Live from DNC: Zombie Knee-Deep in Convention Chaos
One of the festival’s many speakers was Ward Churchill’s wife and communist firebrand Natsu Saito (if anyone who speaks in a monotone as she does can be called a firebrand), who seemed to be guarded by bandanna-wearing members of the American Indian Movement.
No more ass-crackery!
Well, at least you’ve got to give them credit for being honest.
Every now and then, a protester or three would show up who just didn’t fit in to any of the existing protest categories. Anarchists? No. Hillary supporters? Nope. Abortion activists? Nuh-uh. Communists? Nyet. Environmentalists cult-members extremists bikers Christians feminists Palestinians? No no no no no. So they’d usually just stand off by themselves, wondering what to do.
Lo and behold, my old friends the Bush Legacy Bus showed up as well, but once again I was denied: the last time I saw them, the bus had nowhere to park, so I couldn’t get on to see the exhibits. This time they had successfuly stopped, but — isn’t life ironic? — they had a power failure in the bus and had to close.
This sign conveys in the most concise manner possible the Left’s self-negating thesis concerning the American military: our soldiers are crude, violent occupiers who fight wars to steal oil; AND they’re sad, pitiable victims who get their legs blown off fighting wars they don’t want to fight (notice the artificial legs), and that the way we can “support the troops” is to bring them all home permanently. I see this paradoxical and fundamentally illogical position promoted everywhere these days.
It can be yours for the low low price of twenty Amerikkkan dollars.
Aug 27, 07:55 am PST — A Pro-Hillary March
On Tuesday, some Hillary Clinton die-hards held a march along the “designated parade route” from Denver’s Civic Center Park to the “free speech zone” at the Pepsi Center, where the convention is being held. Their goal: a last-ditch attempt to secure the nomination for Hillary.
This is a sentiment the Democratic Party did not take seriously enough. I think we’ll be seeing a lot of “temporary McCainocrats” in November.
Despite a scheduling snafu at the start (the march was sent off early, before many supporters showed up), the group — numbering somewhere between 500 and 750 by my very rough guess (though I’m admittedly bad at crowd estimates) proceeded down in the street in a wave of enthusiasm.
Most people in the crowd believed that the nomination was stolen from Hillary by the bullying and intimidation of delegates and “super-delegates.”
They co-opted the “selected, not elected” meme from the disputed Bush/Gore Florida showdown in 2000.
Despite the surface enthusiasm and anger, there was a noticeable air of resignation, the certain knowedge that their cause was already a lost cause.
18 million people is a lot of people to piss off.
Whom will you ladies vote for in November: Obama or McCain? That is the question around which everything hinges.
Meanwhile, back at the beginning of the parade route (to which I returned after following the march for a while), scattered groups of Hillary supporters who had shown up at the announced time (11:45) were seriously deflated and disappointed to learn that the city officials had for some reason sent off the Hillary contingent over 15 minutes early, leaving many of the would-be marchers stranded when they showed up too late. It was the only time I’ve seen one of the permitted marches be sent off early. Hmmmmm….
Aug 27, 07:55 am PST — Biden to Boxer and Beyond: Celebrity-Hopping Convention Style
The rumors are true. Political conventions are prime territory for star-chasers and celebrity hounds. In the space of just a few hours, I shook hands with the potential next vice president (Joe Biden), had lunch with my senator (Barbara Boxer) and a movie star (Danny Glover), then not long after met Dan Rather and San Francisco Attorney General Kamala Harris, and finally caught a glimpse of Hillary Clinton. And I wasn’t even trying. Real fame addicts have innumerable other opportunities in Denver this week to chum around with lawmakers, legends and superstars.
The Democratic National Convention is like a political Hollywood.
I was walking through downtown Denver on Monday when, completely unexpectedly, I ran into Joe Biden at the corner of Lawrence Street and 16th. I saw a crowd of people surrounding someone, and at first, even after getting a glimpse of him, I have to admit I didn’t even know who he was. Partly because he was inside a barbecue shack at that moment, and partly because I’ve been traveling since he was first nominated and haven’t had any time to read the news, so I wasn’t really familiar with what he looked like.
But then he came straight toward me and I realized it was the vice presidential nominee. Before I knew it, I was shaking his hand. (Now I’ve shaken hands with the entire Democratic ticket — I also unexpectedly shook Obama’s hand during a fundraiser appearance in San Francisco.)
Your face is reflected in the camera display in the first picture.
Who was that “Dan Rather” guy?
Dan Rather’s speech was titled: “Ethics? Who needs them?”
joshlbetts,
in the first picture, i think the person’s face in the camera display is the guy taking the picture with that camera, not Zombie who is taking a picture behind and above that guy.
I saw Danny Glover but where’s his good buddies Chaves and Castro.
Not only was Dan’s audience small but they seem somewhat less than attentive. Or was everyone just pretending they were at their freshman seminar?
colby,
Good! I was worried there for a sec.
The expression on Rather’s face says it all.
Alas, poor Hillery, ahoo, a victim of so-called affirmative action.
