Warner relegated to ‘opening act’

Alfred Biddlecomb
Published: August 27, 2008

With my Baltimore Orioles suffering a blowout loss on Tuesday night and with none of the cable networks showing Andy Griffith reruns, I was forced to watch coverage of the Democratic National
Convention.

Here’s a little of what I saw.

Tuesday was Democrat Mark Warner’s night to shine on the national stage and he nearly put the crowd to sleep with his keynote speech. His 20-minute speech would have played well at the Fairfax
County Chamber of Commerce, but was out of place in a room filled with activists looking for blood in the water.

With Hillary Clinton waiting in the wings, Warner connected with the audience as well as a band opening up for Bruce Springsteen during the “Born to Run” tour. I guess since he’s coasting in his U.S.
Senate campaign, there was no reason to unleash any fire and brimstone.

* * *

Flipping around the cable news networks is always fun during these events. Both CNN and MSNBC aired Warner’s speech in its entirety. Fox News, however, wasn’t having any part of it. Warner’s
muffled voice could be heard in the background while the hosts of “Hannity & the Other Guy” interviewed Rudy Giuliani, who, by the way, will deliver the keynote speech at the Republican National
Convention. Had Giuliani not been available, Fox News probably would have brought in Ann Coulter to do a table dance.

Allow me to make a bold prediction. When Rudy speaks to Republicans next week, Fox News will not cut away to interview Mark Warner. It’s just a hunch.

* * *

Quote of the night: “To my supporters, to my champions, to my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits…”  — Hillary Clinton showing some humor and humility while endorsing Obama.

Second best quote: “We simply can’t drill our way to energy independence, even if you drilled in all of John McCain’s backyards, including the ones he can’t even remember.”  — Montana Gov. Brian
Schweitzer.

* * *

Schweitzer’s speech wasn’t even carried by the cable news networks until the pundits began to look over their shoulders at the response he was getting. Even Fox News cutaway from its GOP talking
points to take a look at the gun-carrying, bolo tie-wearing Democrat and former cattle rancher.

Schweitzer saved the night for the Democrats by serving up a steady diet of red meat to hungry party delegates. Schweitzer warmed up the crowd with the energy of a country preacher at a camp
revival. “We need all of you to stand up. Colorado! Stand up! Florida! Stand up! Pennsylvania! Get off your hind end! In the cheap seats! Stand up!”

Maybe Barack Obama should have gone to this man’s church for the past 20 years. By the end of the night, most Democrats were probably thinking: “Who’s Brian Schweitzer and why wasn’t he
delivering the keynote address?”

* * *

The (nonpartisan) elephant in the room during these nominating conventions is the question of why it takes four nights to do something that should only take three hours, tops. No longer are there floor
fights over the nomination of smoke-filled rooms where party leaders settle scores. In today’s world, William Jennings Bryan would have delivered his 1896 “Cross of Gold” speech on AM talk radio or over
the course of four blog entries.

Primaries have made conventions irrelevant as a nominating tool. The conventions are nothing more than political infomercials with the networks and news channels as willing co-conspirators. Blessed
was Ted Koppel who had the guts to pull out of the 1996 Republican convention in San Diego because “there was no news.”

All this and yet it’s getting worse. After the Dems partied for three days in Denver’s 21,000-seat Pepsi Center, Barack Obama will accept his party’s nomination during a speech from 75,000-seat Mile
High Stadium.

* * *

One last bold prediction. Obama’s speech will look like a cross between a U2 concert and the Billy Graham Crusade. This plays right into the “celebrity worship” argument used so effectively in recent
weeks by McCain. It’s just a hunch.

Alfred Biddlecomb is the former opinion editor for the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger.