What a Difference a Week Makes

Remember this?

Even though Republican leaders want to make it seem like they're now a "diverse and inclusive party", reality just doesn't sync with them. Even Mitt Romney himself has basically conceded that his base is overwhelmingly old, white, and straight (and majority male on top of all that), and that his only plausible path to victory lies in fueling racial tension.

Now, see this.

The Republican convention in Tampa revealed a deep bench of talented women and minority leaders, many of whom were given prime speaking slots. But the delegates and convention-goers were overwhelmingly white (despite high-profile speeches from Condoleezza Rice, Mia Love and Artur Davis, for example, only 2 percent of actual delegates at the RNC were black), a fact that the Democratic convention organizers in Charlotte pointed out several times as they detailed the week ahead in a press conference Monday.

Declaring Democrats the “party of openness,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the convention chairman, said this convention “will be the most diverse in history, and we’re very proud of that. You’ll see people from every walk of life: rich, poor, black, white, Latino, Asian, Christians, Jews, Muslims … we’re all here celebrating this great vision of ours.”

Twenty-seven percent of Democratic delegates are black (up from 24 percent in 2008), and 50 percent are women, according to Alice Germond, the Democratic National Committee secretary.

“This is truly the most diverse, the most open, the most transparent, the most exciting convention we’re about to undertake,” Germond told reporters. “It is big, it is bold, it is beautiful, it is America.”

And remember this?

[Ron] Paul's troops refuse to go away quietly. And actually, they've already been causing trouble for the entire Nevada delegation. For one, the Nevada delegation has been placed in "the nosebleed section" of the convention center. And to make things worse, the big name G-O-TEA politicians are staying away from them. And since conventions are often defined by access and "schmoozing", it really hurts for the Romney alternates who wanted to enjoy the "pomp and circumstance" of the convention.

Now, see this.

In Nevada’s case, there’s no comparison: The Democrats are wooing much harder than the Republicans did.

This week, when Nevada’s delegates gather for their daily state breakfast meetings, they will be feted by practically every Democratic party A-lister short of President Barack Obama.

The week’s scheduled roster of breakfast speakers and schmoozers includes Democratic National Convention chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz; permanent convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of Los Angeles; Obama campaign manager Jim Messina; top Obama counselor and White House congressional liaison Pete Rouse; and at least two members of the president’s Cabinet.

It is a far cry from the treatment Nevada received at the Republican National Convention last week in Tampa, Fla., where delegates were ignored by everyone but the most fringe figures of the GOP, such as the Republican voter fraud watchdog group “True the Vote” and 2010’s Tea Party darling Sharron Angle. Even when House Speaker John Boehner and Mitt Romney’s son and surrogate Josh came by the delegation’s hotel to speak with the Pennsylvania representatives, they steered sharply clear of the Nevada breakfast room down the hall.

So for one, Democrats are set to have a truly diverse body from top to bottom present at theory convention in Charlotte this week. Unlike the Republicans, Democrats seem to actually be matching words with action when it comes to respecting and embracing the diversity of America.

And secondly, Nevada Democrats actually look to be getting the red carpet treatment in Charlotte this week. This is obviously totally different from what happened to Nevada Republicans in Tampa last week. I wonder why this is happening (snark).

So already, it looks like there will be a wholly different tone in Charlotte, especially when it comes to how Nevada is viewed and how the delegation looks more like America. We'll have to wait and see what happens next as the week unfolds. But so far, we can already see what a difference a week makes.