Break out the hats and horns

No matter what the outcome of the general election in November, it must be said that the old Chinese curse is true for all of us: We certainly do live in interesting times. As a case study in how a huge democratic society handles enormous internal pressures, the next six months will be very instructive. The run up to the two national conventions, then the events themselves should make for really, really good reality TV.

First the Democratic National Convention will happen in July. Kerry may or may not accept the nomination. Personally, I hope accepts the nomination in Boston. I think it will be seen as a too legalistic and manipulative, another dumb Republican talking point. He will have to spend the money he saves to reverse the damage he incurs. So John, please, my mom is a national delegate from Minnesota. Let her nominate you. Then accept. You'll look good doing it. I mean, what are you going to do for a finale? “Thanks for traveling all this way to make me an offer…Lemee think about that for a month or so.” Have some faith.…Accept! The money will come.

Of particular interest to me is the GOP Convention in NYC. The Dark Star is alighting in Manhattan for 4 days. Guaranteed they will attempt to fold the site of the World Trade Center collapse into a mass branding operation the likes of which the world has not witnessed. They will spew out talking points. Image-control initiatives will seduce us with flag after flag after flag. Hand-to-heart politicians will burrow into bibles. All of it will confound and stupefy the average thinking person who knows that, gosh, behind all the smoke and mirrors the Repubs are using America to attack America.

That alone would merit a good look. But this convention, arguably the most seminal political gathering since the democratic convention in Chicago 1968 (I was 7), will not happen in a vacuum. What will be especially fascinating is the size and scale of the protests that will happen along side it. Word on the street is that the NYC PD is preparing for 500,000 protesters over the 4-day period. That's if the City approves any permits. It will happen anyway. They might as well start issuing the paper. In an especially creative move, some groups plan to infiltrate the ranks of convention volunteers. And then there is the general knowledge that Republicans are outnumbered by Democrats in NYC by 5 to 1. That is giving convention organizers a long pause.