Inside, Outside @ the DNC

Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention was about the warm fuzzies. Ted Kennedy made folks feel good just by being there. People who know Barack Obama well, from his wife, to his political mentor, to his sister, to Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. sketched out a portrait of the candidate. That was all well and good. Yet did the Democrats miss an opportunity, on a night that was supposed to be dedicated to the economy, to slam the opposition?

James Carville thinks so, and he may be right. Will the GOP spend the first night of their convention singing the praises of John McCain, or will they go after Obama, like they have from the day he clinched the nomination? For sure, the Democats have Tuesday through Thursday to take off the gloves, but take them off they must. However, a couple of incidents outside the Pepsi Center here got people's attention as well.

One was the arrest of three men who allegedly were plotting to kill Barack Obama during his speech Thursday at Invesco Field. Although authorities say the candidate wasn't in any danger, weapons were confiscated, and the feds were involved. That makes two alleged threats on Barack Obama's life, both involving weapons.

The other incident was a protest that apparently turned violent on the streets of downtown Denver. How it got that way depends on who's story you believe. Protestors (as is their habit) say the cops overreacted (which often they do). Officials say the protest itself got out of hand. the number of people arrested seems unclear, and some are being processed early this morning. Ironically, both sides agree on one thing. The numbers of protestors was much smaller tha either anticipated. Let's see if things stay that way the rest of the week. It could be that invoking the Chicago protests of 1968 didn't resonate with many folks who weren't even thought of back then.

Or maybe people aren't all that unhappy with Barack Obama.