Chicago, 1968. Because the internet belongs to a younger demographic, it may not bring up the freshest of memories. Allow me to refresh them.

In April, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated setting off a string of race riots across the country. In June, Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The Vietnam conflict was nearing its height. Civil disobedience, protests, and riots were sparked all over the country. In August of that year, the Democratic National Convention met in Chicago. Riots broke out, the National Guard was called in, fighting was rampant in the streets, and the whole convention was fraught with television footage of protesters and police beating the hell out of each other.

Regardless of your political affiliation – regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the police response and regardless if you agree or disagree with the Yippies – rioting in the street is not the way to advance the cause of peace. Why am I reminding my readers of this, especially in a post titled “DNC Roundup: Monday”? Guess what the biggest demonstration before the convention kicked off wanted?

If you said peace, you’re wrong. If you said, “A return to the 1968 Democratic National Convention” you’re right. There were no reports of violence today – a few people were pepper sprayed, two were arrested for blocking traffic, but that was it. I have absolutely no desire to see 1968 repeated. Racism, defeat, assassination, open hatred, and open riots in the street – none of these things helps America. Taking to the streets to champion the darkest days of American politics is beyond disgusting. If you’re right, then you should be able to prove it. If violence is your only talking point, you’re done.

Game over. You’ve lost.

Then again, Hubert Humphrey lost in 1968. Maybe my desire to repeat the past isn’t entirely gone. Can we call that a bump in the polls?

From the Podium

Inside the National Convention itself, however, there was much less sensationalism. Pelosi, Kennedy, and Michelle Obama were the main speakers of the night. None of their comments were particularly new or surprising. Pelosi’s comments were a brief and generic rundown of the usual Democratic talking points.

Ted Kennedy’s comments were brief as well although I do credit him for being there at all, given his health. Kennedy always makes me stare in awe at my television repeating over and over again, what the fuck?!” when I hear him speak, but his comments weren’t new or interesting beyond what we usually get from him.

The headliner for the evening, Michelle Obama, was likewise an unremarkable speech. While she rooted for her husband, her speech was decidedly not political. Her speech was not meant to be on policy but about family. In that regard, it was warm, symbolic, and deeply humanizing – but that’s not why we watch the convention. We want to know what the Democratic nominee will do to make the country a better place and why we should vote for him instead of a Republican nominee.

All in all, the first night of the Democratic National Convention was a waste in my opinion. The convention is a showpiece. It is theater. It is carefully crafted to use the nomination process to propel the nominee into the center stage and focus all eyes on the candidate’s message. You can’t afford to have a weak message during this time. The two candidates are neck and neck. After the first night, the Democrats have failed to do that.

We’ll see how the next few days play out.