Why conventions still matter

Yes, they have become costly infomercials. But political conventions can clarify ? and sometimes even electrify.?

By Robert A. Lehrman,?Correspondent / August 24, 2012

This is the cover story in the Aug. 20 & 27 combined issue of The Christian Science MonitorWeekly.

Robert Harbison/The Christian Science Monitor/File

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Can it be? Yes! They're shouting at him! "Put the microphones down! We can't see you!"

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Harry Truman, wearing a white linen suit, peers out at the delegates. It's 1948. Two o'clock in the morning. He's trying to start his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. So far, it's been humiliating.

First, he knows he's a terrible speaker ? so bad his aides now give him talking points, hoping he'll be livelier when he ad-libs.

Worse, most delegates don't like him. Truman knows they want to draft the most popular person in the country, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. Only the political bosses running their delegations have kept them in line.

And the Southern Democrats? With a civil rights plank in the platform, they've walked out, likely to form a third party, which everybody thinks will doom his chances.

Even little things backfire. Just as he got to the stage, a woman rushed up to present him with a cage containing "doves of peace." They were pigeons. They got loose, flew up to the rafters and, as an aide wrote later, "did what pigeons do."

"Watch your clothes!" delegates cried, covering their heads.

Now this! He's the president! Can't he even control the microphones?

"I can't!" Truman shouts back.

Today, 64 years later, the Republicans and Democrats are gearing up to gavel in their conventions in a way that will allow them to control every picosecond of the multiday events.

When the Republicans open their conclave on Aug. 27 in Tampa, Fla., and the Democrats a week later in Charlotte, N.C., they will try to make everyone stay on message and stick to their meticulously prepared scripts in what has become one of the most tightly controlled rituals in American politics.

But since the first Democratic convention in 1832, these quadrennial events have always been full of surprises. These may be, too.

That's not to say there's any doubt about the outcome. Longtime GOP strategist Joe Gaylord ran the rules committee for the 1976 Republican National Convention ? the last convention when it wasn't clear who would be the nominee.

"That was a raucous event," says Mr. Gaylord, who went on to play major roles at five more. "Now, it's such a managed stage show."

That, he hastens to add, doesn't mean that conventions aren't worth watching.

Certainly viewers will hear about big issues. This election pits a nominee who wants to carry out the 2010 health-care act against one who wants to repeal it; one who'll work for same-sex marriage against one who'll try to keep marriage between a man and a woman; one who would repeal tax cuts for millionaires against one who would make those tax cuts permanent; one who would continue a government-run Medicare program against one who might convert it to a voucher-based system.

Washington will spend about $15 trillion in the next four years. Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have different ideas about where that money should go. The conventions can highlight some of those differences.

Still, the changes in how conventions work and what they do have made people question the value of these events, which received $18 million each in federal subsidies this year, in addition to the $50 million Washington gives each host city for security. In 1996, Ted Koppel, then the popular host of "Nightline," left the Republican convention in San Diego early.

"More of an infomercial than a news event," he said, arguing that gavel-to-gavel coverage of them wasn't useful anymore.

Is that true? Does knowing who the nominees will be really mean there's no news worth reporting? How exactly have conventions changed over the years? Are they still important?

* * *

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Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/y149pzliChE/Why-conventions-still-matter

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ITC decides Apple didn't violate Motorola WiFi patent after all, tosses case back to judge

Trouble looked to be brewing for Apple last April: an International Trade Commission judge made an initial ruling that Apple infringed on a standards-essential Motorola WiFi patent, raising the possibility of a trade ban if the verdict held true. The fellows in Cupertino may have caught a big break. A Commission review of the decision on Friday determined that Apple didn't violate the patent, and it upheld positions that exonerated the iPhone maker regarding two others. Apple isn't entirely off the hook, however. The ITC is remanding the case to the judge to review his stance that Apple hadn't violated a non-standards-based patent, which still leaves Apple facing the prospect of a ban. However, having to revisit the case nearly resets the clock -- we now have to wait for another ruling and a matching review, and that likely puts any final decision well into 2013. Google-owned Motorola isn't lacking more weapons in its arsenal, but any stalled proceedings take away bargaining chips in what's become a high-stakes game.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

ITC decides Apple didn't violate Motorola WiFi patent after all, tosses case back to judge originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/24/itc-decides-apple-didnt-violate-motorola-wifi-patent-after-all/

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Highlights of Obama's AP interview

President Barack Obama, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, sought to steal some of Mitt Romney's thunder as he heads into the Republican National Convention beginning Monday in Tampa, Fla. Obama said Romney's policies would hurt the middle class and enrich the wealthy.

