) SUBSCRIBE NOW GIVE A GIFT DINING GUIDE TOP DOCTORS Click here for our 2009 list, with 283 Denver doctors in 83 medical specialties. It's our biggest, most comprehensive Top Docs feature yet. NEWSLETTERS
TALK TO 5280 Tell us about it. Give us your restaurant feedback or submit your event for our online and printed calendar. JOBS |
 
How to outwit, outplay, and outlast the horde of politicians, newscasters, and protesters at this month's red, white, and blue bash. Edited by Patrick Doyle August 2008  For more coverage of this month's Democratic National Convention in Denver, click here to visit the DNC Daily.
So you're a little afraid of the Democratic National Convention. It's understandable, because who knows what kind of havoc tens of thousands of boisterous, garishly clad political junkies, rabble-rousing protesters, and wonky media types might wreak on our fair city?
Fret not. We'll explain why the Dems are gracing us with their presence—and why you should welcome them. We'll show you how to get to your downtown office without getting a pat-down from the Secret Service, where to get a dinner reservation, and how the police plan to corral the protesters. We'll tell you about the $150 million the Democrats are supposedly sprinkling around the state, spin a tale about a convention of yore, and break down the difference between the DNC and the RNC. And, oh yeah—we've also got some background on that Obama guy everyone seems so excited about. It's everything you need to revel in the pomp or retreat from the chaos. Choose wisely.
Feelin' BlueWhy the Rocky Mountain states may be more pivotal in 2008 than Ohio or Florida. Republican presidential candidates have had a stranglehold on the Rocky Mountain West for most of the past half-century. The two times Democrats actually won Colorado were outright flukes: 1964, when Barry Goldwater's new brand of conservatism failed spectacularly, and 1992, when the maverick Ross Perot kneecapped George H.W. Bush's reelection chances. The GOP's perpetual dominance isn't surprising, considering that the Rocky Mountain region was settled largely by rugged, independent ranchers and miners—the kind of people who not so long ago were known as Republicans. But over the past few election cycles, Western voters have taken a few giant, if unanticipated, steps leftward. Independents and Libertarians have tired of evangelicals' hyper-conservative grip on the GOP, along with the party's abandonment of budget-balancing, smaller government principles. This group—combined with liberal transplants from the coasts and Hispanics agitated by the anti-immigration right—has pushed the Rocky Mountain West toward the center for the first time ever. Consider: In the past four years, the Colorado Democratic party has wrested control of the Statehouse, the governor's mansion, and the majority of our U.S. congressional delegation. Meanwhile, Democrats have racked up victories in other onetime Republican strongholds like Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico. The enthusiasm doesn't seem to be waning: On Super Tuesday, nearly 120,000 Colorado Democrats showed up at the caucuses, almost twice the level of Republican participation and eight times the 2004 Democratic turnout. Since February, Barack Obama has doubled Republican opponent John McCain's fund-raising results in Colorado, and according to recent polls Obama holds narrow leads in Colorado and New Mexico and is gaining ground in Nevada. This year, if a few of these states vote Democrat, it won't be a fluke. So move over Florida and Ohio, the Western swing states are itchin' to dance. The More Things ChangeHow Denver's 1908 Democratic Convention mirrored this year's version. Just as they would a century later, Democrats had two goals in July 1908: take back the Oval Office, and party in the mountains. Back then the country was still reeling from the Panic of 1907, and after 12 years of a Republican-controlled Washington, the Dems hoped the nation was ready for change. In hosting the convention, Denver simply wanted to put itself on the political map. Sound familiar? Back then, Denver delivered the Democrats a brand-new auditorium and $100,000 in cash. The city erected a $25,000 welcome arch near Union Station, built a fountain in City Park, finished construction on the Capitol building, and hauled in wagonloads of snow from the mountains for the visitors to play in (resulting in more than 20 arrests after barefoot street urchins engaged a group of delegates in a snowball fight run amok). Convention activities were housed in the new Denver Municipal Auditorium (now the Ellie Caulkins Opera House), a 4.5 million-square-foot space festooned with 30,000 yards of bunting, more than 1,000 flags, and 15 stuffed eagles. Inside, a cowboy band entertained the conventioneers between party speeches and platform debates. The party's nomination of William Jennings Bryan was a foregone conclusion, and he didn't even bother to show up. (Note to Obama: Don't try that this year.) At week's end, the Chicago Tribune gave Denver an "O.K." stamp. The sense of triumph wouldn't last. In November, Bryan became a three-time presidential loser when Republican William Howard Taft nearly doubled his electoral vote tally, and Denver retreated into political obscurity. Here's hoping 2008 treats the city a bit more kindly. East Meets WestWhat the New York Times had to say about Denver in 1908. "At 8 this evening a soft twilight is still lingering over the city, with the sky a deep orange over the crest of the Rockies.... The distant crests of the Rocky Mountain peaks, white with eternal snows, have been the cynosure of Eastern eyes during these convention days, and many of the active political workers have regretted the fact that their duties kept them within sight but out of reach of the cool delights of those white pinnacles." "State Senator Thomas Grady of New York, standing on the sidewalk in front of the Brown Hotel today, leaning far back and puffing hard at a cigar, delivered himself as follows: 'From what I have observed since I came here some days ago, I am convinced that there are to be