Redstate

Posted at 1:45am on Jul. 9, 2008 Did anybody... *talk* to anybody else before they decided on this Obama stadium thing?

Or was this just one of those "Hey, let's get a blimp!" moments, and nobody was there to say no?

By Moe Lane

Because I don't think that this is what the Democratic Party (note noun) wanted:

Networks may limit convention coverage

Obama’s decision “makes it enormously more expensive,” said Paul Friedman, senior vice president at CBS News. “It does add to the overall question of how the networks should cover what is a non-news event.”

Major television networks are considering curtailing coverage of the Democratic National Convention after Monday’s announcement that Barack Obama will accept his party's nomination in a Denver stadium.

According to several broadcast executives, the networks will still cover all the major speeches. But beyond that, all options are open as they look for savings to balance out the anticipated costs surrounding the stadium event. The acceptance event is an unexpected departure from the traditional convention hall format for which they have spent months planning.

Network executives expect Obama’s relatively late-breaking decision to speak at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat football stadium, could add hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs to already cash-strapped news divisions. Each network has budgeted millions to cover the political conventions, but that spending is already accounted for in specific costs ranging from hotel rooms to staffing to building convention platforms.

For most networks, any additional outlays for the convention would come out of their 2008 campaign budget.

The article goes on to discuss various ways that the networks are thinking of saving cash at this late a date - and reading between the lines, they're actually already inclined to find any handy excuse to cut back convention coverage, probably because these things are usually as dull as dishwater. Unfortunately for the Democrats, the networks want to cut back coverage as being not a good ROI: cutting back because they don't have enough to cover sudden expenses inflicted upon them by a third party is about as aggravating to them as it would be to you, me, or anybody else reading this.

As witnessed by the pull-quote above. Allow me to clue in the Obama campaign: when somebody at Paul Friedman's level permits his name to be linked to a comment like that, it's a subtle hint. Paul Friedman would like somebody from the Obama campaign to give him a call. Somebody who is not an intern.

And he'd like to be getting that call first thing in the morning, thanks.

Posted in 2008 | DNC | Obamafiles | Things to Do In Denver When You're Broke — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:02pm on Jul. 3, 2008 Democratic Party contemplating cutting a day off of convention schedule.

For a Party so supposedly loaded down with cash, they're doing a lot of austerity programs.

By Moe Lane

I can't seem to avoid the front page today. Via Hot Air:

A short but sweet gathering
July 3, 2008

Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee are toying with a convention scheduling change that has been broached before in theory but never seriously considered: cutting the party's conclave in Denver short by one day to give Obama an extra day of post-nomination bounce in the crowded August calendar.

For the last several decades -- when conventions became forums that merely rubber-stamp a presumptive nominee -- they have traditionally run from Monday through Thursday. Increasingly, both parties have struggled to offer something of interest during the first couple of convention nights, and the television networks have responded by dramatically reducing live coverage. The only truly significant event has been the nominee's acceptance speech, delivered during prime time on Thursday evening.

But Obama aides have floated the idea of ending the Denver convention on Wednesday, Aug. 27, instead of Thursday, Aug. 28.

You'll notice - although the LA Times didn't - that the aforementioned Obama aides completely overlooked the fact that their blithe suggestion would muck up network lineup schedules. The time to do that was four months ago, guys. Springing it on them seven weeks out isn't very nice.

Read on.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | DNC | Obamafiles | Things to Do In Denver When You're Broke — Comments (46)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:33pm on Jun. 18, 2008 Denver Post calls for Barack Obama to help fund DNC convention shortfall.

More money than God, remember?

By Moe Lane

Their editorial position is one of faint alarm at the current state of affairs with the convention committee, coupled with a certain worry that somehow Coloradans will be stuck with the bill. After noting the - yeah, "litany" is fair - of failures, the DP addresses the future:

Right now, the only back-up plan is to continue raising money. And considering how difficult it's already been, that gives us pause. However, Kelly Jean Brough, the mayor's chief of staff, was quoted as saying that other cities who have hosted political conventions report that fundraising "always picks up in the final months before the event, with nominees assisting in the process."

We can only hope. We've heard for some months now that the Democrats' protracted battle for the presidential nomination hurt fundraising. Well, there's now just one nominee, and he just so happens to have an astonishing ability to raise money.

As we've said before, an e-mail from Barack Obama to his donor list, asking for support for the convention, would put the host committee much closer to meeting its needs.

