Forget Palin: The GOP Won't Repeat the Magic of Denver

It was fiesta in downtown Denver last night. Thousands stood on the streets, and huddled in bars; children sat on parents' shoulders, teenagers milled around in groups next to elderly relatives in wheelchairs. There was noise, dancing, street food and beer.

But at 8 pm local time the hubbub dissipated to a hush. All eyes searched for the nearest television screen. The crowd now knew the format; the homely images of the visual intro would herald the entry of the last DNC primetimer: the one for whom they had all waited.

To the foreign observer without a vote, Obama's speech was a master class. In soaring tones that would have been tricky to replicate in Europe without sounding silly, Obama identified and addressed the primary concerns of voters in Western democracies - jobs, healthcare, oil, education and security. These were not the fashionable issues of a metropolitan dinner party; they were everyman problems. He gave policy and personal detail; he avoided being too negative towards McCain.

It was stunningly, rousingly good stuff.

But the reaction of the crowd in the streets was the more remarkable experience for this foreigner. Viewers were shouting in adulation at the screens (not that fake whooping seen on Oprah); there were tears; strangers embraced each other.

Now, in Britain, we consider Americans to be a rather sentimental bunch (Britons don't whoop, thank goodness), but there was a touching authenticity in what I saw that evening. Not only did Obama appear to believe his own words - surely a golden commodity in a politician - but those observing did too.

The love-in being too much for our temperaments, a fellow Brit and I mischievously looked for Republicans. Repubs don't wear uniform (although I'm sure many would like to) and they were hard to identify amidst the Democrat euphoria.

It took a surprisingly short time. Not far from the railway station where crowds had gathered, two young women in "Nobama" T-shirts sidled past. They didn't like Obama, they explained, because of abortion and gay rights. One wanted homosexuality banned, because it would help gay people be "normal". I looked for the candid camera - no, she really believed what she was saying. Nearby was a man holding a placard which said "End term limits: give Bush another 4 years". Why? Because, he claimed, the "hippies" should "go home".

Earlier in the day, we had searched in Denver for the mythical Republican rapid reaction bunker. It had taken some finding, including several phone calls and a bit of a drive.

But it was there: an eerie place with no windows to the road; it felt like the setting for the denouement of a Hollywood action movie, the place where the hero kills the bad guy's henchmen in a gory apocalypse. The Republicans in it were young, articulate, polite and desperately relaxed about Obama; well this is the Democracts' week, was the mantra. I detected despondency.

The more educated wing of the GOP represented by these types are, in the world post-Rove, locked in a Faustian pact with the nutters we met on the street, forcing the party to the right, and the Christian right at that, on every issue. This unholy alliance has destroyed the intellectual consistency of Republicanism: the party of small government apparently thinks government should intrude into the sex lives of citizens.

This malaise was illustrated, not challenged, by the choice of Gov Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate today. The appointment of a relative unknown with less than two years' gubernatorial experience in a state with a population smaller than a small English county, geographically cut off from the rest of the country, smacked of tokenism. Dreadfully for the Republicans, it will highlight, not question, the image (accurate or otherwise) that they are the poor relations of Democrats when it comes to promoting women to senior positions; Palin's selection begs the question, is she all they have?

But, while the GOP may struggle to find its voice, there was no confusion on the streets of Denver. Everywhere was confidence. In one after-party, the superstar Will.i.am, leading the Black Eyed Peas, stood at the front of the stage rapping Obama slogans. The crowd cheered madly. "I am voting, are you?" came the staccato. "Yes!" screamed the crowd.

I had never seen a political event like it. And I knew it was not just me: Two other Brits there, one from a US media organisation and the other Ben Gummer, a parliamentary candidate, were completely dumbstruck. The enthusiasm around us differed even from the giddy cult of Blair in the late 1990s (the closest modern equivalent to Obamania) because the Labour party grass roots never really liked Blair. As with the GOP and the Christian right, the alliance between the British left and the free-market Blairites was a Faustian pact of its own, one now unravelling for Gordon Brown in slow motion catastrophe.

But here in Denver, even those Democrats suspicious of Obama had fallen for him, and were united. Here was a nominee propelled not by the political resonance of his color or sex, but by the authenticity of his beliefs and the brilliance with which he communicated them. Palin may (who knows?) also turn out to be brilliant, but Republicans should be unsurprised if voters conclude that the reasons for her selection were both cynical and desperate.

