In the end

Political Conventions have changed since my grandfather was a delegate to the 1956 Democratic Convention in Chicago, but in many ways a mid-century delegate might be surprised to see how much things have stayed the same.

In 1956, state delegations caucused at their hotels weighing votes as a group, sending messages back and forth to the convention chair before coming to the hall for official business. 1956 was the last time the vice presidential nomination was thrown to the floor for decision. Running mates were chosen by delegates (actually, by party Pooh-Bahs), not by the candidates. Clearly, the current tickets of both parties would be different if this was still the practice.

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I was able to view some excellent television footage of the 1956 Democratic Convention in Chicago. (Unfortunately, I never caught a glimpse of the dignified delegate from Michigan.) Needless to say, the made-for-TV moment was in its infancy, but I saw a similarity to the mood and behavior of those in attendance then to those who attended the conventions this year.

The vintage footage shows a festive mood and a few comical moments. At one point, in an attempt to limit access to the floor, convention officers declared only delegates and members of brass bands would be granted access to the hall. Brass bands – and in one case, a square dance troop – were used by delegates and campaigns to whip up the crowd. Soon after the new rule was imposed, many folks who never played a single musical note could be seen carrying brass instruments so they could participate in the fracas on the floor.

Modern conventions may lack the drama of the backroom deals of days past, but they still serve a purpose. Our uniquely American political process depends on a single vital ingredient; we, the people. It was by becoming delegates to political conventions that many women were first able to rise to the national stage. Policy shifts on civil rights, changes in how America engages the world and many other crucial decisions of the times were kindled in the debates, discussions and crafting of party platforms at national conventions. This still happens and, one could argue, should still happen at these gatherings.

There is much fluff at modern conventions, but the gatherings of people from the far corners of our nation are, at times, more than sentimental tradition or a four day advertisement for presidential candidates. It is proof voters still hold the power the founding fathers envisioned.

We the people have squandered these opportunities from time to time, but the thousands who came to Denver and St. Paul demonstrate that power is there for the taking. The question to the millions who watched from afar and to every voter in the country is whether you will assume responsibility for electing people or shirk it by failing to cast a ballot.

Red Meat

Governor Sarah Palin delivered some verbal red meat. She was confident and came onto the national stage swinging. The Republican delegates loved it.

The hall was nearly full last night in anticipation of Palin’s introductory event as the VP nominee. Diligent campaign volunteers passed out hundreds of hand painted signs around the delegations to help set the mood. The signs had a few simple themes. “Palin Power” was the most prevalent message. My personal favorites were the “Hockey Moms 4 Palin” signs being held by men. A strapping guy from Texas and a grey haired delegate from Michigan waved their “hockey mom” signs most enthusiastically.

Republicans are proud to have a woman on the ticket, but I am sure two of the night’s more popular buttons being worn at the convention would make many women’s advocates cringe. One reads “Coldest state. Hottest governor.” Another said “McCain/Palin. I am voting for the hot chick.” I have to agree, I am not sure these help women much.

Last night was a good show - light on substance, high on rhetoric to whip up the base. It is exactly how modern conventions are designed.

A Little Straight Rock

Most of the Republican delegates are viewing today as the first official day of the convention and appear to be in high spirits.

The police and security presence in St. Paul seems equal to Denver, but the attitude is a bit stricter following yesterday’s unruly demonstrators who vandalized cars, broke the Macy’s window and roughed up a delegate or two. I was not in the fray when this happened, which is good for many reasons - had I been there when the police started discharging pepper spray, I probably would have wet myself.

Republican convention goers dress nicer than their Democratic counterparts. My blue blazer and open collar made me one of the better dressed last week. Before I head over tonight, I think I will put on a tie to make sure I better blend in with the GOP.

If you are looking for a lively discussion on the streets of St. Paul, mention Governor Palin’s pregnant daughter. People have strong opinions and are ready to debate. Some are offended the topic is even raised; while others passionately defend the Palin family’s handling of the matter. I have no idea whether delegates find this relevant to deciding whether or not they will vote to approve the Governor’s nomination, but I am sure the Governor’s daughter’s pregnancy (or the Governor’s handling of this personal family matter) is the most discussed topic in the Twin Cities.

I am still searching for the Republican equivalent to last week's Condomvention at the Democratic Convention. I have not found it yet, but tonight Governor Mike Huckabee and the Arkansas delegation are hosting “A Little Straight Rock” Concert. This baffles me. It would have been clever of the Arkansans to hold “A Little Rock Concert” as a play on the name of their capital city, but the word straight throws me. I may stop in. It may turn out to be many things, but I am convinced it won’t be a gay marriage rally.

GOP Rides Out the Storm

The Republican Convention is in a holding pattern as we wait and pray for the hurricane whipped Gulf Coast. The Twin Cities of Minnesota are acting as good hosts for Republicans who find themselves with a little less to do today.

