Convention Preview
Polishing Its Image, Denver Braces for Dems
The Democratic National Convention may not be of the scale of the Beijing Olympics, but there's no question that the DNC is a major coming-out party for a city that's "often misrepresented as a cow town stuck in the middle of flyover country."By Richard Martin, 8-24-08
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I was sitting outside Pekoe teahouse on Saturday morning, sipping a chai, when I overheard a guy at the next table mention electromagnetic radiation, the Book of Relevations and Roswell. He described a scenario in which a race of powerful alien beings swept in from another part of the universe, briefly controlled and then determined the fate of our civilization, and disappeared, leaving only a few inscrutable clues to their time on this plane.
Oh, I realized, he must be talking about the Democratic National Convention!
Fifty thousand outsiders will invade the Queen City tomorrow to select the first major-party African-American presidential candidate in the nation’s history. It may not be of the scale of the Beijing Olympics, which are wrapping up as a big success even as I write this, but there’s no question that the DNC is a major coming-out party for a city that’s “often misrepresented as a cow town stuck in the middle of flyover country,” notes The Washington Post in a story that helps perpetuate that misconception.
Sophisticated, economically muscular, and blessed with natural surroundings to equal any city in the world, Denver nevertheless today has the air of a country matron cleaning up the farmhouse and greasing back the kids’ hair for the arrival of her more worldly cousins. The Denver Post summed it up perfectly on today’s editorial page: “What will they think of us?”
One thing that they will not think is that Coloradoans weak-kneed on the law-and-order side of things. Denver right now has “a police-state atmosphere” redolent of the People’s Republic of China, writes ABC News political correspondent Rick Klein. (We may not have 15,000 guys pounding illuminated drums, as did the Beijing opening ceremonies, but no one will top us in the guard-dog and rubber-truncheon department, by God.) When you talk to a city official hosting any political convention today you only have to mention one phrase to elicit a panicky sweat: “Chicago 1968.”
The anarchists who’ve reportedly rented a house and stocked it with containers of urine to dump on unsuspecting convention-goers aside, though, that probably won’t happen. The more likely embarrassment would come from an accumulation of trifling faux-pas: a bad meal in a downtown Denver bistro; an overly boosterish speech from gee-whiz Major John Hickenlooper (who has taken to referring to the event as “the blasted convention"), a major transportation and infrastructure blunder, an especially unfortunate comment by a radio talk-show host, or the like.
For the host city, the convention is like an Olympic balance beam routine: you can do the whole thing with style, grace and elegance, but one minor slip and they knock you down in the 7.5s. For millions of Americans, especially politically active ones, Denver’s image will be cemented for decades in the next 4 days.
“What I tell people is that ‘Had we known then what we know now, we would’ve never bid for the convention,’” Hickenlooper has told more than one audience lately. “And what an incredible shame that would’ve been.”
It would also be a shame to polish up Denver’s rough edges to fit the notions of urban life that convention delegates bring with them from San Francisco, Atlanta or Miami. Whether you’re a Chinese peasant, a local businessperson, or a U.S. presidential candidate, the way to impress outsiders is to be good at what you do, proud of your heritage, and comfortable in your own skin. Great at the first, Denver has never been all that good at the other two. Let’s see if we can get it right this time.
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KUSA - A Wyoming hunter who accidentally caused a security concern at the Grand Hyatt hotel Saturday said he's sorry for the problems he caused and didn't know the Democratic National Convention was in town.
When Joseph Calanchini walked into the Grand Hyatt hotel with 2 rifles and 2 pistols Saturday around 4:00 pm, Denver Police evacuated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from the hotel until they arrested Calanchini and made sure it was safe for Pelosi to return.
"I didn't even know the DNC was in town. I don't watch the news," said Joseph Calanchini from the Denver City Jail where he's being held on bond. "If I had known, I would have done things differently. It was a simple mistake."
Calanchini, who talked to 9Wants to Know from the Denver City Jail, says he had the weapons because he's getting ready to go on a hunting safari trip in Limpopo Basin, South Africa on August 28. He planned to hunt warthog, impala, baboon and jackals with a friend there.
He says he had just picked up his rifles from the Sportsman's Warehouse and had them in a locked gun case when he checked in at the Grand Hyatt. The clerk checking him in noticed the rifle case and called security.
"I'm amazed. It's not like they were illegal weapons, they were all registered to me," said Calanchini. "It was bad timing."
Police say Calanchini had permits for the rifles, but did not have concealed permits to carry two pistols that were found in his luggage. Calanchini says he forgot they were in there.
He was charged with unlawfully carry weapons, a misdemeanor. Calanchini is being held on $10,000 bond at the Denver City Jail.
"I didn't mean to cause any problems," said Calanchini. "I'm sorry, it was not intentional."
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(paces around the room until falling over weeping at the Schweitzer poster on the south wall)
(Tries to go to the River City Roots festival to forget about becoming disillusioned but realizes halfway there the music sucks)
{Decides to go anyway, but the power's out because the festival decided to go green. Laughs as promoters pat themselves on the back in the dark.)
(Goes to Signal Path instead)