Here are some of the highlights of the 25-minute interview in the White House library:

ROMNEY-EXTREMISM

Said Romney has taken on "extreme positions" that are consistent with the views of many House Republicans and said he would expect the former Massachusetts governor to advance some of those positions if he won the White House. Said he expected Romney to pursue a $5 trillion tax cut, the rolling back of reproductive rights for women and the elimination of tax credits for wind producers if elected.

THE ECONOMY

Acknowledged that the nation's economy has not improved fast enough for many people and "we aren't where we need to be." But said Romney's policies would make things worse for middle-class families while benefiting the wealthy and not offer long-term opportunities for poor Americans trying to get into the middle class.

ROMNEY'S TAXES

Accused Romney of not willing to live up to some of the responsibilities required of someone seeking the presidency, pointing to his unwillingness to release multiple years of federal tax returns. Said when you run for president, you're asking the American people to "put their trust in you" and as a result candidates need to disclose their tax records.

ROMNEY THE BUSINESSMAN

Credited Romney with achieving "extraordinary success" with his business and said he cares "deeply" about his family and faith. But said Romney's view of the economy was "contradicted by the facts" and accused his opponent of pursuing policies that have not benefited the economy in the past.

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

Called Romney a "very capable debater" and said his opponent performed well in debates during the GOP primaries. But said Romney would face challenges in the fall debates because the arguments he's making "just aren't based on facts."

SECOND TERM AGENDA

Said if he wins a second term, voters will have cast a "decisive view" and expressed hope that Republicans would be willing to end the stalemate in Congress with Democrats. Said he was willing to make a number of compromises, including those that might bring criticism from Democrats, in order to make progress. Said he expected Republicans to make similar compromises as well.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/highlights-obamas-ap-interview-162012844.html

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Two wounded as Jordan protest turns unruly

An exchange of fire between armed protesters and police during a demonstration in the restive Jordanian town of Maan left two people wounded, the official Petra news agency reported on Saturday.

Some 200 protesters, who had gathered on Friday evening to demand the release of two Jordanians held abroad, marched on the town's security force headquarters where the firefight erupted, the news agency said.

Shots from the crowd seriously wounded a guard, drawing a return of fire which wounded one demonstrator, it added.

Jordanian internet sites said the march had been organised by Salafists to demand the release of fellow Islamist hardliners held in Iraq and Yemen.

The town, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Amman, has seen disturbances by Islamists in the past.

It was also the scene of riots early last year, when cars and businesses were torched to protest the murder of three Jordanians in a labour dispute.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-wounded-jordan-protest-turns-unruly-110238002.html

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State Sports Roundup: High school football season off and running

August 24, 2012 at 3:56 am?in Pierce County Herald

Wisconsin high schools kicked off their 2012 football season last night with five games around the state. Continue Reading

Tags: Football, prep, Sports, wisconsin sports

Source: http://topics.areavoices.com/2012/08/24/state-sports-roundup-high-school-football-season-off-and-running/

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GOP sheriff candidate apologizes for controversial abortion comment

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Source: www.nashuatelegraph.com --- Thursday, August 23, 2012
GOFFSTOWN ? A candidate for a relatively low-profile law enforcement post made a big splash this week by saying he would be open to using deadly force against doctors performing abortions. Frank Szabo made the comments to WMUR on Wednesday and issued a retraction early Thursday morning. The comments created some buzz on the Internet, popping up on sites like HuffingtonPost.com and Newser.com. ?Well, I would hope that it wouldn?t come to that, as with any situation where someone is in danger, but again, specifically talking about elective abortions and late-term abortions, that is an act that needs to be stopped,? Szabo told the WMUR. In a statement emailed to media outlets on Thursday, he called the comments ?unacceptable,? apologized to voters for ?losing track? of what he was saying. ?Clearly, I feel very strongly about life beginning at conception, and that will not change. But, in making comments yesterday, I let my passionate stance against abortion get the better of me,? he said. ?What I said was inexcusable, and as sheriff, I would not use lethal force against an abortion doctor.? Szabo said he was talking about the office of the sheriff having no superior in the county and being responsible for upholding the federal and state constitution, even moving to stop actions that aren?t against the law. ...

Source: http://feeds.nashuatelegraph.com/~r/news/full/~3/Bv-2TV3xFYY/gop-sheriff-candidate-apologizes-for-controversial-abortion.html

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