DNC speakers announced 8/27 UPDATE: Crist will speak

[morgieb]

I'd have much more respect for Crist if he'd come out of the closet. I mean, as a politician, I don't see how going from Republican to Independent to Democrat is any more embarrassing than just admitting the truth.

Because in a hypothetical Democratic primary, a good part of his base (namely northern ConservaDems and African-Americans) aren't friends with that community, and besides, he's married. Or do you believe Jim Greer?

Larry Craig was married too.

He still hasn't come out of closet though?

Was Foley married?

[Mr. Morden]

I haven't really followed this closely, but what is the evidence that Crist is gay?  Some guy claims to have had an affair with him?  Didn't a man also claim to have had sex with Obama?  Does that mean he's gay?

[Eraserhead]

I'd boo the hell out of Crist if I was on the floor.

[Donerail]

I haven't really followed this closely, but what is the evidence that Crist is gay?  Some guy claims to have had an affair with him?  Didn't a man also claim to have had sex with Obama?  Does that mean he's gay?

Dear Lord, where do we begin (not that there's mountains of evidence, it's just a really complex plotline; Florida politics is interesting)... Okay, the former chairman of the FL Repubs is a guy named Jim Greer, who is now under arrest for several felonies (organized scheme to defraud, money laundering, grand theft); he made a company that would take funds from the FL GOP and use it on his personal expenses. Greer says that Crist knew about it, people don't believe him, his attorney talks to the guy in charge of Crist's law firm (John Morgan), his attorney says that Crist is gay, had gay relationships with at least two men, paid those two men to leave the state, tried to kiss Greer, went on drunken escapades, and attempted to run over people while on a drunk golf cart joyride. Crist says that it's "a bunch of delusional lies" and that Greer is trying to extort him, and Morgan questioning why, if Crist was gay, would he try to kiss Greer (in his own words, "He (Crist) would have to be a sick son of a bitch to try to kiss Porky the Pig"), and also comparing the questions Greer's attorney was asking to be comparable to "when was the last time you [smurf]ed the neighbor's sheep", or "are you still beating your wife." After this incident, Greer accused Crist of appointing George LeMieux to the US Senate in order to keep him quiet about Gayporkydrunkengolfcart-gate.

Also, there was a 21-year-old GOP staffer (Jason Wetherington) six years ago who boasted that he had banged Crist and also said that a convicted robber (Bruce Carlton Jordan) was Crist's long-term partner. They both worked for Katherine Harris in her Senate bid. AFAIK nothing much ever became of it, but it was fodder for some documentary (Outrage, I think it was called).

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Cardinal Dolan is going to be giving the closing prayer at the DNC as well as the RNC.  At one point he had offered but the Democrats didn't take him up on it. Did they change because they were getting bad press?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

They better give my boys Feingold, Dean, and Schweitzer slots.

Two of the three people you mentioned are washed-up has-beens? 

Dean is personally responsible for the Democratic landslides in 2006 and 2008 and heads a major progressive organization. Feingold...sure, but a ton of has-beens are speaking.

However, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that they gave so many irrelevant women (sure women's health stuff is important, but they have like 10 speakers for the same damn purpose, and most prominent Democratic politicians that warrant a slot are still men) like Sandra Fluke and Eva Longoria, full speaking slots, while snubbing someone like Brian Schweitzer, who's a strong speaker with a solid record and can appeal to swing voters?

With the GOP's swing to the right and the nomination of a man who holds utter contempt for the average American, I hoped that Obama would take the opportunity to contrast him by bringing back the Democrats to what we're really about (or were until Bill the Cutter); the party that works to help the 99%. Given that most of the speaking slots are either by shiny moderates or are just highlighting a social issue which 49% of the country has absolutely no connection with, and that few (except maybe Strickland's and Warren's) are either by those on the base of the party or are focusing on the major issue of the campaign and taking a hardline pro-people stance on it, I'm rather disappointed in Obama and the DNC. I'll watch Obama, Biden, Castro, and Warren, and hopefully I'll feel better about the future of the Democrats.

To add onto this; in summary, I feel the Democrats are, unlike the Republicans, ignoring the progressive base and trying to win by moving to the right.

[Gass3268]

Thank God this is next!!!

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

It's time for an Obama comeback.

[Comrade Funk]

Thank God this is next!!!

