Republican National Convention 2008

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Leo, because this thread is moving so fast and the time span from RNC until now is quite short in r/l years, I believe that it is awfully presumptuous on your part to determine TK's deafening silence, particularly as we all aren't on HT every single day (well, some of us aren't). Give the man a chance.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Leo, because this thread is moving so fast and the time span from RNC until now is quite short in r/l years, I believe that it is awfully presumptuous on your part to determine TK's deafening silence, particularly as we all aren't on HT every single day (well, some of us aren't). Give the man a chance.

He wasted no time in commenting on the Democratic Convention, launching the thread the day it began.

He posted three days ago that he would comment "soon."

He has posted since then, in other threads.

He'll speak up when he's good and ready, I trust, and when circumstances in his life permit. I look forward to reading what he has to say - and I am quite comfortable pointing out how he has treated the two threads in a most dissimilar fashion, as well as noting what that implies.

And he doesn't need an apologist, so you may stand down.

[LikaNui]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Two CNN polls just now:

How do you rate Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech?

Thumbs up... 37%... 124,085

Thumbs down... 36%... 118,876

Didn't watch... 27%... 91,097

Total Votes: 334,058

And this one:

Which party's convention made the stronger case for why its candidate should be elected to the White House?

Democrats... 57%... 55,030

Republicans... 33%... 31,946

Neither... 9%... 8,747

Total Votes: 95,723

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Neilsen just released their numbers, estimating that 38.9 million watched McCain's acceptance speech, which is a new all-time record audience for a convention broadcast. Obama's speech attracted 38.4 million. I'm certainly surprised by that.

No doubt the massive attention given to Gov. Palin's speech the night before helped to build anticipation for the final night. But the record TV audience for McCain's acceptance speech may turn out to be a mixed blessing. As Lika Nui points out, CNN polls show that McCain's speech got mixed reviews.

My take on McCain's speech? His life story and experiences in Vietnam was captivating, as it usually is. But it was short on substance and specifics regarding the economy. Also, what the hell was up with that awful green screen background behind McCain? The visuals looked horrible. And to think many Republican strategists mocked the DNC for using that Greek Temple background behind Obama! However overly grandiose one might think Obama's background was, it was a whole lot better than what was behind McCain. I don't think there's any way for a neocon to spin that.

[tutusue]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

[...]Also, what the hell was up with that awful green screen background behind McCain? The visuals looked horrible. And to think many Republican strategists mocked the DNC for using that Greek Temple background behind Obama! However overly grandiose one might think Obama's background was, it was a whole lot better than what was behind McCain.[...]

My first thought was that McCain's background was a deliberate statement against Obama's background, esp. after Palin mentioned something about returning the styrofoam, Greek columns to a Hollywood prop shop...or sumthin' like that; can't remember her exact words! Regardless, it was a dig. He certainly did "pop" against that background, tho'...esp. in HD!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

He certainly did "pop" against that background, tho'...esp. in HD!

John McCain in HD. One excellent argument to not vote for him. That's four years of hell right there.

[Kelly0040]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

That green screen bugged the heck out of me.

My husband and I couldn't figure out what that white building was or why it was significant to what he was saying.

I don't normally visit blogs or anything related to politics (except for these HT threads tbh), but I found my answer (maybe) and I had a good chortle: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9...9917/18/587802

[Ninja]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Neilsen just released their numbers, estimating that 38.9 million watched McCain's acceptance speech, which is a new all-time record audience for a convention broadcast. Obama's speech attracted 38.4 million. I'm certainly surprised by that.

No doubt the massive attention given to Gov. Palin's speech the night before helped to build anticipation for the final night. But the record TV audience for McCain's acceptance speech may turn out to be a mixed blessing. As Lika Nui points out, CNN polls show that McCain's speech got mixed reviews.

My take on McCain's speech? His life story and experiences in Vietnam was captivating, as it usually is. But it was short on substance and specifics regarding the economy. Also, what the hell was up with that awful green screen background behind McCain? The visuals looked horrible. And to think many Republican strategists mocked the DNC for using that Greek Temple background behind Obama! However overly grandiose one might think Obama's background was, it was a whole lot better than what was behind McCain. I don't think there's any way for a neocon to spin that.

Should be pointed out that CNN was the most watched for the DNCC by a large margin.
Fox News Channel the most watched for the RNCC.
The point, Liberals watch CNN for it's news and views, Conservatives the same with FNC.
Add PBS's numbers and it's a dead heat in viewers, so take polls from those networks with a grain of salt.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Yesterday they formally asked the RNC to stop using the song.
So after McCain's speech tonight to end the RNC, what song was played?
Yep.
Barracuda.

