Choose the Dems' Keynote Speaker for the 2008 Convention.

[saltpoint]

Say the Democratic Party selects Denver as its host city for the 2008 convention.

Say that you alone are charged with selecting the keynote speaker.

Past Democratic Convention keynote speakers:

1976 - Barbara Jordan
1980 - Ted Kennedy
1984 - Mario Cuomo
1988 - Ann Richards
1992 - Barbara Jordan
1996 - Evan Bayh
2000 - Harold Ford
2004 - Barack Obama

QUESTION:

Who is your choice to give the keynote address at the 2008 Democratic Convention?

[flowomo]

1. dunno.... but they were doing boys-girls for a while....

but three boys in a row suggests it's time for a girl

[saltpoint]

3. We need to get more Democratic women into national prominence.

I think we're well on the way (Napolitano, Lincoln, Sebelius, etc.) but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

[flowomo]

5. hell.... be daring: Janeane Garafalo

[saltpoint]

8. I'd tune in to hear that, wouldn't you?

[Posteritatis]

2. I know it's a typo, but

the mental image of the Democratic Party's 20,008 Convention amuses the hell out of me.


(First vote, first comment and an off-topic snark at that! It's like a Slashdot user's hat trick! :D)

[saltpoint]

6. Evidently it was a Diebold-powered poll question, which explains the

spike in future years.

Good catch. Now amended.

Thanks.

[lonestarnot]

4. Boy that is a loooooong way off. These guys will be long time

dead. :evilgrin:

[saltpoint]

7. Not if we get this stem cell thing goin' ...

Hey there, lonestarnot.

I hope you've got electric power and a fan and some cool lemonade for these days of high summer.

[lonestarnot]

12. Well let's do it!

Hey friend how are you this fine hot sultry summer evening? Yes have electricity, a fan and some georgia sweat tae! I am counting my blessings. How bout you? How is your fan turning?

[saltpoint]

17. Power's on, so all's well, but I'm sitting INSIDE the refrigerator as

I type this post.

____

That tea sounds like it's just the thing.

[lonestarnot]

26. Yes, not suppose to be good for hydration that tea, but I must

have it. And I hope you have a handle on the inside!

[saltpoint]

27. Handle? O yeah, a handle. Let's see . . .

Uh-oh.

I'm gonna be one blue Democratic here in a few minutes...

[lonestarnot]

32. Crack me up!

and I haven't been laughing much lately. Thanks for that.

[saltpoint]

35. You take care, lonestarnot. We're only a couple months away here

from throwing the Republican majority out the House window.

Too bad it isn't several more floors up!

[lonestarnot]

38. Yes, I wouldn't miss that for all the tea in China!

You get out of that fridge now before you catch the steak or chicken flu. :hug:

[saltpoint]

40. -- --

:thumbsup:

:hi:

:dem:

:hug:

[longship]

9. It's got to be a woman.

I have to go with Kathleen Sebelius. Her star is rising and has been since she was elected Kansas Insurance Commissioner. Recently, as governor, she has been turning Kansas Republican candidates into Democratic candidates (three at latest count). She's going to win reelection in a walk in a very Red state. She's charismatic, speaks eloquently and will make everybody happy from liberals to DLCers.

Kathleen's quite a person.

[saltpoint]

11. Some many, many years back, I volunteered to campaign for her

father in Ohio.

I like her a LOT. And she's holding the fort beautifully there in Kansas, looks like, even though there must be a lot of Sam Brownback-types running around.

I say good for her, she seems to be doing a great job, and I hope she has a very bright future in our party.

[longship]

15. I was very active in KS in the late 80's and 90's.

I've talked with Kathleen many, many times. She is everything good you've heard about her and more.

She should either be the Keynote speaker, or a nominee on the 2008 ticket. What a great Veep selection she would be.

As I said, her star is rising and deservedly so.

[saltpoint]

20. As our veep candidate? In 08? WHERE DO I SIGN?

Terrific idea.

[sandnsea]

45. I agree, more or less

I actually don't know all that much about her personal politics, but from what I've heard so far she's doing a great job. If she could add some "down home" to the convention, she'd be an excellent choice for Keynote.

[Awsi Dooger]

48. That's what I like, excellent handicapping

I was hoping for a white woman to be the keynote speaker in '04, since our national fate is tied to how that block votes. Of course, if Hillary is the nominee then it's a moot point. Another great pick would be Schweitzer of Montana, introducing him on a national stage.

