Poltical Conventions! And various other odd things...

[Quotox]

I am a dork. I know this already. But to show my magnitude, I love poltical conventions. I have been to the last two Republican ones. And while this is not my party this week holding their convention, I will likely watch more of this than that is healthy. I love the stupid arguments and the ridiculous nearly jingositic fervor. Personally, this is an appetizer for me until end of next months where my party, the Republicans, have their party.

Another stupid political joy, Prime Minister questions from the UK. I remember the first time I saw this when John Major was PM and all the noise. It was like 1 AM on C-SPAN and was up studying in college. I love the back benchers and whenever I catch it, I almost always stop and watch to the annoyance of my wife.

What are your thoughts on Conventions? And do you have any strange loves?

[Solmyr]

Apparently, if you want to get laid, the Democrat Convention is the place to be:

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20040724_100.html

[Quotox]

Ah the memories that inspires. It was the 1988 the lovely sex scandal of Rob Lowe (Yes, brat packer and one time star of West Wing) decided to film himself with a 16 yo girl-- that year it was Mickael Dukakis another son of Massacusettes ran. Perhaps this year will provide just as much scandal so we can all be 'shocked' and even 'outraged.'

[Ismenia]

Gosh.. are there ANY democrats out there!!!

[Dalaena]

*looks under some rocks*

I've been keeping up with the Democratic Convention somewhat, but it's painful to do so. I'm pretty unhappy with some of the speeches, though a few have been well-delivered and powerful. The content, though, totally sucks.

I hate this implication that if you're not dirt poor, you're rich, and if you're "rich", you're part of some other America that just sits around eating bonbons while the poor struggle every day. They act like the people who have any sort of money (most of the middle class) don't ever lift a finger when in reality, most of the middle class is busting its ass every day.

The American dream allows you to work hard and become successful. It's supposed to be a place where you are able to come and get rewarded by your efforts. I hate the whole "Two America" idea. I find it horribly negative as well as divisive. There's ONE America, and it really disgusts me to see people try to warp the American dream.

Many of the speeches seem very high-schoolish to me, as well, by being extremely repetitive and full of "Aren't you sick of it?" attitudes. Too much hypocrisy!

Anyway, BOO on the Democratic Convention so far. The only thing I've enjoyed about it was Ben Affleck's interview with O'Reilly. Somehow, I really fear that the Republican Convention isn't going to be any better.

[Bagsohaks]

Amen Sister!

Bagsohaks = Answer to the 2003 South Carolina gathering question of : Who Hates Democrats?

[Sioubisae]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/29/news...come/index.htm

and

http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/28/news..._pay/index.htm

Perhaps there is truth to two Americas

[Frobozz]

Actually Sio if you read what Dalaena wrote and then read the articles again you see that they are basically the strongest possible support for her argument that you can get. One article deals with a very very small group of people (ceo's) maing more and only the ceo's at the biggest companies. The other article talks about the poor getting poorer BUT it says that the middle class is unchanged.

(From the end of one of the articles

"Meanwhile the average income of those filing returns with incomes between $25,000 and $500,000 saw the average income little changed, somewhere between a 0.1 percent decline and a 0.2 percent gain, depending upon the income category, the Times said. "

So what that means is there are not "two america's", it's just pointless rhetoric by a bunch of rich people who keep forgetting about the middle class.

[Dalaena]

Originally posted by Sioubisae

Perhaps there is truth to two Americas

There is no two Americas except for when people want to pick and choose stats to make two Americas.

My parents came to the US with less than $3,000 to their name and hardly able to speak English. They lived in Boston (known for its liberal stances) and faced racism on a daily basis not to mention the EXTREMELY high cost of living in Boston. They struggled every single day to make ends meet, and sometimes, they didn't make ends meet. Trying to make ends meet with two children in a strange country where you don't speak the language is a very rough thing. Insterestingly enough, my family's story is not unique. There's TONS of stories just like that in America.

My parents have busted their ass and worked hard for years to get where they are now. We were way below the poverty rate when we got here, and now we aren't anywhere near it. It wasn't GIVEN to them, though. They worked for it and sacrificed for it. We went from 4 people living in a one-bedroom apartment where we couldn't even pay the heating bill to living a comfortable life where we don't have to worry about money every single day.

Again, this story is not unique. There are tons of people who have lived the same story with just a few of the details changed. So, is there really two Americas? I don't think so. It's ONE America only made into two by people who wish to speak of it that way. It's the America where you can come with little to nothing and work your way up to a comfortable living. The two America concept is definitely a negative one, and it totally disregards the strength of America and the opportunities of America. It portrays people like my parents as people who sit on their asses and eat bonbons all day because they are not considered poor. Sorry, my dad's idea of working a "half day" is leaving from home at 8:00 AM and coming back home at 5:00 PM. Just because someone's not under the poverty line doesn't mean that they aren't part of the "working class". Just because you make more than the guy next door doesn't mean you aren't part of the working class.

It's one America. The two America concept is just a platform on which people wish to create a divisive, adverse conflict in order to get more votes. It's a tool used to create the "us" vs. "them". It only makes the campaign that much easier.

If you're going to be divisive about wealth, how easy would it be to be divisive about race, sexual orientation, education, etc.? Promoting the two America concept is easy politics with negative consequences.