Now that they’re over, I’ll wrap up my thoughts on the many different aspects of the conventions.

Democrats

Way to play down the bigger-than-life, celebrity, elitist angle with the pillars and the stadium. On top of that, as someone e-mailed into CNN, way to not have any flags on the stage for the first day. Right or wrong, for the last 8 years you’ve been painted as sissy America-hating socialists, and visually I’m not sure you did much to re-assure the populous that you’re not. Generally, Americans tend to focus more on the visuals of what your saying and less on what your actually saying (If anyone needs proof, watch any action hero movie and try and follow the plot, and the try and figure out how it made $1,000,000,000 in a weekend.) So it doesn’t matter how many times you say you’re tough on terror and how much you love the country and how much you say you’re part of the “American dream,” the only thing middle America sees is the big stage and the pomposity of it all.

That said, to any reasonably intelligent person the speeches were great. The platform is great. I think Obama did a good job of setting his plan forward and equalizing McCain’s mantra of patriotism by saying “we all put country first.” He also did a good job of painting McCain as an honorable man (something that democrats have always been good at) but also forcibly and decidedly pointing his policies as wrong (something that democrats have not been good at, despite their best efforts.) Biden’s speech was unimpressive, as his call and response, “That’s not change, That’s more of the same” didn’t fit into the rhythm, nor did it really inspire me to do anything.

Republicans

I hate them. Rudy’s line about Obama not finding Wasilla not “metropolitan” enough for him was laughably, seeing as his own party found him to metropolitan for his party. Romney, who was the governor of the most liberal state in the union and one the first to allow gay marriage storms in and shouts about how liberals will rape your children and then gay marry them against their will. Rabble rabble rabble in other words. But we’ve heard all this before. We heard it in 2004, we heard it from Romney when he quit the race, all this is old hat. The scary part is Palin.

Unless one of the many scandals brewing catch up to her, she might be unstoppable. One, she’s young. 44 means she could have 20 years ahead of her, 20 years of pro-life, creationist, Christian insanity. Two, she’s marketable. Already people find her more popular than Obama or McCain. They’ll wrap her up in a nice media package and send her out to rally every bible-thumping jackass into the voting booth. And third and most powerful, she’s untouchable.

People asking questions about her record are “belittling the accomplishments” of a woman (ex: here, and it’s being repeated many other places.) People looking at her families history are crossing the line. (Although, if you’re teen’s pregnancy and how you and your family handle it is a private matter, shouldn’t every ones?) People who ask questions about her experience are sexist. But perhaps her greatest weapon is her ability to attack and then be perceived as the victim when Biden or Obama tries to attack back. We all expect Republicans to shit on Obama’s experience, just like they did Kerry’s military service, but she can do it in a way that is unmatched. Its that smirk and smile she does as she smashes Obama. Ever been out with a woman that is just poking at you? Over and over again, but still has that smile on her face? That’s Palin. Biden is completely neutralized, since the “attack dog” role won’t go over well with poeple when it’s a man on a woman. I’m not saying any of this is right or just, and it certainly is sexist, but this is going to be tough for the Democrats to go after. The same way Republicans have to be careful not to sound racist, the Dems now have to walk on eggshells about the feminine angle.

The Media

Can MSBNC get any better? Is it possible? Olberman hates Scarborough. Matthews hates Olberman. Scarborough hates EVERYONE. They really are the kids table of this of coverage. Fox is a joke. Calling out US Magazine for being bias is unreal. When did US Magazine become a news network. No one that knows anything about politics reads that garbage, and the people who do won’t/shouldn’t vote. Bias in the supermarket rags? Say it ain’t so, Bill. Meanwhile, Obama gives them a interview and what do they do? First, they split it into four parts to make you watch four nights (ratings grab,) Next they run it at the end of the show so you have to sit through 45 mins of garbage (more ratings grab) and lastly when they introduce it they set him up in a negative light. “Can he protect America?” “Can he be a terror warrior?” If that’s not a classic example of tabloid journalism, I don’t know what is. What other news network could interview a Presidential candidate and split it up over four nights. CNN, on the other hand, did a decent job. They were the adults in the room.

So that about wraps it up. The final heat of the campaigns and I’m ready to smash my TV and computer with a claw hammer just to stop my brain from hurting. Stay tuned for more fun facts.