state in merika at the DNC.

    3) Grif Jenkins looks like his day job must be as president of young campus repubs somewhere.

  7. The Big Tent! Yippie we have a correspondent. Thanks it’s so depressing to watch and listen to the pundirts, and even the netroots weirdness with their silly axes to grind. I am looking forward to the DD’s version and observations.    

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