"God almighty, I can't believe it." said one top Democratic fundraiser when he learned of the decision to move the speech to Bank of America stadium, where the NFL Carolina Panthers play their football games. "This is an amateur’s mistake."
The decision to compress the convention into three days was driven in part by lack of interest from the television networks, which have cut back their coverage over time, a convention official said. “This gives us an opportunity to decide which days are covered.”
September conventions always seem to have a football impact:
The Carolina Panthers will play their first regular season game away as Bank of America stadium will be used during the Democratic National Convention, team owner Jerry Richardson said today.
Of the move, Richardson said, "in this case we were willing to do it."
McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said yesterday the prospect of an extra-long game has caused some concern: "I had talked on background with a Republican convention planner a couple of weeks ago who said, 'Don't mention overtime. Overtime is our rain-in-Denver scenario.' "
So it remains unclear what the candidate will do if Jason Campbell is still slinging passes at 10:30. But people in the television business speculated that McCain would delay his speech until NBC starts its convention broadcast.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/17/2934582/carolina-panthers-to-play-first.html#storylink=cp
Update: Since the weekly schedule is not yet announced, there's no game to move, so there's not much of an impact. Carolina will just start on the road.
However, opening night of the 2012 NFL season is the same night as Obama's speech, so all that abuse we heaped on McCain in '08 will come back at us this summer.
People have been calling for significant changes in the convention structure for years, and the move to a 3-day convention could be the start of major changes in how conventions are run in the future. There's no doubt that in this age of coronation conventions, you don't need 4 days to transact all the party's business. But 3-day conventions in the future could present major financial problems for bid cities - a day less of hotel and other spending may make the financial balance sheet, already iffy for a bid city, even worse.
The other main question is does the DNC cut down the amount of construction in Time-Warner Arena? In 2008, the decision to go outside was made way too late to change the construction plans. But now, it's not 4 nights, it's not 3 nights, but only two nights in the arena. That's spending a lot of money for a huge TV studio for only 2 nights instead of 4.
Let's not forget, that just before the Invesco speech announced, a 3-day convention in 2008 seems to have been considered:
Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee are toying with a convention scheduling change that has been broached before in theory but never seriously considered: cutting the party's conclave in Denver short by one day to give Obama an extra day of post-nomination bounce in the crowded August calendar.
For the last several decades -- when conventions became forums that merely rubber-stamp a presumptive nominee -- they have traditionally run from Monday through Thursday. Increasingly, both parties have struggled to offer something of interest during the first couple of convention nights, and the television networks have responded by dramatically reducing live coverage. The only truly significant event has been the nominee's acceptance speech, delivered during prime time on Thursday evening.
But Obama aides have floated the idea of ending the Denver convention on Wednesday, Aug. 27, instead of Thursday, Aug. 28
Four years ago, the President began his journey with a conversation – friends reaching out to neighbors and family, to talk about the direction of this country and how together we’d reclaim the security of the middle class. That idea is at the center of the 2012 Democratic National Convention – engaging Americans in a conversation about how we can continue moving this country forward and rebuild an economy that’s meant to last and creates more opportunity for all.
Our success depends on the involvement of Americans at the grassroots level all across the country and enlisting them to continue to work for change. We want to increase the influence of the grassroots from format to funding and empower more Americans to become involved in the political process.
And that is why today in Charlotte we announced two exciting changes to the format of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
First, we announced that we are shortening the convention to three days. We will designate Monday – Labor Day – as a day to celebrate the Carolinas and Virginia at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the home of NASCAR. Democrats will use Monday to recruit volunteers and organize to continue building our organization and to further the conversation that President Obama started four years ago.
Second, we announced that the President’s acceptance speech will take place at Bank of America Stadium, which will allow tens of thousands more Americans to hear the President and engage and participate in the final push to the general election. We saw how engaging more people at Invesco Field in Denver helped to win Colorado in 2008. We’re striving for the same impact in North Carolina.
This convention will be unlike any convention before, or any other convention this year. It will be about more than just political pageantry and speeches. It’s going to be about Americans coming together. These changes will result in the most open and accessible convention in history.
I look forward to a fantastic convention and to working with you to reelect President Obama and Democrats up and down the ballot!
Nearly four years ago when President Obama accepted the Democratic nomination beneath a clear sky in Denver, a new chapter opened in American history. I'm excited to announce to you first that we plan to make history once again and break with conventions of the past by opening the doors to more people than ever before.
On the final day of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, President Obama will take the stage in the Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers, to accept the nomination of the Democratic Party as president with tens of thousands more people by his side.