On edit: whoops, I scanned lower on the thread and ruggerson already mentioned Schweitzer.

[BringEmOn]

10. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

The Democratic Party could use an infusion of backbone.

[lonestarnot]

14. OH HELL YEAH EXCELLENT CHOICE! HELL YEAH!

And on edit, this is about the first time I've shouted all day!

[Monkeyman]

13. Barack again fire everyone up

[Scoot420fla]

21. He sucks

Rising star my a@@ - what a useless piece of crap he turned out to be

[saltpoint]

23. Watch this space. Senator Obama's name might just be in a few of

the papers as future political scenarios unfold.

I think he's going to be around awhile.

Hope so, anyway. I have a lot of respect for him.

[Scoot420fla]

29. he has yet to gain my respect n/t

[saltpoint]

34. Give it some time. He's an extraordinary soul and a man in very

high demand on county and state Democratic Party circuits.

He has tremendous brains and the charisma to match.

He's from Illinois, a middle western state, and carried it by landslide numbers.

He can speak to a very wide spectrum of voters, including evangelicals.

He's extremely media-genic.

And, lucky for the Democratic party, I think he's going to be around a while.

[saltpoint]

22. There's precedent to ask the same person twice with Barbara Jordan.

Not in back-to-back years, but it could happen.

I loved Obama's address in 2004 in Boston. It rocked the house. Historic, powerful, persuasive, and it just hit me right between the eyes.

[Jim Sagle]

16. Tom Harkin!

[saltpoint]

19. You'll hear no objections from me on that choice. Harkin's a gem.

[saltpoint]

62. Jim, since you posted with Harkin as a suggestion, my already-

favorable opinion of the man has shot up considerably.

I think he probably belongs on the ticket, no matter what.

He would be an enormous plus for the party in many parts of the country.

[cynatnite]

18. Some young forward thinking hopeful dem...

that's popular.

[ruggerson]

24. Schweitzer.

[saltpoint]

25. Hi there, ruggerson.

Yep. Gov. Schweitzer's current job might not be his last stop up the political ladder.

I sure do like the odds on his success within our party in future years, including maybe 08.

[Daylin Byak]

28. Easy choice

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin

[saltpoint]

30. I'd listen to every syllable.

Someone like Feingold has the potential to make one of those history-making addresses to the 08 convention.

[me b zola]

33. The only reason that I did not select Russ is...

...becuase he should be on the ticket!

[saltpoint]

36. And may yet be. I definitely wouldn't count him out.

In almost any role, Feingold is going to deliver the goods, and then some.

[me b zola]

31. Howard Dean!!!!!!

Dean is the chairman of the DNC and is a charismatic personality sure to energize the crowd!

:woohoo: Gov Dean! :woohoo:

[saltpoint]

39. And I believe he would walk out to that podium to respectful and very loud

cheering.

He is helping to re-build our party. Delegates from all 50 states and territories, too, will be there, and they'll be the hardworking rank-and-file volunteers and workers, and there WILL be cheering for Dr. Dean.

[Tinksrival]

37. It will be all about National security and TERROR, TERROR and TERROR

So I say.......GENERAL CLARK!!!!
.


Retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination himself, came straight to the point in his convention speech Thursday night. "Anyone who tells you that one political party has a monopoly on the best defense of our nation is committing a fraud on the American people."

Edit to add: If he isn't already the nominee of course! :evilgrin:

[saltpoint]

41. Clark would be electrifying as keynote speaker. Eisenhower was a

smart guy, but he didn't SEEM intelligent, at least not all the time.

I feel Clark is right-on 24-7.

I want Clark in charge of security, and not Eisenhower.

Plus, Eisenhower gave us Nixon in the way Poppy gave us Dan Quayle.

To hell with these damn Republicans.

Clark would walk out to well-earned and long applause, I think.

[OneBlueSky]

42. Bill Moyers . . . n/t

.

[saltpoint]

49. I would love seeing Bill Moyers play a much more prominent role for

our party.

He could write a tremendous keynote address.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

56. Great choice, an articulate voice of reason.

[montana_hazeleyes]

43. I vote for that Scottish guy.

Somehow I can't think of his name. Of course I know he can't but I wish he could.

[saltpoint]

63. You've stumped me on this one. All I could think of was

Sean Connery.

[Missy Vixen]

44. The Honorable Al Gore

Take it to 'em, Mr. President.

