# 2020 Virtual convention thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 17, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353 "2020-08-17T23:18:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/62 "2020-08-18T19:32:10Z")
When it comes to people dying of disease while he’s President, he’s better than anyone. The _best_. Everyone says so. Except maybe Wilson, another racist who admired the Confederacy. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/63 "2020-08-18T19:42:23Z")
> [@Lantern2](#): > > I have only seen snippets of the convention and it seems fine but lacking in the energy generated by a packed hall. I wonder if the Republican convention will be different. My guess is that neither convention will move the polling needle much. The Pubbies probably have some surprises up their sleeves. Like bringing out children who were rescued from Pizzagate and parading them around. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/64 "2020-08-18T19:46:45Z")
They’ve got some amazing speakers planned like… [The couple from St. Louis that pointed guns at peaceful protesters.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjJo5yTwqXrAhWbKs0KHU5QCZIQ0PADegQIChAH&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2020%2F08%2F17%2Fpolitics%2Fpatricia-mark-mccloskey-rnc-st-louis-couple-guns-protesters%2Findex.html&usg=AOvVaw0W6Hmz7xIVI0mPXdXB-she) ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/65 "2020-08-18T19:59:41Z")
I didn’t watch any of it “live.” I watched tape of Michele Obama’s speech today it was fine, but what exactly were you expecting her to say? It didn’t blow me away from that standpoint, I guess it was less claptrap platitudes than a lot of convention speeches, but the dems had pretty good ones in 2016. All that matters is Biden’s speech. Will he get the job done in it? Yes he will. Trump is at WAYYYY more risk of sounding flat reading a prepared speech. Which may actually help him if his speech is way out there in whackadoodleland. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/66 "2020-08-18T21:56:14Z")
And Scott Baio! ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/67 "2020-08-18T22:08:58Z")
I guess live speeches benefit from the energy of the crowd, but recorded speeches don’t suffer from as many cheap applause lines. A good live speech should reach a crescendo and that’s almost impossible to pull off without an audience because it sounds ridiculous to be raising your voice as you go along. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/68 "2020-08-18T22:52:40Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Thanks for the livestream link. If I had known about that, I wouldn’t have had to tune into MSNBC. But as I did not, I don’t think it was weird at all to tune into MSNBC, because I’ve got to watch the convention somewhere. You didn’t have to go to literally the only place that would have had Brian Williams on if Brian Williams bothers you so much. In fact, there are a lot of better places to go listen to Stephen Stills and Billy Porter while simultaneously avoiding Brian Williams than MSNBC. If those were your goals, you made the worst possible choice. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/69 "2020-08-18T23:01:40Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > My favorite speech that I saw was Amy Klobuchar, and I never thought those words would come out of my mouth/keyboard. She was down to earth but enthusiastic, plain-spoken but well-spoken, clear and concise. I was pleasantly surprised by Klobuchar. Michelle was my favorite speech but she came in second. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/70 "2020-08-18T23:18:02Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > You didn’t have to go to literally the only place that would have had Brian Williams on if Brian Williams bothers you so much. In fact, there are a lot of better places to go listen to Stephen Stills and Billy Porter while simultaneously avoiding Brian Williams than MSNBC. If those were your goals, you made the worst possible choice. I was watching MSNBC to see the _convention_. Whether or not Brian Williams works at MSNBC was not at issue, because I was watching the _convention_. When it was almost over, and Stills/Porter came on, I was happy. Then MSNBC cut away. Now, here is the important part: I had no idea that they were going to be on in the first place. So even though there are indeed better places to watch them, that was irrelevant last night. Therefore, it wasn’t a poor choice I made in that regard. I cannot see into the future to predict where great artists are going to appear, or not appear in the case that, you know, some network or other cuts away as soon as they come on. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/71 "2020-08-18T23:18:37Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > FWIW, Washington Post also ran uninterrupted coverage from their homepage, if another link would be helpful. Indeed it would. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/72 "2020-08-18T23:36:57Z")
Depending on your cable provider (if you have one) you may have a special channel for the DNC run by the DNC. No commercials, no commentators. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/73 "2020-08-19T01:50:10Z")
I’m loving the virtual roll call. (I always like the roll call - but this is really fun.) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/74 "2020-08-19T01:59:58Z")
Me, too. It’s great. I also loved that Joe had his elevator operator friend do his formal nomination. Classy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/75 "2020-08-19T02:02:55Z")
Did anyone notice how Traci Ellis Ross introduced Caroline Kennedy? “She knows that real leaders don’t ask what we can do for them, they ask what they can do for us”. Wait, her dad said “Ask not what your country can do for you…” Of course it doesn’t really matter, but it’s a strange little contradiction. (FWIW, I agree more with what Ross said than what JFK did, which has a nice ring to it but has kind of a weird and almost fascistic tone to it if you really think about its meaning) ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/76 "2020-08-19T02:14:35Z")
Well, both statements are generally about selflessness in public service. After all, the President _should_ be asking what he or she can do for the citizens of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/77 "2020-08-19T02:19:07Z")
As I say, I agree with Ellis-Ross. It’s JFK I disagree with. We _should_ be asking what our country can do for us. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/78 "2020-08-19T02:21:36Z")
Every time I hear Kzhir Khan speak, I just sob. I’m so glad he has not been forgotten, and that he represented Virginia in the roll call tonight. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/79 "2020-08-19T02:21:44Z")
The “balloon drop” didn’t quite work. But the rest was lovely. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/80 "2020-08-19T02:37:44Z")
It would have been made even better if his wife had been there with him. But I imagine that’s been an idea the Dems have had for a while now. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2020, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/81 "2020-08-19T02:54:51Z")
Love those pics of Jill Biden from the 1970s. Wow! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353.md?page=5)