John Kerry in Portland (Rant about fireworks)

[Tonichelle]

Ok so yeah I don't like the guy or his position on things... but that's beside the point... he's shooting off fireworks for his stupid campaign thing at 10:30 at night. The sun's been down for close to 2 hours and he just decides that Portland doesn't need to sleep???? I'm all for watching the fireworks don't care what they're for, but not when I'm scared to death out of sleep by explosions! They're really pretty though...

Saw his limo coming home today(the roads were soooooooooo crowded took us an hour to get 2 blocks UGH!) limo driver cut through 3 lanes of traffic... was so tempted to go to his campaign to see if I could get him to answer my questions(namely why he demands that Alaska stay closed when he's never been there and has no idea what he's actually talking about concerning our state--I mean when our democratic ex-Governor/us senate runner even says his party doesn't know what they're talking about... :rolleyes: )

anyway I'm just running on a really quick beating heart... ugh... fireworks are great(we only get them in the winter in Alaska for obvious reasons... but still... a girl needs her sleep

[Ladskater]

Toni:

Good thing you were not in Vancouver last week for our annual Celebration of Light fireworks fest. China, Sweden, and Spain competed this year. It's held in English Bay - 400,000 people attended!

Usually China wins, but this year Sweden was the winner!

Click here for more info:

http://www.celebration-of-light.com/fireworks/

[Tonichelle]

wow!

like I said I'm not against fireworks so long as I know it's going to happen and that it happens at a decent hour. Granted I probably would have known if we had TV or if I thought about it... but still 10:30 at night is a little late to start a citywide party...

but I'm from hickville so what do I know LOL

[bronxgirl]

Toni,
Don't ever try life in Manhattan - it is the part of the city that truly never sleeps

[PrincessLeppard]

10:30 on a Friday night is TOO LATE???

Okay.

At least you weren't in Las Vegas. Bush AND Kerry were there, and my sister was stuck in traffic for well over two hours.

Laura

[Piel]

Even here in WV our fireworks never start before 10pm. Let it go Toni, enjoy, these are the best days of your life. :D

[Flora MacDonald]

Why don't you go see him and listen to what he has to say?
When I was your age I saw all sorts of politicians. journalists and scholars speak--mostly because they were free. I met James Balwin and John Kenneth Galbraith among others. It's a little brush with history.

[Aloft04]

That's great, Flora!

60,000 people filled Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland for Kerry's visit, it would have been fun to be there.

[PrincessLeppard]

I gotta go with Flora on this one. In 1988, I saw Ron Paul speak (he was the libertarian candidate, and had some interesting ideas), Dan Quayle (who was more articulate than I had thought before I saw him, but he also looked terrified to be speaking on a college campus), and Jesse Jackson (an amazing speaker). I have also seen several candidates for senate, the house and local races speak. Whether I plan on voting for the candidate or not, I try to go. I always learn something, and it usually helps me understand that while I may not agree with the candidate, I see what other people do see in him/her.

Toni, why don't you go the Kerry website and submit your question? It will be answered by some aides, but they are excellent at articulating his ideas.

Laura

[dorispulaski]

Princess Leppard, You're absolutely right-going to Kerry's website to ask the question is a good idea.

And Toni, while you're doing it, give the background behind your question. So often there is an appalling ignorance among politicians of the issues in states with a small population, like Alaska, unless they came from there.

For the Kerry campaign, it's an even worse situation, because the state is supposed to be a lock for Bush. They probably didn't know anything to start about the state, and they have no incentive to push them to find out.

If you think this is crazy, you wouldn't believe the ignorance I have found in people about VT. I remember going to a speech by Eleanor Smeal, who was president of NOW at the time. She was advocating a strategy of getting people to vote for the ERA by managing how propositions are put on voting machines.
At the time, almost all of VT voted on paper ballots, so she obviously had done no homework.

Many politicians who know NH because of being there for the primaries assume VT is like NH when they are very very opposite.

In at least one case there was a pol who thought VT had a seacoast. (Confused with NH?)

So tell them what you think they need to know before you ask your question, but ask it! That's the exciting change about the Internet Age. Anyone can have an effect on the world. Try reading "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Trippi about the future of politics and the internet.

Doris

[Joesitz]

Ok so yeah I don't like the guy or his position on things... but that's beside the point... he's shooting off fireworks for his stupid campaign thing at 10:30 at night. The sun's been down for close to 2 hours and he just decides that Portland doesn't need to sleep???? I'm all for watching the fireworks don't care what they're for, but not when I'm scared to death out of sleep by explosions! They're really pretty though..

FYi - Portland is one city which takes pride in it's fireworks. Let them enjoy it. It's theirs..

Saw his limo coming home today(the roads were soooooooooo crowded took us an hour to get 2 blocks UGH!) limo driver cut through 3 lanes of traffic... was so tempted to go to his campaign to see if I could get him to answer my questions(namely why he demands that Alaska stay closed when he's never been there and has no idea what he's actually talking about concerning our state--I mean when our democratic ex-Governor/us senate runner even says his party doesn't know what they're talking about... :rolleyes: )

How do you think it will go in Newark and New york City when the Republican Convention is in town including the weeks before. Will you have the same complaints about Bush? or since you will not be there, you don't care about other people/

anyway I'm just running on a really quick beating heart... ugh... fireworks are great(we only get them in the winter in Alaska for obvious reasons... but still... a girl needs her sleep

Nitey night and don't let the bedbugs bite.

Joe

[JonnyCoop]

I was still living in Portland when we were paid visits by both Bush AND Gore (tho not at the same time). Both showed up and made their appearances known on the highways and streets long about RUSH HOUR. Talk about pure anadulterated UTTER CHAOS..... May have contributed to the great showing that Nader had in Oregon..... :sheesh: :sheesh:

[Aloft04]

Actually both Bush and Kerry were in Portland at the same time.

Bush spoke to his usual hand-selected Republican-faithful, Kerry attracted the crowd of 60,000 at Tom MCall Waterfront Park. A friend on another board said that in order to get to his second speech, the Bush motorcade had to drive on an overpass where they couldn't miss seeing the swarms of people for Kerry.

Must have been an interesting day traffic-wise.