CHARLOTTE, September 6, 2012 — DNC week in Charlotte has been anything but conventional.

From the outset uptown Charlotte has been unrecognizable to locals who hoped to showcase their city. The understandable, and necessary, increase in security was to be expected. Even the street closings were announced and anticipated.

What residents did not realize was the checkpoints, vehicle searches and continuously changing traffic patterns that frequently had officials confused about what was accessible and what was not.

Through it all however, there remained a high level of hospitality and congeniality.

From a logistical perspective, several snafus caused angst for DNC organizers that provided plenty of fodder for Democratic opponents.

To begin with, Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium was halted in mid-construction on Wednesday when it was announced that the open-air event was too risky considering the unstable weather patterns that have permeated the convention throughout the week.

The Republicans were forced to cancel the first day of their convention, and the Democrats had to re-schedule the last. In the end, the alterations may have been more damaging to the Democrats.

While Democrats insisted the decision was purely weather related, Republicans countered by saying the star power of Obama was not enough to fill Bank of America Stadium. If Time Warner Cable Arena was any indication, it was not a capacity crowd on Wednesday either, even for Bill Clinton.

Wednesday afternoon brought a bigger embarrassment when Barack Obama called for a change in the party platform to reinstate “God” and “Jerusalem” in the wording. The voice vote on the floor resembled the Olympic basketball controversy between the United States and Russia, Munich 1972, when the clock was re-set more than once until the outcome appeared to produce the desired result.

Los Angeles mayor and chairman of the Democratic National Convention, Antonio Villaraigosa, took the vote three times and each time the “Nays” sounded stronger than they “Yeas.” Finally, Villaraigosa read the teleprompter as it had been written with the foregone assumption that the change would pass. The decision was clearly unpopular, and, in the end, it became another talking point for the morning-after commentators.

Other than Bill Clinton, the myriad of speakers who strode to the podium throughout the second night of the convention was lackluster at best. Several times prior to Clinton, the throng of Democratic supporters loudly rose to their feet but much of the commentary was repetitive and, as time went on, tedious.

Much of the star power that many delegates and media members expected was also missing. Radio row which lines the main lobby of the arena was largely filled with radio hosts looking for someone to interview.

For the most part, politicians were conspicuously absent, much less Hollywood celebrities.

Shepherd Smith of FOX News reported that the convention was being held in a gym.

Of the media covering the event, FOX and Friends appeared to be having the most fun. Broadcasting outside the NASCAR Hall of Fame throughout the week, the FOX morning program set is many blocks from Time Warner Cable Arena and easily more accessible than the main event.

To be sure, bleary-eyed Democratic delegates would hardly be enticed to observe a broadcast by FOX News, but the morning crew featuring Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade was obviously more relaxed and having more fun than any other media group in the city.

Former governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, made an appearance, as did Geraldo Rivera, Joe Trippi, Karl Rove and Frank Luntz among others. All were readily approachable and relaxed, including the regular hosts of the show.

The enthusiasm within Time Warner Cable Arena is alive and well, as expected, almost oblivious to the outside world. Beyond the island of humanity within the city center of Charlotte, life goes on as usual. It is a tale of two worlds.

When Barack Obama takes the stage, there will no doubt be comparisons between his oration and that of President Clinton. That much is inevitable.

By Friday morning, Charlotte will more or less return to normal. The battle for the presidency will move beyond the conventions toward the head to head confrontations of the debates and the speeches on the stump.

The madding crowds will disappear, and Charlotte will once again be truly open for business.

__________________________________

Peabod is Bob Taylor, owner of Taylored Media Services in Charlotte, NC. Taylor is founder of The Magellan Travel Club, which creates, and escorts customized tours to Switzerland, France and Italy for groups of 12 or more. Inquiries for groups can be made at Peabod@aol.com Taylored Media has produced marketing videos for British Rail, Rail Europe, Switzerland Tourism, the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council, the Finnish Tourist Board, the Swiss Travel System and Japan Railways Group among others. As author of The Century Club book, Peabod is now attempting to travel to 100 countries or more during his lifetime. To date he has visited 69 countries. Suggest someplace new for Bob to visit; if you want to know where he has been, check his list on Facebook. Bob plans to write a sequel to his book when he reaches his goal of 100 countries. He played professional baseball for four years and was a sportscaster for 14 years at WBTV, the CBS affiliate in Charlotte.

---

This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.