Entry #4 from Boston: Been there, done that

Well, now I can tell my son, Freeman Diallo, one day that I attended the Democratic Convention in Boston as the sole credentialed blogger representing a predominantly Black online readership among an inaugural class of 35 very affable and eclectic bloggers. (It has been brought to my attention, however, that there is another credentialed blogger of color, Jesse Tayler of Pandango.net whose target audience is not geared specifically to Blackfolk as is Afro-Netizen.)

Surrounding the largely white, male, techie cadre of affable fellow bloggers, there were diverse hordes of journalists, guests, DNCC, DNC & Kerry-Edwards staffers, lobbyists, security, teenaged DNCC volunteers, security, lobbyists, security, and delegates -- oh, and did I mention security?

What can I say? It was a rousing night of scripted Democratic sentimentality and cautious optimism. You don't have to be the inventor of the Internet to know an A+ set of speeches by Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton and the inimitable "Comeback Kid"!

And while very swiftly replayed, lauded, dissected, and critiqued, the speeches that should have been covered by CNN, MSNBC, and other mass media outlets were barely mentioned.

Quite possibly one of the most influential individuals in this presidential race has yet to be sufficiently acknowledged by journalists and pundits: Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH). If she can energize and mobilize her largely Black constituency in the Cleveland area to turn out in big numbers in November, she may very well put Ohio in the blue column for the Dems, just as the Florida Democratic delegation seeks to accomplish down South -- particularly, CBC members Reps. Kendrick Meek, Corrine Brown and Alcee Hastings.

As Ohio is a bellweather for the nation, if Rep. Tubbs Jones delivers in her congressional district and beyond, she should would most certainly deserve "honorary white-boy" status and all the perks that come with it. It is also worth noting that Rep. Tubbs Jones is a co-chair of the DNCC's Platform Committee, not to mention that she is also the very first Black woman to serve on the juicy Ways and Means Committee (aka Dollars & Cents Committee).

While I'm not particularly impressed with the Dems' 2004 Platform document whose theme is: "Strong at Home, Respected in the World", it's vastly better than Dubya's prospective GOP platform simply entitled: "Yee-ha!"

Comments

[kilowat]

not all your readers are black! just trying to see how you feel on the vote i hope the GOP don't try the same in this election as the last one every vote must count and everyone must vote. 4 more years of bush i hope not

[Adam Karr]

Night #1 - what about Rev. Alston... the word is he is the guy Republican strategists are worried about after hearing the first night of speeches.

[Rachel]

There were a few exceptional speeches last night, but The Reverend David Alston was the most compelling. If there is a transcript available, though, I have yet to find it.