The Routt Report

The end of spectator sports . . .

  The mood at Mile High was that of a Rock Concert, or Midseason when the Bronco's are 5-0 and playing the Raiders! There has been plenty of punditry criticizing this event at mile high as "spectacle" "publicity stunt". I say, it was and so what? 

   IF this is what it takes to generate this kind of excitement about an election, then to paraphrase Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, Spectacle now, spectacle tomorrow, spectacle all day long!  It's easy to blame Washington, to blame our State Capitol's and City Council's for the current state of affairs in America. It's way easier than taking ownership of the situation. Democracy only works when people participate. 

   My two passions in life have been Classical Music and Politics. There are many similarities between the two worlds, The pay is lousy, You spend a lot of time figuring out how to spend other people's money, Both tend to blame the audience for not caring, but the most important similarity is that both tend to attract weirdos!

  There is nothing wrong with being weird. I'm all for individuality and I'm a kinda weird myself, not too many 30 year old Juilliard Graduates are used car salesman that would rather talk about the fine details of fiscal policy than just about anything else. 

   The problem with the marketing of the arts is the same as the problem with good governance. When orchestra marketing committees get together  they usually come away patting themselves on the back for a beautiful brochure, and perhaps a T.V. or Radio spot that appeals to them. The problem is that they are weirdos and while they are really fascinated, and perhaps people who where going to buy a season subscription anyway are mildly interested,  ABSOLUTELY NO ONE ELSE CARES! Both Classical music and Politics sing to the choir. And what finally happens is the choir gets smaller while the product and the audience drift farther apart.

   Believe me I get it. It feels good to sing to the choir, but our obligation as artists and leaders is to be communicative and provide leadership for the betterment of society. For the past 8 years certainly, but on a steady trend since about 1780 government whether through active exclusion, incompetence, or even through it's great successes has drifted farther away from the people it's designed to serve. Meanwhile not unlike Symphony orchestras, government has abandoned anything but the most meager attempts to re-connect. In both cases that is until now. 

  Many Orchestras have signed on to the  "blue jeans" movement. While the quality of the music has by and large improved, the event of a Friday night concert is evolving to become relevant again. Blue Jeans and Beer sells, it enhances the music, and is frankly back to the future of the first public concerts.  I don't think it's any accident that the public concert and the American Democracy evolved at about the same time, and the truth is both Beethoven and our System of Government are both still relevant, it's the performers that have changed.

   Not to say the audience is not partly to blame. We as Americans sometimes because things were going so well, other times because they were going so bad have been derelict in our responsibilities to our democracy. Government is like a talented conservatory student with a drinking problem, capable of great things but needing constant supervision. For government, the American People need to be that dedicated mentor/babysitter because if left to it's own devices government will invariably get fat, lazy and weird. 

  We have to remember that the people are the boss. This nation does not have just one Capitol it has millions at every kitchen table across this continent and it's time that we began to exercise our power, and when necessary find our veto pen. The foundation of democracy is personal responsibility.

  Spectacle or not, Senator Obama got 80,000 people to wait in long lines under a hot sun to nominate a Presidential Candidate. The energy in that stadium is what our founding fathers intended in the same way Mozart expected his audiences to have "knocked back a few" and applaud when they heard something they like, not just wait until the music  was over. (And yes i'm only talking about  late Mozart opera for you music historians ready to call me on it, and btw the fact that you thought of that detail is why you are part of the problem, lighten up, it's just rhetoric). 

   38 million viewers that we know about choose to watch history in the making, perhaps a positive fallout of reality T.V. but in any case people choose Barack Obama over whatever was "must see T.V." And the speech played in Bars, Events Centers and Churches all across America. This is what democracy is supposed to be like, and regardless of the winner of this election, if we can maintain this level of interest in the politics that shape our country, then I am sure that consensus and compromise, tolerance and compassion, in short a more perfect union are not far behind.

My favorite subject

Sore throat or not, Governor Ritter is singing my song. I am so proud of our Centennial State. The world turned it's eyes on us, and now they know what we have long known. Every person I have talked to has been gushing about our state and our Capitol city. The Colorado delagation led the cheer of "Ritter" which the rest of the crowd joined in. I think the Governor will be able to ride this wave into a decisive second term victory! Congressman Pearlmutter is bringing the heat! He's talking about getting rid of McCain's "Old" ideas, and we all know what he means. Is it below the belt? Yeah but that's what happens at parties and this one is rockin! I'll be sure to send the congressman a strongly worded letter . . .