Julie

[Warren DeMontague]

47. I don't think the nominee is traditionally the keynote speaker

he's got bigger fish to fry.

[DanCa]

46. Dick Durbin

I love that man. He's awesome.

[saltpoint]

50. A great Democrat. I'd like to see Durbin on our ticket, or absent that,

address would be good, too.

[blogslut]

51. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

I dig her. She's neat.

[saltpoint]

52. I had to look her up on her homepage. It looks as if she is

very progressive -- the work with saving manatees and Planned Parenthood especially -- and also her opposition to government fiddling in the Schiavo case.

Very impressive.

[blogslut]

53. She also brought the bobblehead concept

...to the floor. She's dry. She's witty. She's awesome.

[Tenseiga]

54. Gov. Kaine, VA

[saltpoint]

57. A lot of people know this guy now, after that victory in last Nov.

Virginia Democrats are in the news and on the move these days.

I hope they build the party in that state so it is in great shape for future races of all levels.

Welcome to DU.

[skipos]

55. Schweitzer! nt

[saltpoint]

58. I could see Schweitzer up there on that podium for the Keynote, no

problem.

But he may be tapped as vice president, too, for all I know.

He's a very bright star out there in the Big Sky country.

[DeepModem Mom]

59. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa nt

[saltpoint]

60. I like it. I was really pulling for him in that election in L.A. and it

was great when he won it.

Agree. He would do us proud as a Keynote Speaker.

[saltpoint]

61. Three folks in double figures so far: Kucinich, Boxer and Schweitzer.

And many impressive 'OTHER' nominations also.

Some very good ideas here, folks. Great responses.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

64. Steve Colbert.

[tomreedtoon]

65. I think Colbert would be a great choice. You wouldn't.

Colbert seems to me to be a person who enjoys speaking truth to power. He certainly did that to Bush and the Washington Whore Press.

So what would he say to the Democrats? Well, I think he'd start with this picture...


"We just wish we could elect Dubya a third time!"

Then he'd point out all the Democrats who placidly supported Bush's policies, like Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman. About the latter, he'd wonder why the party stayed friends with someone who obviously hated them.

Oh, and the things that they supported - or didn't fight hard against - included the war, the rape of New Orleans and its poor residents, the evisceration of the middle class, and...well, need I go on?

No, I know Colbert wouldn't fly. I have another suggestion. I would have armed guards to keep all the delegates in their seats and make them listen to another speaker. They wouldn't be allowed to use their cell phones or listen to their iPod's, either - the guards would take them away at gunpoint.

I don't know the exact person my choice of speaker would be (let's call him Moses Glum), but he'd be a smart, articulate, poor black man from New Orleans. He would be one of the ones who survived the stadium and the aftermath. He would scream at the delegates and the entire party for the way they abandoned him and the entire city. "Bush may have stuck us all in that dome to die," he'd say, "but you-all didn't do a damn thing to get us out."

My vote is for "Moses Glum" or some other unknown person, who could possibly shame the Democrats into doing the job they claim they want to do.

[Swamp Rat]

66. Dennis Kucinich n/t

[saltpoint]

67. Hey there Swamp Rat. I'm looking at how many people have cast a

vote for DK and it's quite a hell of a lot.

He's leading handily, in fact.

And not by accident. I think he is much-loved on DU and on other blogs. I hang out with many of his most ardent supporters -- and none of them have ever been Ohioans. But they love him to death.

It's my hunch that Dennis Kucinich would deliver one of the most spellbinding addresses Democrats have heard. A lot of people are counting him out these days.

I think that's a mistake.

[Swamp Rat]

68. I voted for him in the primary and would do it again and again.

I hope to see him in more leadership positions on oversight boards, maybe in the Senate someday. :) :hi:

[saltpoint]

69. DK in the Senate. Those Ohioans who stood in line in districts where

Ken Blackwell had only allowed a very few voting machines -- having DK in the U.S. Senate would help restore those people's faith in their government.

Voinovich is getting up there. I think this is his last term. Strickland is going to whup Blackwell but good in November. Inauguration in January, I think.

Then Voinovich has to step down for some reason. Health concerns, say. Democratic Governor Strickland appoints Congressman Dennis Kucinich as Ohio's new Senator.

A bit of a reach getting there, but it COULD happen.

If Voinovich retires at the end of his term, DK could still be considered a leading contender for that seat.

And that would be a fine, fine thing.