Things Are Better - But For Whom?

As the ninth week before the election gets rolling, it's important to note the Presidential campaigns on both sides were already getting out to the public over the weekend, trying to sell their plans - with noticeably different responses.

Not too far from our South Florida offices, a Sunshine State business owner was so excited to see President Obama over the weekend, he picked up the "Leader of the Free World" in a giant bear hug. Thankfully, the Secret Service knew the man was no danger to the President. While the President was exciting voters in South Florida, Vice President Joe Biden convinced some bikers in Ohio to sit down with him - including one who sat on his lap.

At the other end of the emotional spectrum, Republican candidate Mitt Romney sat down for two quiet private interviews with NBC's David Gregory, one a dual interview with Mitt and his wife Ann. It was not the best move for the Romney campaign, in our opinion.

Mitt and Ann came off as arrogant and disconnected in their dual appearance. In his solo interview, Mr. Romney said there were things about Obamacare he liked - even though last week he'd told the audience at the Republican National Convention he would kill Obamacare. Mitt also threw his running mate under the bus, calling Paul Ryan's vote for Congress' defense cuts "A big mistake."

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan didn't fare much better, as he kept attempting to peddle the empty Romney/Ryan plans on other Sunday shows. His worst moment came when Paul Ryan told CBS' Norah O'Donnell that he didn't vote for the defense cuts - which can be factually proven that he did vote in favor of, thus proving him a liar once again.

None of this surprised us one bit.

If you remember, during the start of the two conventions, we said that we'd begin ignoring most of the polling for each candidate and their party until after their conventions were finished. Both conventions are now blessedly over, with final poll numbers in for the RNC, and nearly final numbers available for the DNC.

In short, the Romney/Ryan ticket is in trouble, possibly major trouble.

After the Republican National Convention, and after the hoopla died down, Romney, Ryan and the Republicans got at best a 2 point bounce in the polls. Some polls had them at a net zero bounce - or worse.

As the final polling from the Democratic National Committee rolls in, the bounce for Obama, Biden, and the Democrats ranges from a four point bump to as much as a ten point bump from Gallup, a poll that has tended to lean Republican this cycle.

What's more, President Obama's approval rating on Friday, just after the convention, was at 52%, the highest it has been since the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

In short, Democrats planned and executed a better convention than Republicans did. Further, Americans appear to like not just the Obama and Biden plans, but the men themselves. That's easy to understand, considering the empty promises and draconian cuts proposed by the Romney/ Ryan team.

Now that the top of the ticket is sorting itself out, maybe everyone in the media can start focusing on the down ballot races for House, Senate, and local contests, too.

We know that's something we're planning on tackling ourselves.

Friday Funday: Cheap Shots & Kudos

After two weeks, too much travel, too little sleep, and more politicians in two places than fifty U.N. world summits, the quadrennial political party conventions for the Democratic and Republican parties are done.

If you're one of the approximately 15,000 members of the media who have invaded both Tampa and Charlotte over the last two weeks, we'll be raising our glasses to you this evening, in a collegial salute. Whether you support the conventions or not, most of you in the media were simply trying to produce and publish top-notch work in incredibly trying conditions over the last two weeks.

For those of you who chose the high road and didn't just take the cheap shot, write the trash story, grab the easy footage, or slap together some clickbait for the web, thanks. For those of you who actually tipped your waitstaff - in both cities - twenty percent or more, our thanks go out to you as well.

Not everyone in the media chose the same path these last two weeks.

Some of our colleagues reached for the easy shots these last two weeks. They didn't bust their behinds for the good interviews, didn't push their deadlines to the wall. They reached for the cheap shots of racism, fear, and lies - or they swallowed whole the poison fed to them by the worst members of the political establishment.

Frankly, covering the Republican convention was much harder to do this year than the Democratic convention. The sheer amount of lies pouring from the GOP candidates and pundits this year was not only astounding, but sickening. Contrast that with multiple fact checks from the Democratic convention that effectively said, 'Nothing really to check here.'

In Tampa, the mood was dark, filled with anger and racism, and both attendees and members of the media felt like they were in some kind of demilitarized zone.

In Charlotte, the atmosphere was positive, even jovial. We even know of one particular hole in the wall which hosted both left and right leaning journalists, having a few drinks and talking with one another - though for the safety of their jobs, we won't reveal who those folks were.

No matter whether you're tipping Macallan 18, a Miller or Bud, or a cool iced tea this weekend, if you're a member of the media - or you're someone who enjoys high quality news coverage - we hope you enjoy every last moment of this weekend, preferably away from most media sources.

This is the last chance you'll get to breathe for another ten weeks.

The real campaign begins now.

Burying The Hatchet

No matter how much times change and people change, some things remain the same. On Wednesday, in the midst of a surprisingly positive Democratic National Convention, we were reminded of that old Will Rogers quote, "I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."

A small scuffle over some changes to the official Democratic Party Platform happened on the convention floor on Wednesday. Any member of the media, politician, or political pundit who refused to lie to themselves or their audience wasn't truly surprised by this kerfuffle. That said, more than a few media whores - especially those on the highly biased and barely professional right - attempted to make the molehill of a scuffle into a mountain of discontent.

We can assure you, from multiple contacts on the floor of the convention, Wednesday's platform tussle was not a big deal. The fact is, from time to time, we all fight with those we care about, over the topics we care about most. For example, our staff doesn't always agree about who's more to blame for the death of bipartisanship in American government - though the historical and statistical data gives significantly more blame to one side.

Those of us who care deeply about the truth even disagree about facts sometimes, on important topics like jobs, debt and deficits. That doesn't mean we want each other dead.

It was not so long ago that President Clinton himself held a grudge against Barack Obama. We can't say we blame him. Mr. Obama defeated Mr. Clinton's spouse, Hillary Clinton, in one of the most contested presidential primary elections over the last century, just four years ago.

Last night, however, it was clear that President Bill Clinton had chosen to take a different path than those who continue to drag out long-held grudges in the media, or frankly, many of those in the differing factions of each major political party.

President Clinton's primary address at the Democratic National Convention lauded and listed the many achievements of President Obama, and made it clear - there is no question as to where Clinton's support is in this election. Mr. Clinton's spirited and forceful defense of Mr. Obama's policies was not only brilliant, but a brutal smackdown to a Republican Party that has effectively made cooperation a political crime.

"What works in the real world is cooperation," said Clinton, as he praised Obama's history of bipartisan outreach, even while denouncing the scorched earth policies of the right. "Democracy does not have to be a bloodsport."

The barnburner of a speech - the second in two nights at the DNC - was less of a partisan beat down than one might think, though. At his best, President Bill Clinton is still a progressive moderate, the kind of folksy but honest politician who can act more as a referee than as a player.

In short, someone who can confirm the truth that Obama has been a bipartisan President, in an era of extremist Republicans.

There are still those who say the idea of bipartisanship is dying or is dead - that America itself has become so divided along party lines, economic lines, color lines, and any number of other divisions, that we should simply shovel the dirt into the metaphorical coffin, and bury the idea.

As was evident last night at the DNC, if we choose to follow our better angels, as President Clinton did, we may be able to bury something else instead - the hatchet of division.