DISQUS

Wendy Norris · 3 years ago

microwave popcorn? I'll have you know I'm installing only the finest chocolate fountain in my living room to watch the convention festivities! < /snark>

You bring up a really great point about the Parties claiming to vie for the attention of the average American voter when we are all but shut out of the political process save for licking stamps and blockwalking.

Not that much really gets accomplished at the actual conventions but the palm greasing by corporations and big donors through the events does buy them access to the smoke-filled rooms, where the real decisions get made.

Leslie Robinson · 3 years ago

So many parties, so little time As a delegate to the last Democratic convention in Boston, my dance card was full of PR parties every afternoon and evening hosted by various nonprofits like NARAL to corporations like Qwest. Maybe it wasn't the big shindigs with the money boys, but who cares when you get free meals, drinks and goodie bags? BUT, you had to be an official delegate to get the invite. Or look like...well, let me explain that in detail....

One evening, I heard about the Bill Richardson/Burlington Railroad party, so I ventured over to their fancy hotel dining room only to discover it was one of those special VIP invite-only affairs. At the hotel bar, I struck up a conversation with a couple of ladies who were experienced in entertaining convention attendees.

Telling them of my disappointment of being turned away from the VIP party, they said, "follow us, we'll show you how to crash them."

I won't give away their trade secrets, but certain physical attributes are just as good as a invitation.