more bandits than honest men at this convention. And...I am shaping my course so as to be with the majority.'" "Although all the New York papers have carried stories to the effect that it is not wise to drink too deeply of the cup that cheers and sometimes inebriates in this high altitude, the delegates that have arrived so far do not believe it. Consequently one of the first things many of them do is to put the question to a test. No complaint has been heard so far from the saloon and café keepers." Lunch MoneyWill the convention bring a sumptuous feast or indigestion to Denver restaurants? When city officials released reports in early 2007 and June 2008 estimating that the Democratic National Convention will bring 50,000 people to Denver and pump $160 million* into the local economy, giddiness swept through the hospitality industry—especially the restaurant biz. Visions danced in restaurateurs' heads of Barack dining on Colorado lamb and Hillary looking up from her buffalo burger to wave to passersby. The truth is, that nice shot in the economic arm might end up looking more like a clipped wing. Local merchants are worried that many Denver residents who either live or work downtown will simply stay away. If even a small percentage of downtown's 62,000 residents or 110,000 employees take vacations or work from home that week, some restaurants and retailers, especially the mom and pops, could find out that the anticipated windfall is just hype. "The big guys will be busy," says Pete Meersman, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association. "It's the smaller guys who aren't being booked for private parties that we're worried about." Though the city has hosted conventions with this many visitors before, the events haven't included the heavy security, media scrutiny, or overall congestion anticipated this time, and Denver merchants don't know what to expect. Local restaurants have been looking at the past examples of 2004 convention hosts Boston and New York and tempering their expectations. A recent study reported that during the 2004 Democratic convention, more than 30 percent of Boston's downtown workforce didn't report to the office that week—which translated into a loss of $8.5 million in regular commuter money (as in daily venti lattes, lunchtime meals, and parking fees). August is a typically slow month for downtown restaurants, so the convention should provide at least some uptick in business. And with DNC activities wrapping up around 9 p.m. because of television and time zones, visitors will still be able to dine out or grab a beer before the private parties begin. Or, if the restaurants sit empty, the staffs will have plenty of time to drown their sorrows. *Is that $160 million realistic, or PR spin? The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University in Massachusetts studied the 2004 conventions in New York and Boston and found some disturbing trends: Projections for the Republican National Convention in New York were off by $163 million. And in Boston, after adjusting for lost work, tourism, and other factors, the city only netted $14.8 million, a far cry from the $154 million that Boston city officials had projected. Whether you want to gawk at the Democratic powerhouses or flee anyone with an Obama sticker and a funny hat, here are the restaurants to hit—or avoid. American Asian Breakfast Uptown Eats Mexican They Say They Want a RevolutionAlthough DNC organizers want to prevent a repeat of Chicago '68 or even Boston '04, protest groups still will be out in force. Here are a few to keep an eye on. CODEPINK Re-create '68 Alliance Tent State University Unconventional Denver Critical SituationCNN veteran Wolf Blitzer's inside tips on what to expect from the DNC. What will downtown look like during the convention? Get ready. The Democrats are going to be really pumped. You've seen what Obama has done across the country. He's got that rock star status, so I'm sure that will spill over into Denver. About 20,000 people can get into the arena there, and there will be about 200,000 that would like to get in. What happens to those who can't? The organizers need a plan to move traffic around town. I was at the NBA All-Star weekend in Denver, and it's sort of like that. You get a lot of people who don't have tickets but think it's a happening place to be and hang out, so they just come into town from all over. Will CNN be doing anything special that week? At the last GOP convention in New York, we rented out a diner across from Madison Square Garden, and we did some of my daytime shows from there. We had politicians and others coming in and sitting at the tables and talking about the event. We're going to do something similar in Denver. Do you expect to see many demonstrations? If there would have been a big floor fight with Clinton's supporters, there would've been a greater possibility for demonstrations. I do think you'll see more in St. Paul, if only because Ron Paul and his supporters are very active and passionate. I could be wrong, but by the time the convention comes along the party should be pretty united. Urban PlanningThis year, Democrats and Republicans shunned established convention cities like New York and Chicago and opted to throw their parties in key battleground states. Here's how the dark horses measure up.
The InsidersColorado politicians share their favorite local spots Diana DeGette, Colorado Congresswoman Mark Udall, Colorado Congressman and candidate for U.S. Sentate Leah Daughtry, Democratic National Convention CEO John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor The Making of a CandidateBarack Obama's road from obscurity to Denver.
|
ADVERTISING
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright 2005 5280 Publishing, Inc. | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Subscriber Care | Download Flash | Sitemap | Search |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sign up for 5280's weekly e-newsletters. Want the latest restaurant scoop? The latest happenings around town? Access to exclusive events and deals just for 5280 readers? )
Save to del.ico.us