Hate to say it, but how does one get into this sort of business, whatever your business is, and not know what Joe Biden looks like? He has been on Meet the Press and every other Sunday morning talk show for 25 years! Nice photos, but can’t take anything you say about politics seriously. Does not reflect well on PJM
Yeah, the body double has the same shirt — even buttoned identically. A quick dash by them both into a phone booth, and the gay lobby would cheer. NO, just kidding! A quick jacket and glasses switch and voila! Or viola, if there’s a music section, I suppose . . .
Was that Joe Biden or Ric Flair?
bryan,
Hate to say it, but how does one get into this sort of blog, whatever this blog is, and not know what Zombie is like? He’s been doing these photo-based reviews of events for (slightly less than) 25 years! Nice commentary, but can’t take anything you say about PJM seriously. Does not reflect well on bryan.
bryan: Zombie is in the business of photographing oddities in the wild. Identifying them is optional.
For sure, don’t take anything he says seriously. Ignore the pictures while you’re at it. Just believe the voices you hear…
Zombie is a gal. And quite a gal. Is that PC to say?
Air2air Aug 27, 2008 – 11:43 am
Racist!
Lot of overweight people, are republicans that heavy?
Nevermind, it is what is in their heads and heart that matters…
Jeez, that was a stupid thing to say.
About democrats
Papa Ray
yarrrr:
“Was that Joe Biden or Ric Flair?”
Thanks, that was the name I was trying to remember.
Why does that “ELECTED/SELECTED” sign have a little “PUMA” on it? Are corporations sponsoring EVERYTHING now? I mean, we start out with antiwar groups sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, now we have protest marchers sponsored by sport-shoe manufacturers!
Hey, something else. When did the Democratic Party become the party of OLD FARTS?! I mean, seriously, did they have a single speaker under the age of thirty? Forty, even.
I guess what we’re seeing here is that the Demos aren’t the party of youth–they’re the party that the Baby Boomers decided to join during their youth.
The Zombie coverage is interesting, but if Pajamas Media wants to have an impact – and do the real reporting they claim to support – then let me suggest they try to ask those there real questions on video. And, by that I mean a question designed to point out flaws in policies, call people on lies, etc. Search for the candidates’ names at my site to see several possible questions.
Is this the case where the enemy of my enemy is my friend until they are my enemy again?
PUMA…party unity my ass
DDuck,
PUMA is an organization of Hillary supporters who feel dissed by the chocolate messiah and his acolytes. It means Peace and Unity, My Ass.
Who is this Obama guy, anyway?
squid, that was clever. really. what you did there was clever. good for you. forgive me for having a problem with PJM sending someone who does not know what Joe Biden looks like to the DNC convention. What if Zombie had seen Biden somewhere when he was not surrounded by many others. He/She would have ignored the guy. I get what Zombie is doing, just think a little backround info couldn’t hurt. If I want pointless, brainless and uninformed humor I can watch the Daily Show.
24Ahead, I dig your site. good stuff.
Yes, in age and girth, the marching Clintonites look like they came from either AARP or Weightwatchers. Either way, walking does them good.
Yupp hes a double hes got one of the secret service lapel pins.
If not “my Hillary vote goes to McCain”…
…anyone know of a “Hillary Write-In” effort yet…?!
heh.
Interesting that little factoid…THE ONLY demonstration allowed to go early was the one for Hillary. Hmmmm…
No doubt the DNC had a hand in this little shenanigan. Can’t let Hillary’s parade grow TOO BIG…right?
Get them doggies moving NOW and let them scatter to the wind…
Zombie,
It’s likely that the guy shadowing Biden was plainclothes Secret Service. Note the pin on his lapel. That’s how the agents identify each other. You might compare it to pins on the other agents. They’ll be the same. There will also be covert agents in the crowd, dressed like tourists or whatever the rest of the crowd looks like, blending in. Then there are the overt agents in suits and dark glasses and sometimes carrying bags big enough for a submachine gun who many people think are all the agents present, not knowing they’re everywhere.
Zombie, if you’re a guy, great job.
If you’re a girl..I think I luv ya.
500-750 PUMAs at a march is a joke. They couldn’t even muster the numbers of Recreate ’68 wannabes, 1,000-1,200.
Never underestimate the stupidity of the average American voter, they did vote in Bush twice. These are the same PUMAs that still don’t get it.
thanks zombie. guns and secret service, overt and shmovert. biden, who forgot not to vote for the revised bankruptcy laws. black dolls. messiah posters. a circus fit for a clown. and vice versa. like flies on clowns, i wonder how much of this hoopla was paid for by the islamic fascists who buzz around barry.
Are there COUGARS for Hillary or just PUMAs?
Never underestimate the stupidity of the average American voter, they did vote in Bush twice. These are the same PUMAs that still don’t get it.
why do democrats think we are stupid and don’t get what they are trying to do. Al gore and John Kerry, thought i was stupid too. the democrats are the ones not getting it.
Islamofascist bankrolling Obama’s run? thats a great conspiracy theory. knowing the Arabic penchant for working the media, crazy, but doable. why didn’t i think of bankrolling my own candidate..