Comments

[bluevillage]

It's one thing to have earned 18 million votes (and celebrity) and another to have been picked, just to fill a gender (and celebrity) gap. The Democrats have a huge head start in the realm of enthusiasm. And it's genuine, not fabricated.

[1will]

The GOP Convention will not match the excitement of Denver. I'll give you that.
McCain is just a candidate to Conservatives while Obama is a combination of Santa, The Mesiah and a rock star to the Dems. It's an election to us and some kind of weird psuedo religion to the Left. Few people can explain why Obama was more qualified than Dodd, Biden, Hillary or even Kucinich. Fewer can tell how he's going to do all that he's promised. They just put a childlike faith in him and expect him to bring jobs back from overseas, fix the economy, end the war, stop Global Warming, make us energy idependent, lower fuel prices, lower unemployment and secure our borders. They don't know how he'll do it. He just will.
Santas going to disappoint a lot of people if he's elected this November.

[martinchill]

the GOP convention, if it happens on schedule, will not try to attain any "magic" or any other such gay mamby-pamby notions. it will be a week of fear - 'you should be afraid to elect an inexperienced black man named hussein obama as president' - 'you should be afraid of terrorists named hussein'

etc, etc, ad nauseum.

this election is not a lock, despite how hapless mchouse appears.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08292008/profile2.html

watch and listen.

[paragrafH]

Great post! Thanks!

There was a lot written during the primaries about Obama's popularity in Europe and especially London. When you get back home, please do write again about the reaction from your friends there. We've heard that 38,000 tuned in here, it would be interesting to know the ratings in England.

[ckdogs]

This convention caused more emotion than I have ever seen. Friends called me, with tears of joy, after Michelle's speech. More calls after Tammy Duckworth, the Clintons, Ted Kennedy, Biden, Gore, and of course, Obama. The only sad thing is that the cable networks did not show all of the speeches; I was able to watch them on C-span. When Obama finished his speech - I thought - how could anyone not vote for this man. Then, the Fox nitpicking began. But the feelings were genuine, and I hope this country gets smart, for a change, and elects this man.

[MrWiggy]

Brilliant.

I’m fascinated to see that the convention worked on you. The whole idea of the pop ideology, the pomp, the rockstars, the balloons, is to chip away at your convictions and core ideologies. The DMC’s message to waverers (or in your case, independents) is to make you question your own cynicism or feel guilty for being negative. “Why did I doubt Barak’s integrity, why did I think he wasn’t ready?” you hear yourself saying. Well, the reason your thought those points was because they were valid.

I got culled by Huffington for my last comment by brining up Michelle O’s colour. Surely a very valid point to many Americans that have enjoyed uninterrupted WASP leadership (including Kennedy) for a few hundred years. This exemplifies the dichotomy of America. The attack dogs of the 24hr news channels go for everything, implying this and insinuating that, but people still believe the message that Howard Dean has staged managed for the public over the last few days in Denver.

I’ve loved the DNC but it’s still a sugary pill. However opportunist McCain has been by ticketing an inexperienced woman he has still stifled the message of Obama and given those, frankly terrifying, Clinton supporters another option.

[Quaoar]

Conventions are largely irrelevant. Americans should base their votes on the undisputed facts that the Bush Administration has been an epic failure and a McCain Administration would only be more of the same.

[Mariel]

As a lifelong Dem, I have not "fallen" for Obama's magic. I was repelled by his acceptance speech venue, the Roman architecture set up as a backdrop in the massive stadium, the fake glory. Yes he speaks well. I would have liked it in a more humble setting, considering the times in which we live.

Ms. Palin, on the other hand, today in Ohio, did not look like the "beauty queen" which she has been dubbed by the Dems. No, she looked like a hard-working middle aged business woman who didn't have time to get a hair cut. No doubt they will give her some better, more expensive hair, or maybe they actually like her down-home soccer mom look. Hardly a beauty queen, although she may have been that once.

Her governing experience is limited, yes, but more extensive than Obama's. Obama has been on the campaign trail most of his senatorial career, leaving his office to his staff. Having people campaign for two years before even nominated--my friends abroad have open-mouthed disbelief at this.

[MadOzbo]

How refreshingly delightful!

Not only to see how our behaviors and responses are perceived by non-Americans, but more importantly, because this instance is just hopefully the first of many to help improve th World's opinion of us "ugly Americans.­.."

[Boikin]

Dems give a hell of a party. Elmer Gantry would be green with envy.