Your guide to the region's top events, mixed with some commentary about life, media, gossip and politics in Washington, DC.

Reporting From Denver: Pessimism

Share | Print

Garrett Graff is in Denver all this week, reporting live from the Democratic National Convention. Keep checking back in for his coverage.

By Garrett M. Graff Published Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hillary giving her speech last night in Denver. Despite her calls for unity, many Democrats are feeling unease about their chances in November.

The Republican convention next week in Minneapolis is supposed to be the pessimistic convention: President Bush has approval ratings stuck in the mid-20s, many of the top-tier Senate candidates are staying home either to campaign or to distance themselves from the party’s brand, and nearly everyone expects the Republicans to lose seats in Congress in November. So why is it that everything so far at the Democratic convention seems infused with just a hint of dread?

The first night’s speaking program, despite its emotional highlights from Ted Kennedy and the Obama children, is being seen as a waste of airtime, at least in terms of firing up voters and introducing Barack Obama to the country. Throughout the convention so far, there seems to be no overall governing narrative, little sense in the first two days that the party is doing what it must to narrow the knowledge gap about the Obamas: Who is Barack, this wunderkind who appeared to the nation just four years ago? What’s his background like? What are his values like? Can he connect with me? Can he feel my pain?

Last night’s major speakers, Mark Warner and Hillary Clinton, did little to soothe faithful’s fears. Warner, who has to run a conservative and careful Senate race to win Virginia, didn’t throw the red meat that would have gotten the Democrats fired up. Hillary did such a great job with her speech that she only elicited some buyer’s remorse from convention-goers who wished she’d campaigned as well as she spoke last night. There’s much lingering unease about the end of the primary season this spring, when late-breaking voters chose Hillary over Obama even as it became clear he mathematically had to win and she had to lose.

Talk to those on the ground in battleground states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and there’s a fear that the fall’s campaign will be much tougher than party leaders are willing to admit right now. Blue-collar voters are very unsure about Obama. Convention-goers have been talking about the focus groups being conducted and unveiled by pollsters like Frank Luntz and Peter Hart at a convention that shows voters respecting Obama but not understanding him—a big problem for those he’s trying to win over.

There’s much in the Democrats’ favor this fall—a likely financial advantage, poor ratings for the GOP brand after eight years of President Bush, and a good map in terms of Senate and House seats—but it’s impossible to shake the feeling that in Denver Democrats aren’t as optimistic as you might expect. At breakfast today, I heard someone at a nearby table almost whisper: “I’m thinking for the first time that Obama could lose.” That’s the fear that underlies so much of the Democratic fervor this week: What if we’re blowing the opportunity to reintroduce Obama and make him connect with regular voters? What if we’re heading into an election with a candidate who just can’t win?

Garrett Graff is in Denver all this week, reporting from the Democratic National Convention. Head here for his coverage of parties, people, politics and more.

Comments

One more thing...don’t you think the Repubs who donated/organized for Huckabee, Romney, Tancredo, Thompson, Guliani, Hunter, etc... are disappointed that their guy didn’t win??? Well, they have gotten over it. It’s time the Dems all belly up to the bar and quit whining like victims. Listen to HRC, let’s move forward for what she believes in!!!

Posted by: Major Man, Aug 27, 2008 11:41:13 AM

GGraff, if I didn’t know better I would have thought Ben Smith from Politico wrote you post.

While I thought her speech was fantastic--near perfect. I’m miffed at how HRC has branded herself as a champion among women? She is someone who spent a full 20 years of her adult life living in tax-payer funded mansions. Never dropped her kid off at school. Never supervised the plumber, cable repair guy, etc... Never drove herself anywhere. Never paid a nickel for health care, etc... She is as wealthy & well-connected as they come.

The "worry" about Obama’s chances in the fall are simply the defeatist mindset of lots of Dems. This race is about reaching 270. Obama is currently leading all the "Kerry States." Furthermore, he is leading/tied in FL, OH, VA, MT, NM, NV, CO, IA...and close in AZ, NC, GA. The math is all in Obama’s favor. And ALL POLLS cite him as leading among the "working class."

As one of my favorite writers/instructors, I would expect that you of all people wouldn’t report on non-facts & conventional wisdom. THE ELECTORAL MAP HAS CHANGED!!!

Posted by: Major Man, Aug 27, 2008 11:37:44 AM

In response to "Hillary did such a great job with her speech that she only elicited some buyer’s remorse from convention-goers who wished she’d campaigned as well as she spoke last night..." I couldn’t agree more! I watched her speach with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat with the feeling "It should have been Hillary who got the nomination!" I imagine many other viewers and Hillary supporters felt the same. I’m scared that no matter what she suggests people do with their vote, that they will just give up all together because they are still so disappointed by her loss. That video and her speech just served to remind people of what an amazing woman she is and how far she has come. It did not help Obama’s cause one bit.

Posted by: Sarah, Aug 27, 2008 10:57:02 AM

Where & When: What to Do This Weekend

A new craft cocktail happy hour, a chocolate-themed happy hour, journalists rocking out, and a, er, pantless Metro ride. All this and more in your deliciously busy weekend nightlife picks. more

Wedding Planner Chat with Jamie Sears, Thursday, January 8 at 11 AM

Reporting From Denver: Pessimism

Comments

Post a comment

Where & When: What to Do This Weekend

Wedding Planner Chat with Jamie Sears, Thursday, January 8 at 11 AM