Denver Impressions

by dday

Well, yesterday was uneventful for me. Just getting in and getting my bearings around the city. The first thing I saw was a parade of four pickup trucks full of cops riding toward downtown.

Later, a friend of ours took us down by the Platte River to a spot near the enormous REI store, where fire spinners congregate every Sunday night. Afterwards, we stopped in on some vegetarian restaurant holding a poetry slam, and Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich were in there having dinner. While most people in from out of town were eating their corporate-funded cocktail weenies, I stumbled upon some actual leftists for a change.

While George Bush won Colorado by 4 points in 2004, John Kerry took Denver by 40. This city grows more and more Democratic with each passing year, and raising turnout here – and keeping them in the Democratic fold – would be a key to victory in the state, I gather.

This morning there’s a breakfast for the California delegation, and as a member of the press, I’m going but certainly not getting any breakfast. I believe Hillary Clinton will be there, and I’ve seen over the last couple days the McCain campaign try to drive a wedge between her supporters and Sen. Obama, with multiple ads trying to stir up some resentment. It doesn’t have to make sense in the politics of spite. They even found a PUMA for today’s offering:

Clinton released a statement after the first ad, and it’s not entirely fair that she’ll have to do such heavy lifting in her speech tomorrow night, but it will certainly be closely watched.

That’s all I’ve got. Digby’s panel is at 11 AM MT, I’m goign to try and make it so maybe I’ll do a wee bit of liveblogging.

…Oh yeah, the big rumor is that Ted Kennedy will be making a surprise appearance. The crowd should go crazy.

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