If you think that all that is happening in Denver this week is pundit blah blah on CNN, consider that it's only Sunday afternoon, Denver time, and already a wide variety of peace protests have taken place today in the Mile High City.
At noon Sunday a spirited CodePink demonstration set out towards Union Station from CodePink headquarters at the Mercury Cafe. Marchers chanted: "Dems, Pay Attention! This Should Be a Peace Convention!" They were greeted warmly by passing pedestrians and motorists.
The majority of TV pundits may strongly feel otherwise, but there is no reason to believe that the majority of Americans want Democratic leaders to blur distinctions with McCain on issues of peace and war. They surely want Democratic leaders to present and defend clear alternatives, including full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, and the pursuit of serious negotiations with Iran, not a slightly more nuanced version of the Bush/McCain policies of ultimatum and threat, which stand little chance of ending confrontation in the region.
At Union Station the marchers were met by other CodePink activists, and the group proceeded to march through a nearby shopping district. "We're Peaceful, We're Marching, We're Not Going Shopping!" Shoppers and passersby took out cell phones to capture photographs of the colorful pink parade. In the heart of the shopping district, Code Pink activists spread out across the street for a "Stop the Next War Now 'Freeze'". This attracted the close attention of Denver's Finest, whose black Star Wars outfits provided a perfect canvas for the pink splashes of color.
The Code Pink peace marchers were then joined by a contingent organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War. The combined group marched back towards Union Station, chanting, "Support Our Troops: Bring Them Home!"
Back at Union Station, another group of peace activists appeared: a group of Mennonites singing for peace. "There Is An Alternative To War," their banner said.
Wouldn't you like to see a little bit more of these citizen democracy actions on TV, rather than the same old morons recycling conventional pundit "wisdom" with new graphics? Wouldn't that make TV coverage of the conventions more interesting?