Can you say "Shove It?"*
What was the most highly remembered quote from last month's Democratic National Convention in Boston likely won't be uttered inside Madison Square Garden in New York City this week. At least, not in the same vein Teresa Heinz Kerry used it. If I were a risk-taking, comedic, edgy Republican (and I'm only three of those four), I might be tempted to have a lot of fun with that phrase.
Not that it won't be a colorful convention. And not that the phrase won't be uttered...a lot...outside the convention. With protestors of every ilk lined up to show their signs, yell their canned phrases and hope for headline nirvana in the press, expect a lot of pushing and shoving...and arresting to go on outside the convention.
As a reporter covering Bill Clinton's first nominating convention in NYC in 1992, I can tell you firsthand that it is pretty strange outside the Garden on a typical convention day. I can only imagine how crazy it will be in this year's environment.**
But no matter how crazy and colorful it will be outside the Garden, don't let that monopolize your interest. You see, just like it was inside the Fleet in Beantown, the party gets a chance to highlight itself during this week inside the Garden. And while a lot of folks outside want you to know how mad they are at the Republicans and why they are mad, you shouldn't let that be the only thing in NYC that you pay close attention to.***
Even though the GOP is said to be hiding some of it's fringe spokespersons, the party will have plenty of time to showcase it's people, policies, philosophies and platform. And that's the stuff that will be important to us all, if George Bush gets another four years in the White House.****
So, hunker down and pay attention to the details, not the spin-doctors. Use your head to read and see for yourself what is being said and how it's being said. Make up your own mind on matters. Don't rely on the spin-doctors and the media analysts to tell you what they think matters. And at the end of the week, after the speeches, the remembrances to Ronald Reagan, the protests in the streets and who knows what else, decide for yourself what was truly important and why. And put an asterisk on it.
* A WTAE Channel 4/ThePittsburghChannel worldwide exclusive!
**Follow the bouncing asterisk. WTAE's Scott Baker is in the Big Apple, bringing you Pittsburgh's best TV & Web coverage. Don't miss it!
***Self Promotion Time. You will get to see Scott and our teams of reporters from our Washington DC Bureau cover the antics, both inside and outside. It will be readily available on both WTAE and ThePittsburghChannel.com. Don't miss it!
****Did I mention that WTAE has a team of reporters based in Washington DC? We do. In fact, we have the largest DC Bureau of any Pittsburgh TV/Web media outlet and that means you get more in-depth, interesting coverage of the sometimes life-altering policies and news that flows down the Potomac.
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