by Tigre Haller

Created on: August 25, 2008   Last Updated: October 09, 2010

After all of the anticipation and planning, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) will finally be launched from the Pepsi Center this evening. Denver, Colorado has been renovated, planted, painted, scrubbed-up to play host to the thousands of people that have converged upon this once sleepy city-town. Trying ever-so-hard to shed the cowtown image, this is truly Denver's chance to shine on an international stage. Delegates, politicians, celebrities and protestors will interact with Denverites during this inarguably historical event. Some citizens are overwhelmed with excitement while others chose to escape the city altogether. Much has been touted about the plethora of activities one can partake in during this week. Everything from free concerts, to art exhibits, interactive sculptural pieces and watching a caucus. Hub-bub, hub-buzz.

Sadly, the preparations for this monumental event more closely resemble the Mad Hatter's tea party with various entities and individuals jockeying for position, and the price tag ever rising, than it does an exacting and strategic plan to ensure a safe and enjoyable forum for all participants - and the denizens of Denver. Rather than shaping-up to be an event where freedom of movement and assembly will live in concert with freedom of expression and redress, confusion rules the day with last minute changes de riguer. This is not all too surprising, given the logistical magnitude and the fact that Denver has not hosted an event of this scale before. The visit by Pope Paul II for World Youth Day in 1993, and the Summit of the Eight in 1998 were large events, and logistically complicated to be sure, however, they drew a mostly supportive crowds and were held when the country - and the world - was on a far different psycho-political-spiritual plane. A platform that is quickly slipping away.

FUND-CHASING

By now, it is well-known that that the Denver host committee failed to raise the $40.6 million in funds by the June 16, 2008 deadline (as of this writing they are still millions short, mostly as a result of the last minute venue change from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field for Obama's acceptance speech). The Committee has insinuated that the extended primary contest between Senators Clinton and Obama delayed the presumptive nominee from rallying his fundraising machine in order to support the Convention. To suggest the Democratic process somehow interfered with an independent fundraising effort by the home team is specious at best

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