56  bar steady 20.00 ompn NE  dew-point 44  sunrise 6:28  sunset 8:02  Lughnasa

Waning Crescent of the Corn Moon

The Democratic convention.  Ironically for our family, in Denver where our clan has strong roots.  The Republican convention.  Equally ironical, here in St. Paul.

Here’s an, oh my god I’m an old guy thought, but conventions aren’t what they were when I was a kid.  When primaries began to take the decision about party nominees out of the hands of power brokers and the politics of a particular convention, conventions became mass marketing.  No fun.  Not interesting.  In the past I watched convention coverage as eagerly as the final 4 in the NCAA or the Indianapolis 500.  No more.

My gut tells me that Obama will sit down with his folks, figure out a strategy to focus his campaign on two or three issues-probably the economy, health care reform and energy independence.  He and Biden will punch those home.  They will be more dynamic, more thoughtful, and not Republican.  In the end this should be enough.

Obama needs help, no doubt about that.  He’s a young, inexperienced politician running against a Washington insider, again.  I mean, Hillary was a prime example of an insider.  He’s black.  He’s smart.  He needed this non-incumbent race following an unpopular presidency to give his way outside the box personal situation a chance.  He has it and I think he’ll win pulling away.

Gazpacho tomorrow and planting.  Gazpacho first.