Wednesday, August 20, 2008

"Conventions used to be fun" (April)

Matt, Peter, and I had the pleasure of listening to Tom Reed, a veteran journalist who has covered conventions, among other things, for decades. He discussed the evolution of the media and Democratic and Republican national conventions.
Apparently, bloggers like us make journalism much harder. The Internet has led Americans to a "right now" attitude. We want to hear Obama's speech and read a story over it immediately after. We want commentary on it immediately after, but if we could get it simultaneously, even better. We want the best story with the best angle, and we don't want to wait for the next day. This makes a journalist's job very hard. Instead of wining and dining after the conventions and joking and having fun with the politicians, a journalist has to be the first (of thousands) to get a story out. This, of course, is no fun.

What else about this campaign brings out the "right now" attitude of Americans? Is it Obama's mantra of "Change we can believe in?" Do we really believe that "change" can happen with a simple shift of title? And really, does a president even have the POWER vested in his position to make all of these promised changes? Realistically, no president ever changes more than a handful of policies when he gets into office, and he usually has influential power but is not an agent of change.

So I wonder, and I will ask you: who is an agent of change? Is it a constituent, a legislature, or even a court of law? Technically the legislative branch (who represents the interests of its various constituencies), is granted this power by the Constitution, but think harder. Can Barack Obama change everything? I would be less apprehensive if his message was more realistic (and consequentially less dynamic): "The first small push toward change."

I realize that is less tantalizing. No wonder he has stuck with what he has.

That's all, San Antonio. -April Sanchez


Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium

Site of Barack Obama's nomination acceptance speech, Thursday August 28, 2008

This is the third floor of the stadium where we had a reception tonight. I will probably not get back into this area. Ever.


Before the stadium is decorated and revamped




1 comment:

Geezer said...

In my experience, any change must be proposed within 3 months of inaugaration and requires a large congressional majority of the president's party. FDR did make the changes associated with the New Deal - but it was in the first hundred days. Lyndon Johnson made a huge change in civil rights - but it was right after his election with a big majority. The change that McCain wants seems to be in a more efficient way to conduct the present. Obama can't enforce any change, but he can point the way.