http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/29/opinion/29dowd.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=The Democratic convention stage has the hushed mahogany dignity of a Republican men's club: all dark wood paneling with maroon and faux marble trim. The podium has an ersatz presidential seal with a flag. Even the hoi polloi in the press are ennobled by the Eastern Establishment staging; the writing tables in the FleetCenter have mock blue marble tops.
"The preppy stiff," as other Massachusetts pols called young John Kerry, according to Newsweek, is not doing an outré interpretation of the flag, like Michael Dukakis's salmon, eggshell and azure stage in 1988.
"Stable change," one top Democrat said, in an oxymoron describing the set for tonight's live shot of "Live Shot," as his colleagues dubbed the camera-loving senator. "We want to bring evolutionary change, not revolutionary change."
The Democrats think the way to overthrow the Republicans is to mimic Republicans. Democratic rivalries are tamped down; liberal losers are kept offstage or out of prime time; the positive message - strength, heroism and patriotism - is relentlessly drummed in. The Swift boat crewmen are toted everywhere to vouch that John Kerry is a comrade, not just a set of political calculations.
When the National Guard mistakenly thought someone was parachuting onto the FleetCenter roof on Sunday night, reporters joked that it must be the nominee, once more proving what a manly man he is in yet another extreme sport, perhaps even landing in a rocket pack.