Scenes from Denver

I’m takng shelter in Starbucks. There are 15,000 journalists covering the conventions. 15,000 people trying to tell an audience of a few million that everything is stage managed, choreographed, there is no news but we’ll try our best to make some up as we go along.
To encourage competition and fractious infighting, the credentials committee at the DNC has come up with a byzantine system to manage the media horde. There are four levels of credentials – for the perimeter (i.e. you go through an hour of security checks to stand outside the pepsi center while the rest of your comrades in arms head inside.) The “arena” simply that. You get to stand by the concession stands where tabls are crammed with radio production units, claimin to broadcast from the convention center the heart of the action. Sorry buddies, the creds don’t get ou that far. Next levels: “hall” and “floor” these actually get you inside where people are speaking. Back in the day this was coveted, back when there were floor fights, and delegate counting and where a politically mad milieu let loose with abandon. Now you get to walk around and talk to the delegates, who are all on message.
I’m already over the Democratic love fest. Anyone who can squeal with delight over cheesiest ending to an “I want to prove to you how much I love America speech” doesn’t deserve my time or subpar interviewing skills.
But don’t worry. Journalists are great at masturbating. Instead of taking the temperature of the street we take the temperature of each other. Forget the cable news pontificators, and turn to the voice of the people. The bloggers, the netroots, who are assembled in a massive tent “Big tent” on Wynkoop street between 14th and 15th in the heart of downtown Denver. This is the first year that bloggers have been treated with RESPECT. They have credentials and a place to gather, where they work, and google, and interview each other on what it means to be a blogger. In the space of 15 minutes at the “Big Tent” where the bloggers and online journalists are gathered, I have seen six interviews of bloggers and assorted journalists asking each other what it’s like to cover the convention.
To make the exercise in narcissim legitimate though, Katie Couric walks in with a big mike and a ten man entourage to ask the very same question.
Yes, conventions are the voice of the (Democratic) people. And with 15,000 journalists at hand to bring you their stories, the level of navel gazing is at an all time high. But maybe I'm just bitter. I got turned down by the CBS guy, who's a blogger for the website blogging about the bloggers. An affiliation with a real news agency doesn't make me quite legit.
More later… I see a camera crew and a helmut headed reporter. Maybe I'll get my close-up after all :p