Actual sincerity might be on display at the Democratic convention.

It's going to be hard to watch the political conventions after the Olympics. We'll have to switch from events with real drama and results to pageantry with neither. This is the political equivalent of hours of Michael Phelps celebrations with no actual swimming. Plus, there's the fakery. The crowd shot of the audience at the GOP convention may look racially and ethnically diverse, but we know the party is less so. Barack Obama may promise not to engage in old-style politics, but we know he's not lived up to his own standard all along the way and isn't likely to in the future. [ more ... ] (link)