Up and down I Wander again

3:15- I'm on line at mile high. As far as anyone can tell community credentials and delegate credentials are worth exactly the same, a very long wait! And you know what, in the spirit of this event, that's the way it oughta be. We delegates have been treated like minor gods all week (which I assure you I appreciate) but this event is about or commonalty as Americans. Of course a few folks, some delegates, some press and some "some dudes" cut the line. And of course folks in line and called names and try to block them unsuccsesfully. While I'm sure all the names were accurate descriptions, I'm also pretty sure those folks have been that way for quite some time and are unlikely to mature in the next 45 minutes so I see no real reason to talk about. 3:45- So apperently after the initial check point delegates get a short cut . . . SWEET! The rock concert atmosphere outside of Mile High gives me confidence the the Obama/Biden ticket will take Colorado!

I totally called it!

I should have posted this when I figured this out because no one is going to believe this post mortem but I totally called it. When New Jersey voted unanimously I told Jonathan who was sitting next to me "New York is going to close it" and everyone was like "no that's not going to happen" and them New Mexico yielded to Illinois who then passed again to the Great State of New York. I am proud of the State that raised me, and I'm proud of my mother and sister's Senator, start spreading the news, all across the country democrats are singing I Love New York!

From the floor

What a relief they are announcing vote tallies, a great compromise and the Clinton delegtes are not going to walk out!

 While it feels like I've spent the entire day blogging, probably because I have, from this chair however, I've been witness to a lot of goings on. This blog update however is not about what may or may not happen on the floor of the convention tonight, I will be blogging live on The Routt Report.  Today's delegation outside of that whole voting business was a pretty good pep rally!

  One of the speakers was a friend of mine from Boulder, Neal Lurie who is with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) who talked about how well Colorado is doing in creating "green collar" jobs. 

  The big ticket speakers where Claire McCaskill, John Salazar and Mark Udall and Fomer Governor Roy Romer. On the stargazing Front I rode the elevator with Jon Murtha of Pennsylvania!

Truth or Consequences?

Casual readers of this blog won't get the double entendre of that title nor will I explain it now because I simply can't be bothered (and yes that was yet another inside joke). But I will say that this blog update about last nights convention session is colored by what I now know.

  Hillary Clinton is a great leader, and a professional, and on a side note I will admit I might have small "cougar crush" on her. (The inside jokes just keep coming, perhaps you should just become my friend, hey i'm on Facebook!). Her speech last night was a heartfelt sincere call for party unity in the face of this challenging election. People like Hillary Clinton are misunderstood because they are so unique. She is the type of person that ACTUALLY PUTS COUNTRY AHEAD OF SELF. Not in a contrived way, in fact the liability for people like Hillary is that their sincerity is oft confused for arrogance. She ran for President because she sincerely though this was the best person for the job. She would not have run if she thought that one of the other candidates was "better" for the job. Yet when the voters spoke she listened and accepted their opinion. She supports Senator Obama because she sincerely believes that the country's best interest in served by Barack Obama given the alternative of John McCain. I will say I do think she also sincerely thinks he's a good candidate in his own rite, but Hillary will work tirelessly for Obama because she knows he is better than McCain. Since most people do not have this level of selflessness, I think it is hard for 

people to understand that her desire is to move on and elected Barack Obama President. 

    That said, here are links to clips from last nights convention, and the post party hosted by Representative Dianna DeGette. Featuring Cameos by Morely Safer, Senator Leahy, and Eric Strom! (otherwise known as Whitney's dad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqXUg94yh3Q

Non-Sequitor

I will get back to your regularly scheduled programing hopefully before I have to go down to the Pepsi Center, but this is a news worthy thread. 

  It was rumored that the nomination vote would take place at the delegation hotels instead of on the floor at the convention. This being a, in my opinion misguided, attempt to prevent an embarrassing walk out of the more orthodox  Clinton delegates on live international television. I hate it when I'm right . . .

  At some point last night the rumor became policy. The Clinton delegates where notified by pages on the convention floor. The Obama delegates by and large found out  as the where in line to pick up their credentials. I had this misfortune of finding out by being asked about it by a reporter. After carefully removing my foot from my mouth, I edited my sound bite to say "I think it is important as being a delegate is a representative role, that the Clinton delegates get an opportunity to cast the vote they were elected to cast." (it's okay to paraphrase yourself and call it a quote right?, I wish I had paid more attention in senior year english class . . .) but I digress, suffice to say I still think that sound bite should it get published is consistent with what I was quoted saying in this article: . 