Their statement on the matter is available here; as noted, they were not pleased.

That green screen bugged the heck out of me.

Maybe they should have put this behind him.

[tutusue]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

That green screen bugged the heck out of me.

My husband and I couldn't figure out what that white building was or why it was significant to what he was saying.

I don't normally visit blogs or anything related to politics (except for these HT threads tbh), but I found my answer (maybe) and I had a good chortle: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9...9917/18/587802

Too funny...I attended Walter Reed Middle School for one year eons ago! Seeing that photo was a trip down Memory Lane! Thanks for the link.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

That green screen bugged the heck out of me.

My husband and I couldn't figure out what that white building was or why it was significant to what he was saying.

I don't normally visit blogs or anything related to politics (except for these HT threads tbh), but I found my answer (maybe) and I had a good chortle: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9...9917/18/587802

The McCain camp is now saying that the picture was no mix-up. There was no intention to show the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. (Which was just as well, since McCain wasn't talking about health care and benefits for veterans.) The Walter Reed Middle School was picked out as nice, random scenery. Clip art, as it were.

Still, it shows how deficient and incompetent McCain's people are when it comes to stagecraft. Sure, the picture might have been attractive to the tens of thousands seated at the Xcel Arena. But to the nearly 39 million folks who were watching on TV, it totally misses the mark. Other than the lawn, you can't see anything when the camera is doing a tight frontal shot of McCain. That particular shot is shown for what, 98% of the time?

Yeah, McCain's media advisors are real pros. Just like his veep vetting team.

[Vanguard]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Two CNN polls just now:

How do you rate Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech?

Thumbs up... 37%... 124,085

Shocking.

I can understand 27-29%, as the approval rating of George Bush rides in this range (28 percenters as some of us liberals affectionately call them) -- where's the other 8-10% coming from?

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

That green screen bugged the heck out of me.

I think the green symbolizes "recycle."

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

My final thought.
What did I learn from this convention? That I should giggle non-stop until I start coughing when I hear the term "Community Organizer."

[LikaNui]

Re: Republican National Convention 2008

Check out this article about the use of Heart's "Barracuda":

Ann and Nancy Wilson, the frontwomen of the rock band Heart, are demanding that the McCain campaign stop using their 1977 song "Barracuda" at political rallies after the song was played in honor of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin on both Wednesday and Thursday nights. Does the McCain campaign have to honor the Wilsons' wishes?
Not if the campaign has the correct license. Like thousands of other songs, "Barracuda" is distributed by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, meaning that any entity that is licensed with ASCAP can play a song without getting the artist's explicit permission. This license can be held by a venue, like a club or a sports arena, and apply to all events that take place there. In this case, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., would be the holder, but a representative tells the Explainer that the venue's ASCAP license applies only to sporting events for the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Swarm, the professional hockey and lacrosse teams, respectively; otherwise, it's up to the people who use the premises to get their own. A spokesperson for the Republican Convention said the event did have an ASCAP license separate from the one for sports.
Assuming the licenses were all in order, the Wilson sisters probably don't have much legal recourse. But it would be a much different story if the campaign had used the song in an ad or a promotional video. While an ASCAP license covers the right to perform a song, you need a separate "synchronization license" from the publisher to put the song in an ad. Some artists ask for stipulations in their contracts with publishers that prevent their songs from being used for political advertisements or any other causes they find objectionable.
(...)
Last month, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne sued the McCain campaign, the Republican National Committee, and the Ohio Republican Party over the use of his song "Running on Empty" in an ad without obtaining a sync license. Had the McCain campaign used "Barracuda" in a video montage about Palin, they would have been required to get this permission, which the Wilson sisters presumably would have rejected—assuming their publisher asked them.
It's very common for musicians to object to the use of their material. The McCain campaign has already run afoul of several other artists this year, including John Mellencamp and Van Halen. In both those cases, the artists were objecting to the use of their songs at rallies, where an ASCAP license would apply. The McCain campaign agreed to stop playing Mellencamp songs voluntarily. The issue also frequently crops up with Christian groups that do not wish their material to be used at events they find objectionable.
If the campaign chooses to continue playing "Barracuda," and so much so that it becomes associated with Palin, the Wilson sisters could have a legal claim. They might argue a violation of their "right to publicity," which protects a person from having her identity used for marketing purposes. Such protections vary by state and tend to apply to commercial products, not political messages.