The DNC Is Preparing for the Worst in Chicago -- Without the Help of the City's Mayor

[brooklynite]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Yonnie3 (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Politico

CHICAGO — President Joe Biden’s top advisers are all too aware the ghosts of 1968 may haunt their convention here, but they’re grappling with a pair of more urgent and thoroughly modern-day challenges as summer nears: How far can they go in reprising their virtual 2020 convention to mitigate the threat of disruption inside the arena, and how will they navigate a rookie mayor who unabashedly sympathizes with protesters?

Trumpeting the success of their Covid-era convention four years ago, some in Biden’s orbit are aggressively pushing to make the 2024 conclave a hybrid production. That would mean in-person speeches from the president, party luminaries and rising stars to draw television attention alongside a mix of pre-recorded testimonials and videos from other parts of the country.

The goal: drive maximum viewership on television and the internet while minimizing live programming and openings for protest in Chicago’s United Center. This would mean moving party business, such as rules and platform votes, off the floor and denying would-be demonstrators a chance to seize on contentious debates.

While the Biden campaign, White House and convention planners have only just started hatching plans, senior Democrats tell me they’re discussing whether to conduct such business before the convention even begins or move it out of the arena and across town to McCormick Place, their other Chicago venue. Serendipitously, Biden’s advisers may have a very good reason to move up such housekeeping: If the Ohio Legislature does not relax its ballot certification deadline, which is before the Democrats’ August convention, the DNC may have no choice but to technically nominate the president before the conclave begins.


Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/10/rookie-mayor-chicago-dnc-00157208

[bottomofthehill]

1. That's just great. If the mayor does not want to help,

There is always Blackwater, that’s a good look.

[brooklynite]

3. Why would the DNC or the Secret Service use private contractors?

[bottomofthehill]

2. The Dems should pull out and go to Milwaukee

The city and state are already ready for a convention as the republicans are going there in July.

[brooklynite]

4. You have no idea what's involved in setting up a Convention.

You need tens of thousands of hotel rooms, meeting spaces, event venues, all of which were booked months in advance.

Add to which, Milwaukee doesn't have enough hotel rooms (for the 2020 Convention), some delegations were going to be 90 minutes away at O'Hare Airport.

[bottomofthehill]

6. Actually I have a pretty good idea

I also have a pretty good understanding of who controls what,
First, the DNC only has security contractors, they do not control any law enforcement agency, not Federal, not State and not Local. They use companies like Allied and Securitas. Usually it’s the private vendor that secure the site they are renting. The Secret Service is the Lead Agency inside the event and securing the perimeter and are the lead planner as the conventions are NSSE Events. The problem with an NSSE is that it puts the Service in charge of Federal not local assets. The local police agency (in this case Chicago PD) is the lead for the great majority of the external security. You can’t do it with out them, and the optics outside are as important as the optics inside at a convention. It’s amazing what can be done when you know you are facing a shit show, and sometimes looking into other options help the host city see the light.

[brooklynite]

11. I'm not talking about security arrangements; I'm talking about logistics

Democratic conventions have a larger turnout than Republican ones, and you can't suddenly grab every hotel room within 50 miles on three months notice. The Fiserve Forum is already booked for events in August. And it never had the resources for all the ancillary events that will occur ( I worked out of Milwaukee in the 2022 election).

Add to which, why would Milwaukee (1,600 police officers) be any better prepared to handle protests than Chicago. What happened three generations ago is irrelevant.

[Prairie Gates]

12. Your OP is talking about making most of the Convention virtual

Why do you keep talking about booked hotel rooms and the ironclad law of logistics when the story you yourself posted is about Dem bigwigs turning on a dime to a non-presence convention?

[brooklynite]

14. I was responding to someone proposing to move things to Milwaukee.

And, NO, the article DOESN'T discuss making the Convention virtual (I've already got a room and credentials commitment). It talks about some of the procedural elements and roll call (which honestly worked far better in 2020 than the usual live speeches).

[bottomofthehill]

13. Because the mayor is willing to be an active participant in the success of the event

If you read the article. It is about the fear of what may happen and how the DNC may need to change the convention format

[malthaussen]

5. Wonder how many people in the Chicago PD...

... have fathers or grandfathers who participated in the Police Riot of 1968? Law enforcement is a family business, after all.

-- Mal

[brooklynite]

7. Half the Chicago PD is non-Whiter and 20% are women.

[malthaussen]

10. Which is relevant to my idle question how?

I'm sure there were non-Whites who participated in the Police Riots. No women, though, in '68 I think most of the women on the Force didn't have street jobs.

-- Mal

[bottomofthehill]

9. There are already t-shirts popping up

Front of shirt
Chicago Police Department 1968-2024.

Back of shirt
We kicked your grandfathers ass now we will kick yours.

[malthaussen]

15. ROTFL

The first game I ever got in my subscription to Strategy and Tactics magazine back in 1973 was "Chicago, Chicago," a simulation of the 1968 demonstrations and subsequent police riot.

-- Mal

[limbicnuminousity]

16. Almost makes you wonder

if that mindset doesn't have something to do with 17 cop cars being blown up in Portland.

[Prairie Gates]

8. Sounds like a deeply fucking stupid idea

"We're still in COVID restrictions because we're scared of protesters - on our side of the aisle. Vote for us!"

This is the braintrust of the Demcratic party elite, or "some in Biden's orbit." Fuck's sake.

[LeftInTX]

17. Oh Geez

[Yonnie3]

18. Locking after an alert and a discussion by the hosts

There was a consensus reached that this post is opinion/analysis. Please feel free to re-post in General Discussion.