Eric Boehlert of Media Matters rips the Mainstream Media for its coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

How 15,000 credentialed journalists could descend on Denver and produce such unvaryingly weak and shoddy coverage of a staged news event -- and do it with coverage that celebrated sameness and shallowness -- was a sad spectacle that newsrooms nationwide ought to ponder.

Al Giordano is right, the Obama bio video that preceded his nomination acceptance speech was fantastic. If you missed it, here it is:

Hands-down, my favorite hangout during the Democratic National Convention was Brooklyn's, across the street from the Pepsi Center and comandeered for the week by CNN which recast it as the CNN Grill.

First, it's an excellent and inviting space, with great light, huge ceilings and many different kinds of seating. In addition to stools that run the length of the ample bar, there are also both bar and regular height tables and booths. The outside patio was roomy and festive. At night, crowds gathered round to watch the big tv's. [More...]

The Democratic National Convention in Denver was a success. How so? Some numbers:

• The Denver Host Committee, which lagged behind its fundraising goal until the end, ended up raising $10 million more than its $40.6 million goal.

• At the Republican convention in New York in 2004, there were 1,800 arrests. Total arrests in Denver: 154.

• The Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau secured 190,000 hotel rooms. 170,000 were put reserved by the DNC.

[More...]

Barack and Michelle Obama arrived back at the Westin Hotel at 17th and Lawrence around 11 pm. There was a huge motor parade escorting them. We all had to wait at the entrance until they got an "all clear." The kid in front of me didn't seem to want to wait and ended up arrested. There were tons of police motorcycles and SUV's, using sirens to take them back. The street was lined with people and they all cheered as the Obamas drove by.

Motorcycles pictured below:

Here's the segment I did for CNN.com Thursday from their Pepsi Center Headquarters at Brooklyn's Bar and Grill with Chris Walla of Deathcab for Cutie (blogging for Rolling Stone) and Amanda of Town Hall. It was a very fun segment to do, we covered a lot of subjects.

I'm home. What a spectacular event at Invesco Field. I have a ton of pictures and video (not of the speeches, you can see those on TV) but they will have to wait until tomorrow or the weekend.

Denver really came through for the Democrats. It's a very proud moment for those of us who live here.

If you somehow missed the speeches this week, they will replay on Cnn.com/Live -- the schedule is below. click on the thumbnail images under the "Happening Now" column.

This is an open thread.

The language did not soar. The rhetoric, tone and demeanor were down to Earth.

I give this speech, in this place, at this time, an A+. It was the right speech, with the right delivery that needed to be delivered by Barack Obama tonight. Even towards the end, where change was the discussion point, it was down to earth. And then a quick shift to why AMERICA is great. Of course the end was the soar. But it was just the end. In the live blog I wrote:

His moment approaches. I'll live blog the proceedings from 10:00 pm on below the fold. Here is the prepared text of Obama's speech:

. . . Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land – enough! This moment – this election – is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”

Al Gore giving a great speech.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Um, so the message tonight is that Democrats like to go to concerts? And the "Yes, We Can" song? With Obama speaking cuts in the middle and big pictures of Obama? Not a good idea.

In my opinion of course. I'm not following what this is supposed to be achieving tonight.

Speaking for me only.

photos are here or something like that.