But that's not all. I'd also like to announce that we are shortening the convention program from the traditional four days to three to make room for a day to organize and celebrate the Carolinas, Virginia and the South and kick off the convention at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Labor Day. Dedicating Monday, September 3rd to families and the community hosting the convention will help show the world what we can do when we out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world and build an economy that creates opportunity for all.
This week, I asked for your ideas on how to make the 2012 Democratic National Convention the most open and accessible in history and your thoughtful responses made it clear that success depends on people like you being a part of the process. Jerry in Tryon, NC suggested using the Charlotte Motor Speedway as an event location and Nora from Allentown, PA wants to make sure the convention has room for more than just delegates to attend.
Ideas like these are reminders that this convention is about more than political rituals and confetti falling from the rafters. It is about empowering Americans to be part of the solution and demonstrating what is best about our democracy.
Let us know your thoughts on how to involve more Americans in the convention as we countdown to President Obama's acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday, September 6, 2012. To share your ideas, visit www.demconvention.com/share-ideas.asp.
From format to funding, this convention will increase the influence of people like you and bring more Americans into the conversation than ever before. Raise your voice, be heard and help us make history once again.
Besides the announcement of the acceptance speech, the big news is that the convention will only be three days long. A "Kick Off the Convetion" celebration will take place on Labor Day at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is expected to announce that President Obama's nomination acceptance speech outdoors.
We got an email yesterday from the DNCC announcing a press conference today at 11.
CHARLOTTE – The Democratic National Convention Committee will hold a press conference Tuesday, January 17, 11:00 a.m. in Charlotte. Information on a specific location is forthcoming.
Today the DNCC issued a media advisory that the press conference is at Bank of America Stadium.
You don't hold a press conference at a stadium unless you're going to hold the speech there. Back in 2008 they announced the Invesco speech on July 7th...less than two months before the convention.
Two Democratic sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the information, said the stadium move is just one change that will be announced this morning. They did not elaborate.
Blair Miller from Channel 9 in Charlotte is tweeting about something happening at The Charlotte Motor Speedway
@BlairMiller9 Also coming today: big announcement for #DNC2012 and event at #clt Speedway. Concord mayor will be at presser to give details.
Stay tuned... we'll let you know what's happening as soon as we find out.
The deadline for the petitions necessary to recall Scott Mr-Anti-Union Walker is 5 p.m. this afternoon. The legal requirement is 25% of the number of people who voted in the 2010 gubernatorial election, or 540,208 signatures. Despite a lot of nasty acts on the part of the thugsRepublicans thugs, the 25,000 people who collected those signatures will deliver approximately 72,000 signatures this afternoon. Polling indicates that 58% approve of the recall effort.
The state will be spending $100,000 to build a database against which to check the names. The state Republican party sued to be able to do this. The total cost of the recall against Walker, along with those of the lieutenant governor and four (R) state senators is expected to be in the range of $9 million. Seems like a lot of money that could have been saved had Walker and his cronies not gone after the unions. It's not just the $9 million, it's that Wisconsin has been bleeding jobs ever since the Walker regime took power. The state has lost 27,600 jobs, and that understates the 33,800 jobs the state WOULD have had if it matched the rest of the country. (Source with great charts and info here.)
The recall will not be held until summer for a few reasons. First, the name check, and I'm betting the lawsuit that springs from it. Second, there is no Democratic candidate. In Wisconsin, unlike California and some other states, it's not a 1 - 2, recall - new election, rather there needs to be a candidate on the ballot to take the office. There may well be a Democratic primary.
Remember, this is all about the actions against unions and other regular working people, AND the poor. (Read that "great charts and info" link, and you'll see what I mean.) It will boost Obama's chances in Wisconsin in November, and why I have Wisconsin as a DL in the Senate race, even though no one else does.
The other bit of union news comes from members of one of the highest paid (if not the highest paid) group of union workers in the world. That would be the NFL. Yup, they're union workers. And really, if you want to talk high salaries....anyway....they'll be playing in the Super Bowl in February in Indianapolis, which is the capital of Indiana, where the Republicans are trying to pass right-to-work legislation. At least they were, until first, this: (full statement here)
As NFL players, we know our success on the field comes from working together as a team. We’re not just a team of football players—we’re also the fans at games and at home, the employees who work the concession stands and the kids who wear the jerseys of our favorite football heroes. NFL players know what it means to fight for workers’ rights, better pensions and health and safety in the workplace.
To win, we have to work together and look out for one another. Today, even as the city of Indianapolis is exemplifying that teamwork in preparing to host the Super Bowl, politicians are looking to destroy it trying to ram through so-called “right-to-work” legislation.
