Democrats Package Chicago For TV

WASHINGTON (Aug. 21) -- If you liked the Republicans' made-for-TV convention, get ready for yet another political infomercial from the Democrats in Chicago next week.

Republicans had their video walls. Democrats have theirs; they say they invented the idea.

Republicans arranged video-friendly moments, like nominee Robert Dole's arrival by boat. President Bill Clinton is taking a page from Harry Truman's playbook, with a train trip, maybe with a satellite uplink on a hovering helicopter, beaming pictures into the convention hall.

Republicans had no drama and no suspense, and Bill Clinton's coronation also may have to strain to hold the viewers' interest.

Democrats say they'll be different.

"Now let me be clear about some differences," said Clinton-Gore spokeswoman Ann Lewis. "It's going to be managed, but not scripted." (64K WAV sound)

Not scripted? Let's get a second opinion.

"I think there's a difference between a scripted convention and one that's well managed," said Donald Foley, the Democratic convention manager.

Glad to clear that up.

There will be some differences. Where the Republican mini-series ran 15 hours, Democrats plan 26 hours, including as many as 125 speakers. There will be lots more to see, at least on cable.

And that sorry Republican balloon drop? The Democrats' should be better. The ceiling is a lot higher in Chicago.

And when it comes to diversity and openness, well...

"They got on there for an hour every night and said, 'Look at us. We're diverse. We're tolerant. We're inclusive,' " said Lewis about the GOP convention in San Diego. "Hey, we're like that all the time."

But diversity has its limits, even at a Democratic convention.

"Right now we think that this is a very cohesive party," said Foley. "It's one that's been very unified behind this president and vice president."

Unified diversity. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Next week Hillary Rodham Clinton will speak from the podium, not the floor like Elizabeth Dole.

Republicans reached for the political middle with speeches by retired Gen. Colin Powell and New York Rep. Susan Molinari. So will Democrats, with Evan Bayh, Indiana's tough-on-welfare governor, and gun-control advocate Sarah Brady, wife of Ronald Reagan's former press secretary.

Republicans re-designed their podium to look inviting. Democrats say they did that in 1992 and will stick with the same look in Chicago.

Republicans went around the "liberal" press and covered themselves on GOP TV. Democrats will get around the "establishment" press with their own news service, supplying sound bites, photographs and even custom-written news stories for any station or newspaper that will use them.

TV ratings for the Republican convention were miserable and Democrats say they expect theirs will be even worse, if only because it's the week before Labor Day.

But the Democrats say they've learned one thing from the Republicans. No one will speak a minute past 11 p.m., except maybe Clinton. No one can script him.

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

Democrats Package Chicago For TV

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