Curtain officially rises on Election 2004

The convention aims to introduce the Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry and his running-mate Senator John Edwards to the American people. It is expected to tell, "the story of their lifetime of service to the nation and fight for average Americans, and their vision for a stronger and more secure America."

According to the New York based Campaign Finance Institute and convention host committees, they have so far collected roughly $40 million in donations from individuals, labour unions, and corporations. As many as 36,000 visitors are expected to attend the convention.

The choice of Max Cleland to usher in John Kerry's crowning on the final night of the convention underscores the intent to highlight the Democratic nominee's life story and military service. The prominent role of Cleland and a handful of former Swift boat crew members John Kerry commanded in Vietnam on the final night will provide an opportunity to flesh out John Kerry's biography, specially his combat experience, an important asset in a time of war.

The appearance of Cleland, a former Senator from Georgia who lost three limbs as an army officer in Vietnam, also counters the Republican recruitment of Senator Zell Miller of Georgia to speak at the GOP Convention. Senator Miller, a life-long Democrat, has endorsed President Bush for re-election.

This election-related grand show of the Democratic Party is expected to be addressed by a host of Democratic dignitaries including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former Vice-President Al-Gore, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and Elizabeth Edwards. Bill Clinton kicks off the event with a speech in prime-time today.

The former chairman of the New York State Democratic Party Judith Hope, recently expressed her annoyance at the failure to give Senator Hillary Clinton a prominent speaking role at the convention although the convention organisers said, "the former first lady will appear on stage with other female Senators on the opening night of the gatherings, with Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland speaking." But Senator Clinton told a New York radio station that she was "not disappointed at all as I have had many opportunities in the past." In any case, John Kerry has requested Senator Clinton to introduce her husband on the first night of the convention, which she has agreed to do.

According to the convention sources, sufficient publicity arrangements have already been finalised to make it successful and effective. Agencies like ABC, NBC, and CBS have lined up with the convention host committee to broadcast one hour on each of the four-nights of the convention. They will do the same in the case of the Republicans who are expected to meet August 30 through September 2 in New York.

As for the security arrangements of such a show of national and international importance, the convention will have an unprecedented level of security by Homeland Security. The head of Homeland Security was in Boston a few days back to see for himself the elaborate arrangements already chalked out to ensure hundred percent security of the convention events. The special security measures will be in place amid warnings that terrorists might target the political gatherings in hopes of disrupting the November Presidential election.

In the meanwhile, Senator John Kerry, his running mate Senator John Edwards, their advisers, and Democratic party policy-makers are all now extremely busy in formulating campaign strategies and other election programmes for the November Presidential race. John Kerry was recently at his summer home in Nantucket, Massachusetts for four days, basically to finalise his speech to be delivered at the convention and also to fix up the next phase of his campaign strategy. According to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll, "John Kerry heads toward the Democratic Convention and his best opportunity to make a strong impression on the country."

As the convention sources have indicated, Senator Kerry and his allies will try to take full advantage of the four-day show, specially in turning the focus more towards the Iraq war and its far reaching consequences on the American image abroad and the series of financial woes that the Bush Administration has been inflicting on middle-class households. They will argue that there have been huge job losses under President Bush and that new jobs being created are inferior ones. Issues like medical bills, gasoline prices, and higher college tuition will also likely get the upper hand in the deliberations at the convention.

However, available indications show that John Kerry will present himself as a centrist on economic policy. He will pledge to cut the deficit, move the country towards budget surpluses and recreate the booming economy of the Clinton years. As if to underscore the point, he has recruited most of the economic advisers of the Clinton administration. But in any case, John Kerry will put special emphasis on his most significant economic proposal -- the expensive expansion of government financed health insurance.

The Democratic Party leaders will also try to cover some electoral issues and frame their campaign strategy accordingly in the convention. There is a consensus that at least seventeen states are still undecided and are up for grabs including electoral giants Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. States like Republican-leaning Georgia are also there, and such issues will definitely draw the attention of the policy makers and campaign strategists.

The Republican leaders, on the other hand, have decided to set up a rapid response command centre in Boston to counter what they term the Democrats' "extreme makeover of John Kerry's record" as has been conveyed by Christine Iverson, the Republican Party spokeswoman. The operation will feature instantaneous e-mail rebuttal and a slew of high profile Republican TV commentators.

On a separate front, a handful of independent pro-Democratic groups have recently picked up more than $20 million expanding their role as a "shadow party" and leaving their Republican counterparts far behind. With more than $43 million collected this year, the Democratic leaning organisations have been attacking President Bush in TV ads in key states and potentially could have a major impact in the closing months of the presidential race. "With the ads by the pro-Democratic groups, they have given John Kerry an advantage now and a significant advantage in some markets," said Ken Goldstein, a Professor of the University of Wisconsin who regularly tracks campaign ad spending.

In the meantime, the campaign groups of both Democrats and Republicans have indicated that they would accept $75 million in public financing for the election campaign, which means that they cannot continue to raise private funds. But the independent groups can continue to raise and spend funds, air political messages, and mobilise voters on the ground.

Finally, and amusingly, a ten-year old donkey from northwest Georgia named Swifty is attending the Democratic Party Convention as a delegate to greet his fellow Democrats for the second time. Although Swifty will not be allowed into the Fleet Centre, he will be greeting voters at Boston Franklin Park Zoo, site of a Boston Promotional event, one of the larger side events of the Convention.

An experienced four-legged conventioneer, Swifty greeted fellow Democrats outside the Staples Centre in Los Angeles four years ago. His owner Morris Powell, 61, of Lookout Mountain recently told journalists that it would take a couple of days to drive the 900-odd miles from Georgia to Boston with a horse trailer in tow. Powell, a farmer and member of the boilermakers union, is a part of the official delegation from Georgia to the convention.

Zahid Hossain is a Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.