   It's very easy and frequently the problem in public life where in the heat of the moment we make decisions based on emotion that are in direct conflict with democratic principles. The irony is if we were to defer to principles these issue would not even be contentious. The principles of representative democracy in this case are unambiguous. Pledged elected delegates have been given direction by their constituents to cast a vote for a specific candidate unless specifically instructed to do otherwise. I am a dedicated supporter of Barack Obama and he will be our parties nominee, but I will not support the degradation of the democratic process for the sake of expediency.

  Had we simply given the Clinton delegates a floor vote, and then allowed them to switch on the second ballot, the process would have certainly taken longer, but there is one thing not discussed. There might not have even been a need for a second ballot. Clinton at 2 p.m. will release her delegates. At that point only the most ardent would proceed to vote for her anyway in face of specific direction to do otherwise. Obama would have likely won the majority to secure the nomination on the first ballot, those who were prepared to move on could do so with out breaking their obligation to those who elected them as delegates, and those who still wanted to vote for Clinton would be given their vote. EVERYONE WOULD GET WHAT THEY WANTED. 

   Democracy is like a fine violin or a high performance car. It rewards competency and brutally punishes those who misuse it. Had we taken the principled route, the negative fallout would be 1. Tonight's session would last FOREVER 2. Obama's victory would be less decisive (something that everyone would have forgotten about save the people who are going to vote for him anyway, the general public does not care about internal party procedure to this detail) and 3. Tonight's session would last FOREVER! Instead we are precious few hours away from gavel down mired in a swamp of design. So here is the latest that I know:

   Clinton delegates (some, not all) upset that the results of the nomination election are not going to be read are circulating a petition to demand the results be read. (Meanwhile Senator Clinton is still planning to release her delegates in 40 minutes, and is still planning to move that the nomination be unanimous) if they are not read, some Clinton delegates are planning to walk out. I tend to believe them. What I have found of this core of Clinton delegates is that they are consistent. I recently had a conversation where the result was I and the person I spoke with (and this had nothing to do with politics) decided that Consistent is not the same as As@%*$le. I have seen the Clinton delegates consistently make good on their promises, whether they where compromises of which many have been made, or if it was walking out which I have seen them do. I  am inclined to believe that if a second ballot was necessary that they would have held to the promise but alas that ship has sailed, and has sunk.

  We will see what happens, I am frankly nervous about this, I hope that I am wrong and simply being paranoid. I will keep you up to date as events unfold. The lesson here is, in a democracy, not matter how dire the situation, no matter how contentious the issue, when we stray from the democratic process we sign our own warrant.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming!

30 is the new young

12:26- A random series of events (missing the bus to the water treatment seminar, and a free lunch because I was finishing a video update, then I had to deliver credentials to Liz Hanson who mentioned that Jared Polis who may be my next boss was here) so here I am at the youth caucus. Right now the conversation is focused on voter registration. The line of folks to ask questions is pretty long and the audience is almost as large as the black caucus yesterday, all positive signs that maybe youth interest in this election is high. There are far more people here than are youth delegates so there is a lot of interest in this forum from outside the delegations. 12:39- A delegate from South Dakota is talking about encouraging young people to run for office. Of course I'm biased in this opinion but I do think the fastest way to increase youth voter participation is to increase the number of young elected officials. This is the same strategy that was effective in increasing minority voter turnout, women voter turnout, it's also the strategy that sells health food, condos, and cars. It's simply called marketing and the best marketing tool is association. If young people see other young people in elected office, without any prodding or pleading they will on their own participate because they can relate to the players. If peer pressure can convince young adults that killing themselves slowing by inhaling hot fume carcinogens is a great idea, then certainly it can be effective in getting them to vote. Speaking of young elected officials no sign of 'ole JP yet . . . 12:53- The discussion became about why Robertsons rules of order are a deterent to youth participation. On this point I disagree. The political process is a multi-generational dialouge and I think it is incumbent upon my generation to become fluent in the language of order. To say that I'm not going to participate in the process because I'd rather not do it by motion is frankly lame. It's and easy trap to fall into to assume that because young people are on the same page about the ability to function in chaos, that chaos therefore works. It works great as long as everybody agrees but when does that ever happen in public life. Rules of organization are essential to efficient debate of contentious issues. The last speaker was a Clinton delegate from California who made the most compelling argument for party unity which was in short if the youth delegates rally around Obama we simply win. And that is the message for all young voters, if we vote en masse, we win, it's just a numbers game.

Just for fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-B-yEQ8Q7M