My analysis would not be complete -- and I'm dangerously low on sleep, so I want to get to 'complete' soon -- without mentioning the disturbances during the evening in the Garden. Three different protestors managed to get by the extraordinarily tight security at the Garden. One man wound up getting arrested before George Bush even spoke, and found himself rapidly escorted from the auditorium. He exposed an undershirt, I believe, with an anti-Bush slogan and started shouting, but it didn't take long (a few seconds) before he got taken out the door.

The second and third incidents occurred when Bush spoke to the audience, although if you were watching on TV, you may have missed both. If you recall two times when spontaneous chants of "Four More Years" erupted when it didn't appear that Bush had paused for an applause break, that's when the protests took place.

The first of the two was the most unnerving. My friend from the Hennepin County campaign pointed it out just as I noticed a woman getting up from the California delegation and shouting something. She unfurled a sheet with the words BUSH LIED -- PEOPLE DIED on it and started shouting the slogan. This occurred about 100 feet or so from the President. Another member of the Golden State delegation ripped it out of her hands and while she fought to get it back, others grabbed her. Bush continued talking through the distubance as Secret Service officers raced over to both arrest her and rescue her, as it looked like the Californians were unhappy and embarrassed enough to shut her up using other means.

Security had to drag her from the room, still screaming her slogan over and over again, but by that time the delegates started shouting "Four More Years" to drown her out. The third incident I only noticed after security had a hold on the protestor, and again the shouting drew the same "Four More Years" chant.

No damage, at least none apparent, and the mouthbreathers can take joy in the fact that their shenanigans forced the security to lose focus on other potential threats. However, since they are likely intractable narcissists who crave that kind of attention, they'll spend a night one place where they can be sure to get it.

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