Scott Bremner

Don’t get me wrong.

In no way do I advocate violent civil unrest as a means to an end.

I’m just stating the obvious.

These political conventions used to be a lot more exciting in the old days.

Now it’s more like you TiVo’d the big game only to have your buddy tell you everything that happened on the way home.

It’s not like the outcome in Denver is in doubt exactly, and that seems to take a little of the “oomph” out of it, doesn’t it?

Now we all follow the careful script, right down to Bill Clinton mouthing “I love you” on cue as his wife takes the stage.

The camera just happened to catch the moment, perfectly framed.

Oh, brother.

Since nature (along with most TV pundits) abhors a vacuum, we now have in-depth analysis on every nuance of every word of the prepared speeches.

“Did you notice, Jack, how Hillary Clinton said she supported Obama but never directly told her supporters to support Obama? This may be a subtle way of keeping her options open for 2012” he said, nodding wisely.

Or perhaps, Captain Blowhard, when Hillary said, “I support Obama,” she meant “I support Obama and if you voted for me then you should support Obama.

Or is she subtly jockeying to be Ambassador of Zimbabwe?

And for a man who has positioned himself as the agent of change from the atmosphere of “politics as usual,” many of Barack Obama’s campaign ads already have an awful familiar feel to them.

Like blasting the other guy.

(Your brain should use a deep, announcer voice when you read this)

“John McCain…he’s responsible for the War…he’s responsible for that job you didn’t get…he’s directly to blame for climate change, your Aunt’s gout and the fact that your junk drawer never closes right. Barack Obama..the right man..at the right time…to right your junk drawer.”

Sure, the Democrats make easy targets right now because they’re the ones on stage this week, but I hold no illusions that things will be any better next week in Minneapolis.

The ads will still be knee deep in rhetoric, the balloons will still be red, white and blue and the speeches, like those balloons, will still be full of hot air.

What do you think the chances are that we could talk one of the major parties into doing something different for the next convention?

You know, like talking seriously about a common sense approach to crushing health care and energy costs, about redefining strategies that spread America’s defenses too thin and use our best and bravest like disposable cogs in a great wheel?

How about an honest plan to educate our kids, to help our truly needy while getting those that can work out doing something?

How about some thoughts on providing a level playing field for our workers in a global economy where people overseas make 200 bucks a month making the same things we do?

Nah, that would never work.

But it would be really un-convention-al.