[krazen1211]

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2012/8/27/fla_gop_gov_charlie_.html

An official with President Barack Obama's campaign said Sunday that Crist will speak at next week's convention in Charlotte, N.C., but the day hasn't been worked out.


We found the mystery GOP speaker.

Good for Crist. I know, as a ConservaDem, I've been trashing the DNC this year (see my signature), but I'm happy for Crist. I really do think he's just a good guy (and he gets an undue amount of flack on this forum ).

I am personally a tad confused at the lack of opportunity Obama is giving for the next generation of Democrats. Omalley, Castro, Hickenlooper are there but the bulk of the rest of the lineup is filled with random liberal females and has beens.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2012/8/27/fla_gop_gov_charlie_.html

An official with President Barack Obama's campaign said Sunday that Crist will speak at next week's convention in Charlotte, N.C., but the day hasn't been worked out.


We found the mystery GOP speaker.

Well a lot of our rising stars were defeated in the midterms. The only ones left are speaking; except for Cuomo who didn't want to speak, and Schwietzer who we don't know about yet

Good for Crist. I know, as a ConservaDem, I've been trashing the DNC this year (see my signature), but I'm happy for Crist. I really do think he's just a good guy (and he gets an undue amount of flack on this forum ).

I am personally a tad confused at the lack of opportunity Obama is giving for the next generation of Democrats. Omalley, Castro, Hickenlooper are there but the bulk of the rest of the lineup is filled with random liberal females and has beens.

[BM]

This is one of the worst lineups for a convention I've ever seen in my entire life. The Republicans have a much deeper bench for the future if these are the people they're propping up, even though their nominee was overshadowed by nearly every speaker.

The list of women is terrible. Sandra Fluke, Barbara Lee, Eva Longoria, and even Barbara Mikulski over Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand? I am considering changing my registration again.

[RogueBeaver]

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that Warren immediately precedes Bubba?

[Comrade Funk]

Wiki says Hickenlooper and O'Malley will speak, but I really want Gillibrand and Schweitzer.

[ucscgaldamez]

It would be helpful if on the first page a lineup was given for the four days of the convention.

So who's speaking when?

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

The lineup here is honestly worrying me. The GOP convention admittedly had a lot of good future stars show they had something...not getting that vibe so much from the Dem lineup.

[BM]

Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren
Former president Bill Clinton
First Lady Michelle Obama
Keynote speaker Julian Castro, mayor of San Antonio
Former President Jimmy Carter will address the gathering by video
Former Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Georgetown Law School Graduate Sandra Fluke
Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
California Attorney General Kamala Harris
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper
Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau
Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
President of NARAL Pro-Choice America Nancy Keenan
Author and daughter of former President Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy (ret.)
U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts
Women’s rights activist Lilly Ledbetter
Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California
CarMax co-founder and former CEO Austin Ligon
Obama Campaign Co-Chair Eva Longoria
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, together with the women of the U.S. Senate
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley
Houston Mayor Annise Parker
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak
Journalist Cristina Saralegui
Costco co-founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal
Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
Los Angeles Mayor, Democratic Convention Chair Antonio Villaraigosa
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Pathetic list. Some of them have no relevance whatsoever anymore. Strickland? Granholm?

No Schweitzer? No Cuomo? Gillibrand and Klobuchar shoved in with all the other Senate women?

O'Malley and Booker are the only ones that might be interesting and amount to something, but I somehow doubt that too.

[morgieb]

Some of them are good, but yeah we've got too many random females.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Aren't Kamala Harris and Hickenlooper also considered rising stars?

[Averroës Nix]

I'm disappointed by about 1/3 of the list:

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But I suppose there are usually only be 4-5 speeches that are at all memorable, at most. The rest doesn't matter terribly, although politicians like Gillibrand really deserve the chance to be showcased.

[Dumbo]

Will there be a surprise speaker as it was Eastwood for the Republicans?
If yes who could it be?

[CatoMinor]

Isn't there supposed to be some relevant Republican on the list?

[Maxwell]

ugggh actual stars of the party (Cuomo, Schweitzer) nowhere to be found...

[Grumpier Than Thou]

ugggh actual stars of the party (Cuomo, Schweitzer) nowhere to be found...

This. Although Cory Booker's speech will be fantastic.

[You kip if you want to...]

Aren't Kamala Harris and Hickenlooper also considered rising stars?

Yes