Of course, this downtime leaves political geeks and gawkers ample time to speculate on the impact Mother Nature will have on the election. The 2008 Democratic and Republican Conventions were going to be different in countless ways and many people would have expended much hot air comparing and contrasting the events. (Insert your own joke about how these pontifications would add to global warming) However, the abbreviated GOP convention makes such comparisons even more difficult to make.

Last Thursday, 84,000 people packed a football stadium and some 38 million Americans tuned in to watch Senator Barack Obama give a speech. Even the McCain campaign would admit their numbers would have only been a fraction of this. The size of the viewing audiences may or may not portend anything, but now they are not even going to be considered. We will now, rightfully, look to help our countrymen in and around Louisiana. Much of the punditry agree this lack of contrast is good for McCain.

Obama's Text

No, not what he said.

I'm talking about the persistent push of text messaging by the campaign in Mile High Stadium. I don't know if it was apparent to TV viewers, but the campaign sought text messages from attendees in stadium multiple times. The posted quiz questions (text your answers to 62262 -- "OBAMA") on Obama policy positions. They asked people to text why they were supporting Obama and then streamed some of the responses on the large screens. They showed a map of the US displaying where they had the most text messages from and challenged the crowd to text where they were from to make their area stand out.

In one evening, they got 30,000 text messages. That means 30,000 cell phone numbers.

This was not a stunt and here's why it's important to the Obama campaign and its relevance to public affairs:

Part of Obama's strategy is to bring new, younger voters to the polls. How do these voters communicate? By text messaging. I met with a PR consultant I know while here and she related that when she was working with recent college graduates who were surrogates for a client, they only way she could effectively communicate with them was by text message. It's how they communicate. And so the Obama campaign is picking the right technology to reach a critical audience.

We don't have packed speeches in football stadiums in our arsenal to generate text messages, but if the young audience (and if Obama is successful, it will be a more politically aware younger audience) is important to you then text messaging needs to be in your toolbox.

Graham's World

For a moment, I sat in a chair a few feet from the stage where Barack Obama had just given his historic acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention in Denver. The crowd was filing out and teams of workers had already started to dismantle the stage. To my left, the television punditry were gushing about the artful speech and to my right a woman wiped a small tear from her cheek. I thought about this blog and what I could share about tonight that would help you understand what it was like to be here. It was a little like 84,000 people had just participated in a seven hour group hug.

I confess I was a little like Wayne and Garth from the 1992 movie Wayne’s World last night when they get backstage passes to an Aerosmith concert. I was a tad too excited, but fortunately I lack the mullet. My credentials (and a little luck) allowed me wide access to Invesco Stadium. I was able to wander the field talking to delegates, visit the media enclave and generally gawk. Delegates and guests were giddy. I watched ABC’s Charlie Gibson toss a beach ball back and forth to delegates from Minnesota. I looked on as CBS’s Bob Schieffer and his crew danced with and while the Louisianans chanted “C B S” as Sheryl Crowe performed onstage.

As the crowd electric awaited the arrival of their nominee, I saw more than one delegate dressed as Uncle Sam (or a very decidedly Aunt Samantha, in one case). But, there was also a seriousness – no, an alertness - to this crowd that made the night unique. People were on the edge of their toes waiting to be a part of something; it was like they were all onstage. By being here, they were part of the show.

I will leave the assessment of the speech to others. The fact that I was sitting soaking up the moment as others filed out, tells me that I too got wrapped up in the moment.

More on Integration

Just to add my own thoughts to what Graham has said:

It's easy to get caught up in technology. We all feel the pressure to make sure we're on You Tube, have a Web site and put out social media compatible news releases. It's important to remember the words of Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li who wrote in their book, Groundswell:

Don't focus on the technology, focus on the relationships.

Technology allows us to impart more information to more people more easily. It's easy to get lost in the cyber jungle, but if we think of how to build a relationship with our key audiences, we can better understand how to deploy technology.

One technology that is key for doing this, I belive, is Facebook and other social networking sites. Facebook is a great integrating tool and building relationships and networks are what it does best. It's also -- once you get people to sign up on your page -- a pro-active medium. If you post a video on You Tube, update your blog or Web site, people have to come to you to see it. If you put a link to these things on Facebook when you update, your network of friends (audience)will automatically be notified. And their friends will see it too. Businesees who aren't using Facebook or other social networking capabilities are missing an important opportunity.

PR Geek Talk

Today, I accompanied a client to a luncheon at the CNN Grill, a bar and restaurant adjacent to the Pepsi Center where the Democrats are holding most of the convention this week. CNN has rented the facility for the duration of the convention and completely converted it for their use. The conversion, layout and how CNN is using this place is a fascinating story I will relate later. For now, I am going to focus on the interesting comments CNN staff and correspondents made.

CNN has invested more money and effort into covering politics in our country than any other news entity. So, when they offer an opinion about trends in how candidates and organizations communicate, this PR guy listens. The CNN folks are adamant this campaign season has seen more than large numbers of votes cast and increased interest by the public. How messages are packaged and delivered, and how news outlets like CNN report are changing as well.

