Fight for your right to party?

All the talk in past weeks has been surrounding the Democratic National Convention. Who will Senator Obama's running mate be? How many states do the Democrats have under their belts? Who's declaring their loyalty to the presidential "Hope"-ful?

But according to an article by Julie Bosman in the New York Times on August 27, the party scene in Denver, where the DNC is taking place, is sub par.

The article claims that Democrats are finding that Denver is not a conducive location for the apparently hard-drinking, gossip-mongering political crowd. The altitude (clearly not helpful for throwing back free booze), might be causing some of the not-so-high morale in the Mile High City. But there are deeper issues behind the scenes at the DNC.

Aside from the lack of party atmosphere, there seems to be an underlying cautiousness some of Bosman's sources were feeling towards their candidate.

Bosman quotes an anonymous Democratic lobbyist as saying "There’s a sense that the parties are completely detached from the populist excitement that under girds Obama’s appeal."

In this article, Bosman is addressing a unique angle of party and election politics. She reports on the little known aspects of a national convention: what happens after the speeches and staged events. I can watch videos and re-runs of those. But Bosman paints a picture of what’s going on behind the scenes. And that’s the kind of information I want to know.

Source: Bosman, Julie. New York Times. "At 5,280 Feet, the Party Atmosphere Is Thin"