Denver: Day 2

Democratic Convention, day 2. The Rutledge household is tuned back in. Owen is ticked that he missed Michelle Obama, but that's what the internet is for, son.

9:15
Just got back from walking the dog. Amy has paused a segment on MSNBC where Chris Matthews gets snippy with co-host Keith Olbermann. This is classic. Apparently Olbermann was making fun of a long-winded diatribe by Matthews, and Chris just got testy with him right on the air.

This after Joe Scarborough went nuts on David Shuster on Morning Joe this a.m. What the heck is happening to MSNBC.

Our pal Chris thinks Matthews is keeping Olbermann's seat warm for him as the network's chief political anchor. Russert would have had these guys in his office and whipped them into shape.

9:34
We are now 15-20 mins behind what's actually going on since I've watched the MSNBC anchor soap opera over and over on the DVR. I'll catch up once they go to a network break and show the Matt Damon commercial a dozen times.

Matthews just cut Olbermann off cutting to Andrea Mitchell. This is great. Anything to kill the time until Hillary speaks in an hour.

9:38
Every guest now has to answer the token "What will Hillary say?" question. Personally I think she'll be good soldier Numero Uno and will pledge her support earnestly. Tomorrow night with Mr. Bill is the wildcard.

9:42
Spike Lee looks less than thrilled to be answering the 50th question on race relations in America.

Bob Casey is up. His dad (pro-life Dem) was snubbed in 1992 at Bill Clinton's DNC convention. Now he's trying to pitch the big tent message for the party. Interesting...

9:47
Casey just brings up the abortion issue as a difference between himself and Obama. Calls McCain Bush's "sidekick" rather than a maverick. Leads a "four more months" cheer instead of the traditional "four more years." Funny.

9:53
Testing, testing... CL

9:56
I'm in, DR. First of all, thank you for letting me be part of this historic occasion in the life of your blog...

9:58
Warner clearly watched the "John Adams" mini-series on HBO.

10:01
(DR) Sorry, I just had to do this.

10:03
(DR) Good line about Bush not tapping the resources of the American people to deal w/ our problems. I think that is a fair criticism. I have always thought that if you level with people with the truth then people can deal with these problems we face -- energy, environment, national security, etc. Just shoot straight for crying out loud.

Amy just mentioned that Warner has an estimated net worth of $200M. Wow. He tops Spuds McCain.

10:08
(DR) Line of the night:

"This election is not about liberal vs. conservative. It's not about left vs. right. It's about the future vs. the past."

Hear, hear....

10:18
(DR) Just about showtime. Warner wrapped up. DNC offers this reassurance in its preview of the highlights of Hillary's upcoming speech. I think she'll be a team player. If for nothing else it's in her own self interest. It will be interesting to see if her heart is in it.

*You will see a completely unified Democratic Party tonight as Americans from all walks of life come together to work for change. Senator Clinton has been and continues to be a passionate campaigner for Obama, and will be important force for the Democratic Party throughout this election and beyond.

10:22
(DR) MSNBC pundits -- especially Buchanan -- can't fathom that Warner hasn't tried to "gut" McCain in his speech. "Where is the fire, the scream, the heart?"

Gene Robinson brings up the point that Dems need to bring up torture, Iraq, domestic surveillance. Good point.

I think there is something to be said for taking the high road. But there is also a time to draw that sharp contrast that clearly exists between Obama and McCain this year.

10:25
(CL) Okay, let's try this again...

Hillary coming up any minute. Let me catch up on a few things. Casey's speech was good. I loved how he was beaming when the "Four More Months" chant started. He looked like a guy who successfully started the wave at a ballgame.

To your earlier point about the little tiff between Matthews and Olberman. All kidding aside, I really feel like Matthews is being push out and he knows it. A bit later he went on some semi-coherent rant about how he longed for the old rhetoric where you tear your opponents down. Olberman just sat there smirking, giving Matthews just enough rope to hang himself.

10:29
(CL) I really resent the fact that the networks now get advance copies of the speeches and tell us the gist of what we are going to hear prior to the speech. Totally unnecessary. We can listen for ourselves. They always frame it like it's great reporting on their part. "We learned...". In other words, someone has handed them an exact copy of the text. Nice work... And then the run the sound bytes across the screen seconds after the speaker says them. Apparently we can't retain information either.

10:35
(DR) Showtime.....the hour is here.

10:37
(CL) I wonder if there are signs in the arena that que the delegates to chant, cheer, and quiet down. Seems like these things start and stop a little to abruptly. I'll bet there are...

10:40
(DR) Are you suggesting that there are rehearsed cheers at the DNC like Duke basketball? Or pumped-in crowd noise like the Dean Dome?

10:44
(CL) I am...

10:45
(DR) In the first minute of her speech:

"The time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team. This is a fight for the future and it is a fight that we must win together."

11:02
(DR) "We don't need four more years of the last eight years."

11:03
(DR) Zinger about McCain & Bush being together in the Twin Cities next week as it's hard to tell them apart.

11:07
(DR) What did you think CL? I thought she did what she had to do -- unite her supporters to the cause of electing a Democrat. Simple as that.

Olbermann: "Grand slam, out of the ball park, across the street." Would you expect anything less?

11:09
(CL) She did exactly that. In hindsight, all of the concern about her somehow undermining Obama or not coming over to him in this speech were ridiculous. She wasn't going to abandon the party. It was all media-driven.

11:13
(DR) Yep, the line (paraphrasing here) about "Were you in it for me or were you in it for the cause?" was core.

Now tomorrow night with Bill will be interesting...thanks for joining amigo. See you tomorrow!

Cheers everybody!