The failure of the Obama campaign to do even this (let alone simply funding the shortfall directly) continues to be startling, given that as the assumed nominee he would be the primary beneficiary of a lavish Denver convention (and one that would be better covered than usual). Financial considerations should not be a concern, given his reputation for fund-raising (although - unlike McCain - Obama has not yet announced his May totals)... which leads to the interesting question: why is the DNC being left in limbo like this?

Moe Lane

PS: I have noticed that very few reports have been made about Obama's May fundraising, and most of the ones that have been made usually seem to be uncritically accepting of that Hill story of his likely $100 million June. But "very few" does not equal "none".

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | DNC | Things to Do In Denver When You're Broke — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:38pm on Jun. 17, 2008 DNC Default Update: "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nice shootin', Tex! "

What do you mean, "No comment?" You *own* this incontinent little puppy now, Barry.

By Moe Lane

Or so we keep getting told.

Here's some of the background: the short version is that the host committee for this thing is on the hook (as in, within a week) for any shortfalls from expenditures. The article indicates that the city's not liable under the contract, although the quoted Wyeth below doesn't seem to be quite hearing that. This has all the signs of being a truly epic-level spat:

"The responsibilities of the host committee, as detailed in the master contract, are all important to ensuring the success of the convention," DNCC spokeswoman Natalie Wyeth said in a statement. "The host committee and the city committed to meeting these requirements, and we fully expect that they will do so."

The contract specifies that the city of Denver isn't responsible for financing the convention, and Hickenlooper spokeswoman Sue Cobb reiterated Monday the mayor's promise that no city money would be used to finance the convention.

[snip]

Wyeth declined to comment on whether there would be any consequences if the city did not provide for a line of credit, adding that the contract speaks for itself.

Still, easily fixed, right? You can't have a chintzy, strapped-for-cash convention. God knows the DNC can't pony up, so you go to the nominee...

With less than 70 days to the convention, host-committee officials say they are reaching out to the campaign of Barack Obama, the Democrat's presumptive nominee and a proven fundraising powerhouse, to help fill the difference. Host-committee officials have blamed the long primary season for the slow pace of fundraising.

Officials at Obama's campaign headquarters in Chicago declined to comment.

...and that's where you insert the "needle skips on the record" sound effect. This should be a no-brainer: the Democrats are in Denver because it's in Colorado, and they'd like to win Colorado, and one prerequisite to winning Colorado is not ticking off the state by throwing a party and stiffing Colorado with the tab. The DNC doesn't have the money, the DCCC and the DSCC need all their money (because they sure aren't getting anything from the DNC this go-round), and if the private donors were going to make up the difference on their own they would have done so by now. It's you or nobody, Senator Obama - and you're supposed to be the man with the cash, on the verge of having your best month yet.

So why no commitment, or even comment?

Moe Lane

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | DNC | Things to Do In Denver When You're Broke — Comments (14)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:26pm on Jun. 15, 2008 Annnnnd let the DNC's unseemly last minute scramble for money commence.

Please note: I fully expect them to scrape the money together by tomorrow. *Somehow.*

By Moe Lane

I mean, really: Howard Dean may be the most incompetent DNC chair in his Party's history, but surely even he can display a certain raw animal cunning when his back's to the wall like this.

DNC convention committee faces $15 million shortfall

DENVER (AP) — The host committee for the Democratic National Convention faces a possible shortfall of $15 million, complicating logistics for the August event and forcing it to abruptly postpone a media walkthrough of the site scheduled for next week.

The Democratic National Committee has asked the cash-strapped panel to raise $40.6 million by Monday to finance the event. Last month, the committee said it had just $25 million in cash, and it has failed to meet each of several fundraising deadlines since signing a contract with the DNC last year.

Via Ed Morrissey. If you were wondering why the Obama campaign is transplanting the DNC to Chicago, I suggest that the article might give you a hint as to why. If you were wondering why this would even be an issue, since Obama's going to have more money than Croesus by the end of June, I suggest... I suggest that you don't worry about it. Of course Obama will be able to make Howard Dean's problems go away, all with One Big Check.

Moe Lane

PS: What? Oh, apparently we're good. But thanks for asking.

PPS: Yes, I understand that there's often problems with putting money together for Presidential conventions. It's just that Howard Dean has been a really, really, really bad DNC Chair.

Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | DNC | Howard Dean | Things to Do In Denver When You're Broke — Comments (28)/ Email this page » / Read More »