“Right-to-work” is a political ploy designed to destroy basic workers’ rights. It’s not about jobs or rights, and it’s the wrong priority for Indiana.
And it seems some Republicans are leaving the anti-union fold.
Perhaps good is going to start winning against evil.
With the media coming to Charlotte this week for a walk-through of Time-Warner Cable Arena, WSOC-TV talks to some of the DNCC officials about the preparations:
Eyewitness News went behind the scenes with DNC officials to see how they’re getting Time Warner Cable Arena ready for the convention in August.
“It’s intense, but it’s fun,” said Kimberlin Love, director of hall operations for the DNC.Her team is evaluating what kind of structural modifications will be made to the arena. Love said the largest undertaking deals with the seats and where the stage will sit.“Once we figure out what kind of staging we'll be done, we'll figure out how many seats will need to be removed from the arena,” Love said. -WSOC-TV (with video)
The Charlotte Host Committee has announced the 12 finalists for their poster contest:
First, let me say how excited we were to receive over 300 creative submissions to our poster contest! Thank you to everyone who submitted a vision for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.
Now, I'm happy to announce the top 12 finalists. Our team spent hours going over the submissions and with considerable difficulty, we whittled it down to just 12 for you to vote on. Now it's up to you to vote for your favorites.
The rules are simple. The poster with the most votes will be one of the official posters of the 2012 Democratic National convention. Select your three favorites today; visit www.charlottein2012.com/postercontest to register your vote!
Voting will only last for two weeks so don't delay.
There are some interesting choices there, so take a look.
That nonsense about 7 delegates for Ron Paul? The actual delegates to the national convention haven't even been chosen yet - so how could he have talked to them. But other than that, it's a good explanation.
I pledge myself, if selected as delegate or alternate delegate to said convention, whenever I shall vote, to vote for the nomination of ______________________________________ as candidate for said party for president so long as he shall be a candidate before said convention.
So Huntsman 2 delegates are now unpledged delegates. His list of delegates is here, but it's unclear if the first two got the spots. (The list is alphabetical).
Huntsman NH delegates:
Maureen Barrows of Exeter Julie Brown of Rochester Paul J. Chevalier of Hudson Barbara J. Coffin of Hancock Paul J. Collins Jr. of Hampton Falls David P. Currier of Henniker Neil Daley of Hudson David H. Kidder of New London J. David Knox of Wolfeboro Stewart Lamprey of Moultonborough Eduardo J. Lopez-Reyes of Portsmouth J. Bonnie Newman of Portsmouth Bonnie B. Packard of Penacook Renee Plummer of Portsmouth Robert Preston of Hampton David S. Robbins of Nashua Sarah Stewart of Manchester Jeffrey L. St. Cyr of Alton Wallace E. Stickney of North Salem Nancy Stiles of Hampton
We told you earlier this week Florida was going to going to get penalized for it's early primary (beyond losing half its delegates), and the penalties came down on Thursday:
The national Republican Party has approved sanctions aimed at housing, convention floor seating and other perks for the Florida delegation to the 2012 convention.
The penalties are in response to the state's schedule-busting Jan. 31 presidential primary date. ... RNC rules allow the delegation from a state that commits a violation to be penalized in the selection of their hotel accommodations, the prominence of their floor seating location, and the guest and VIP passes distributed to delegates by the party.
A resolution passed by the RNC's Rules Committee on Wednesday says Florida will get "reduced priority" for its hotel accommodations and floor seats, and that the guest passes and VIP passes that would have gone to the delegates will instead go to the RNC, whose chairman, Reince Priebus, can dispense them at his discretion.
As the host state and possibly the nation's most important swing state, Florida normally would get the first priority for hotel and floor seating.
I think a state would gladly exchange these penalties for the attention of an early primary.
The article also noted there was a recommendation from the RNC that Florida split its delegates proportionally, but with no teeth behind the request, there's no incentive for Florida to change from a winner-take-all.
What are y'all thinking about today? I'm thinking about the implosion of the GOP, which makes me happy on this cold day. And it IS cold, especially since PECO decided today would be a good day to turn off all the power in the neighborhood for "needed repairs" -- no amount of calling them and asking for them to do it at a different time helped. Nor did calling the Public Utility Commission. They had set this up weeks ago, bypassing many 50 degree days. When they shut this morning, in our neighborhood of all electric heat, it will be around 20 degrees outside. But my anger digresses....
I'm also thinking about Obama merging government departments. This is something good, something that the teabaggers should get behind because it means smaller government, but their racism will overcome their ideology. Luckily, Obama will get the debt ceiling increase, and that will solve that problem until after the election.