I had a couple of conversations with CNN insiders following our visit. They are convinced that organizations who combine technology (Internet trends like blogging, YouTube, Facebook, etc.) with traditional tools (news releases, advertising, direct mail, etc.) are going to be effective. But, the organizations that are going to rise to the top of the heap are the ones that employ all of these by engaging the audience and giving them ownership in the process.

Whether you report the news, or are trying to make it; it is imperative you know your audience. They may demand information come to them quickly. They may want it in small bites, but they want to be able to look deeper as well. As CNN’s John King’s infamous election board proves, people want quick visuals, but they also want in-depth data. CNN has to give them both. Organizations that are selling products or advancing an issue have to do the same. The public wants clear concise messages, but deeper information must be readily accessible as well.

CNN is winning many of television’s rating wars these days - they must be on to something. But, what I walked away with was an excellent reminder lesson in effective communication. You can invest in technology, buy ads and churn out well written news releases, but if you do not know what your audience wants and deliver it to them in way that is usable, they may very well ignore you.

Hillary's Delegates

Word here in Denver is that while some of Hillary's delegates are saying publicly they're on the Obama bandwagon, privately they are still trying to spike its tires. That at least is what CNN correspondants John King and Dana Bash reported at a private luncheon today and will likely be reporting tonight on air.

Images from 16th Street, Near Pepsi Center

Near the Pepsi Center is an open air pedestrian mall that is a lively scene for those taking a break from listening to speeches.

Dominating the street are police, on bikes, on foot, on motorcycles, in patrol cars and on horses. Despite the heavy presence of security, the cops themselves seem to be going out of their way to look friendly and approachable. At least as friendly as you can when you're wearing full body armor, cannisters of tear gas and carrying an AK-47.

Perhaps to counter the policy, a group of young women stand on a street corner giving away free hugs. I wonder if this was Obama's idea?

Finally, images of Obama are everywhere...including in a bottle. I doubt the enthusiasm will be bottled up on Thursday night

Go, Governor Bolo Tie!

The Democrats found the electrical socket last night. After Monday’s well orchestrated, but restrained opening event, convention delegates and guests began to make a little noise. Organizers gave delegates a chance to whoop it up in small doses between some early dry speeches with a little dancing and music as the evening built toward Senator Hillary Clinton’s speech. Resplendent in a tangerine pantsuit, she brought the house down, but I am getting ahead of myself.

A parade of governors, former governors, and others spoke on topics economic and energy related, as delegates worked hard to keep in a festive mood. Organizers wisely chose Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer as the night’s final speaker before Clinton’s tangerine dream speech. One of the benefits of being the governor of Montana is that you are allowed to wear the hard to pull off men’s accessory, the bolo tie. The bolo tie is a long leather shoestring secured around your neck with one of your grandmother’s brooches. It is a fashion statement that says, “I spend a lot of time on the range with cattle. You have a problem with that?”

Governor Schweitzer gave the speech delegates had long awaited. He spoke to the audience as opposed to reciting policy. He lifted the mood by bouncing and dancing a little and waving his hands as he joked about the Republicans and engaged Democrats to work toward hard until November. He was the cheerleader the hall had lacked the previous day. Had a vendor been selling Schweitzer bolo ties on the convention floor, he would have sold at least 100, which is probably more than have been sold in this country in the last 25 years combined.

Organizers sensing the frenzy Schweitzer created immediately threw cold water on the moment by turning the lights off and letting the somber tones of the Clinton introduction video waft over the crowd as he exited stage left. President Bill Clinton had entered the hall a few moments into the Schweitzer speech and was sitting a little more than a hundred feet from me. He reveled in the moment as his wife recovered the festive move and brought the hall to its feet with calls for unity behind Barack Obama, self deprecating humor and a few well-placed jabs at Senator John McCain.

Tuesday evening was what modern conventions have become, a little policy, a little politics and a whole lot of showmanship.

The Voting

UPDATE: The Denver Post reports on this today also. I assumed this was biz as usual, but I was wrong.

I learned something from a delegate this morning that I didn't know.Each state delegation is housed in a hotel. For example, the Minnesota delegation is housed in my hotel (and yes, I've seen MN Senate candidate Al Franken). Each morning they meet.During tomorrow morning's meeting they actually vote on the nominee, and it's those votes that will get announced on the floor that night.

Michelle Obama and Two Conventions from the Rafters

This is my view of her last night from the nosebleed seats. Twenty years ago was the last time I attended a convention, and then too I sat near the rafters. It was the night George H.W. Bush gave his acceptance speech ("Read my lips...").

Here's a big difference between then and now. Then, on the culminating night of the convention, I was sitting next to empty seats. Last night, the first night, there wasn't a seat in the house.

In this photo Michelle Obama is a tiny blip on the stage...but it was clear from the reception she got inside the Pepsi Center that she was a big success with the delegates here.

Xcel Energy Center - Republican Convention

As promised, a look inside the GOP convention in Minneapolis.

Denver Democratic Convention Preview

We'll post the Minneapolis preview if there is one available.