The Czar caught a fair bit of the Democratic National Convention last evening, and has some comments.

First, fire the director. While the GOP director had a weird obsession with zooming in tight on other people with weird obsessions (“Hey, there’s a woman with an elephant trunk glued to her face. Zoom into her retina and hold the shot for fifteen seconds!”), the rapid jump-cut editing on the DNC was migraine-inducing. Doubtless the director wanted to convey emotion, and a combat photographer-like feel to the action, but the stop-motion cuts to the audience every half-second were annoying. Stick to the speakers: this is where the director showed much more maturity.

The convention showed a lot of energy and enthusiasm, chiefly because the Dems wanted to out-rev the Republicans after their convention, much like teenage drag racers at a stop light. This is understandable and normal: conventions should be nutty. But the over-the-top screaming and yelling each and every time the President was mentioned became a little attention-getting…and communicated to us that there are a lot of nervous delegates out there, and that by screaming that loudly, you might catch lightning twice. But let us be honest: the dreamlike enthusiasm voters had for Obama in 2008 has been squandered, and there must be a more honest assessment of the President’s record. That will come later.

The oddest irony was that the Democrats held their biggest party on the day the debt hit $16 trillion. Or, to put it a post hoc ergo propter hoc message, the debt hits sixteen trillion and the Dems have the biggest party of the year. Someone should have mentioned something, just as the GOP carefully shut down criticism that they were partying during Isaac by having moments of silence for potential victims.

Many Republicans checking in were probably annoyed and horrified by the themes and displays. Okay; relax. Conventions are goofy, and there is often a mardi gras-like quality to them. Democrats were just as upset with the GOP convention. Don’t take it seriously (polls keep showing that conventions ultimately mean nothing and may have little benefit to the American campaign process), but pay attention to what is said.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.