ENOUGH! CONVENTION
by Brick Walters, 8/04/00

Dc: This is DCR, a news program not to be believed. It was a rewarding political week for Republicans as the party held its convention in Philadelphia and nominated Texas Governor George W. Bush to run for president. But as we've already heard, some of the attention was stolen by the Enough! Party when it awarded one voter a one million dollar prize for locating their low profile presidential candidate, Senator Sam Spleen. The competing political theater is the subject of analysis and commentary by Donna Chumkin. Donna?

Donna: Thank you. What's the most interesting thing you can do with a million dollars? This week we had a choice. The Republicans were inviting us to watch them spend millions on a party.
The Enough Party invited us to watch them give a million to a typical voter who just happened to match a key demographic that the next president needs to capture.
One is about possibilities. The other is just consumption.
The Enough! Party showed us this week that their unorthodox plan … as transparent as a professional wrestling match and as suspenseful as the Prize Patrol … might draw enough attention and enthusiasm to make this a horse race!
Spleen's disappearance last spring (he didn't even show up for the Enough! party convention), was explained by some as being the result of cold feet, an accident or even a stroke.
Well, for Senator Spleen to re-surface now, between the major party conventions, it IS a stroke - a stroke of genius.
So look out Democrats and Republicans.
The Enough! Party might just turn out to be Too Much for you!
Everyone has an opinion, and that's mine. I'm Donna Chumkin.

Dc: Thank you Donna. We don't want to lose sight of the importance of the Republican Convention. Even though the Enough! Party's gymnastics were more interesting, 15,000 journalists went to Philadelphia. There must have been a reason. Our Brick Walters was there, and I took some time to debrief him on the last night of the gathering.

(sfx: convention bg)

Brick: You know …when I was just out of college, looking to make my name in the exciting world of political news coverage, I pictured myself at a big convention like this. I could see the banners … the balloons carefully tucked into their nets up above, waiting to drop like so many "other shoes."

(sfx: applause)

Dc: Hang on, what's that in the background?

Brick: Oh, some kind of speech, I guess.
Yes, I could see myself with a microphone and a headset, standing out among the delegations, quizzing them, predicting their votes, talking to Dan up in the booth, maybe getting sprayed with mace or kicked around a bit by the police. Maybe arrested, even.
The political process … exciting, dangerous, and me in the middle of it, helping the voters decide by interviewing protesters lying in the street and maybe even being dragged off the convention floor by security guards myself.

(sfx: applause)

Dc: What's that?

Brick: Oh, more blah blah blah.
But those are childhood dreams, and in every life there comes a time when you put the childhood dreams aside and accept the reality.
And those realities are harsh. I and the thousands of other reporters here are listening to voices inside our heads saying …
"You were born too late to go to the 1968 convention."
"You will never have a Watergate of your very own."
"Dustin Hoffman will not play you in the movies."

(sfx: applause)

Dc: Brick, what's happening at the convention? It sounds like the crowd is pretty happy.

Brick: Of course they are. They have no idea what I've lost.

Dc: Do you think Governor Bush will emerge from this week with enough momentum to carry him forward into November?

Brick: We're all hurtling forward in time, aren't we? Momentum has us in it's grip. It will be November for each of us before we even know.

Dc: I mean in a political sense.

Brick: "Sunrise, Sunset … swiftly fly the years."

Dc: Ok, thanks Brick.

Brick: "One season following another …"

Dc: Our man in Philadelphia, Brick Walters.

Brick: " laden with happiness … and tears."

Dale Connelly Reporting Home