Mostly I'm thinking about the cold. Fiona and I are lucky: we have relatives who will welcome us for the day, and I make enough money that if every friend and family member we knew was out of town, we could check into a hotel. MILLIONS of Americans are not lucky like that...and THAT is what the 2012 elections are about.
Rick Santorum has previously said he wasn't expecting the Iowa results to change, saying a tie is still a tie. Well that "tie" has gotten him nowhere, and tonight, he changed his tune:
The vote totals from Iowa’s caucuses are changing, putting Mitt Romney’s razor-thin victory in the unofficial tally in doubt, people familiar with events said.
The totals reported just after the Jan. 3 caucuses gave Mr. Romney a narrow, 8-vote win over former Sen. Rick Santorum. Now, officials are reviewing the vote as part of a certification process. Whether Mr. Romney will hold onto his win remains unclear, these people said.
“The numbers are changing,’’ Mr. Santorum said late Friday, in an interview at a campaign event here.
“We’re hearing good things,’’ he said. “It’s still up in the air.’’
We all understand a change in the winner won't affect the delegate count, whether is 0 delegates for all (as it is), or 7-7 or 13-12 (as various MSM outlets are "projecting"). But it would change the narrative. Many stories say "Romney, the winner of the first two primaries, is going for his 3rd straight". There will also be stories soon about how "can anybody beat Romney in at least 1 state?". For those of us who want to see this race go on as long as possible, a Santorum win in Iowa can't hurt.
Last week, we informed you about a Pennsylvania school district where the teachers and support staff were working for no pay, as the Corbett administration had cut their funds, and was refusing to release funding available to the district in June.
While school legislation varies by state, since 1918 ALL US states have had compulsory education requirements. That means the state, normally through local school boards but with a mix of Federal, state and local funding, provides education and that it is mandatory for children to attend from age 5-7 (depending on the state) through age 16-18 (again, depending on the state.) Yes, there are certain exemptions, but the bottom line is that people pay taxes which go to support the school district, and education is provided.
Modern compulsory attendance laws were first enacted in Massachusetts in 1853 followed by New York in 1854. By 1918, all states had compulsory attendance laws. One reason for the acceptance by the states of these laws was the belief that the public school was the best means to improve the literacy rate of the poor and to help assimilate an immigrant population that grew at a high rate between the mid nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Another explanation is that as children were required to attend school for a number of years, factory owners found it more difficult to exploit the cheap and plentiful child labor. (Emphasis mine)
So what does it say about our values when a school district is allowed to implode? I cannot understand how this story is not getting huge national play...
The school board and some parents in Delaware County's Chester Upland School District filed suit in federal court today against the state, the education department and legislative leaders, asking that the district be adequately funded through the end of the school year, at a cost of about $20.7 million.
The money should come from state allocations normally due the district which are now being diverted to pay charter schools, the lawsuit said, and from state education department reserve funds.
State officials have repeatedly said they will not send money to the district.
There was a brief vigil last night, but nothing really came of it, except plans for another meeting. The underlying debt problem here is that the state had control of the school district for a number of years, mismanaged everything, causing debt to run up and many children to flee to charter schools. Corbett is now saying that maybe the state will take over again (like that worked so well the last time, she said with dripping sarcasm), and that he is legally obligated to fund the charters prior to funding the public schools. That last point is one of the bones of contention in the current suit. Additionally:
The lawsuit also said that because payments to charter schools are based on Chester Upland's 2010-11 budget, which was $17 million more than this year, payments based on the 2010-2011 spending levels should be halted unless Chester Upland's state funding is restored to that year's levels.
That increased budget was due to the stimulus funding. Remember that when it comes time to argue about the role of government.
Chester-Upland is nowhere near the only school district with money problems. More of these situations will keep happening. I keep thinking about the phrase I emphasized in the first quote: is it possible that reactionary state governments, in addition to endeavoring to deny suffrage, are also using school funding as a weapon against the poor and immigrants? Think about it: without basic literacy, what job can one get? You can't even navigate a car if you cannot make sense of the street signs. If you're rich, schooling is never an issue, there are always private schools available. But basic education is not just a right in this country, it's a legislated entitlement, even if you're too poor to afford private education.
This election year is all about which is worse: big government or big business. That's the frame. Education is something that government is supposed to do. Worldwide:
Children are entitled to a free, quality basic education. Recognizing this entitlement, world leaders made the achievement of universal primary education by the year 2015 one of the Millennium Development Goals.
Think about the countries that don't provide education. Here are a few: Nepal, Chad, Sudan, Chad and the Congo. Plus lots more in sub-Sahara Africa and Southeast Asia. Do we really want to end up on that list?
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is expected to announce that President Obama's nomination acceptance speech outdoors.
