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Talking Points Memo — Word's out: Bush's 2004 greek temple.

Edifice Complex
Shakesville — The Republicans are mocking the stage set from which Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High tomorrow night: Obama's "temple" Of course, it doesn't look as fancy as the one the Republicans built for George W. Bush in New York in 2004: Bush's "temple" I like the added touch of the stanchions and ropes; makes it look all holy and stuff. And isn't that red carpet luxurious? To quote Mrs. Doubtfire, it just reeks of taste. ...

Bush, RNC Both Heart Greek Columns, Too!
TPM Election Central — ... But of course, as Ben Smith notes, in 2004 Bush accepted his nomination before a backdrop of Greek revival columns, too. Here's an image: ...

Obama camp responds to criticism of “temple” stage by … attacking McCain’s wealth
Hot Air » Top Picks — ... !) As I write this, the tu quoque is already being made, with Ben Smith dutifully reporting that George Bush spoke before practically the same backdrop in 2004. Judge for yourself. The columns are fewer, set far back, and (apparently) lacking the frieze in Obama’s set, suggesting to my jaded wingnut eye not so much an actual building as something “stately” an unimaginative set designer decided to toss in there to fill out the space between the flags. Regardless, though, if it’s true that Obama’s getting a harder time about this than would other politicians if they used the ...

Column-gate!
Real Clear Politics - TIME.com — ... with the columns that will form the backdrop of Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field. Of course, as Ben Smith points out , George Bush had a fondness for columns as well. ...

Denver - Day 3: Roll call, Bubba, and Biden
Sister Toldjah — ... , and some people trying to say “bbbbut Bush!” Unfortunately, one of those people is a writer I respect highly: Ben Smith at The Politico. He writes: ...

Funkdaddy Supreme’s House O’ Speech
pandagon.net - we are the public option — by Jesse Taylor Barack Obama is apparently going to have his acceptance speech in front of a mockup of the Parthenon or something, an act of hubris unrivaled in modern times. Of course, there is no backdrop that Obama could have for his speech that wouldn’t play into Republican attacks on his “celebrity”—if he had it in the Pepsi Center, it would be compared to glitzy stage shows by (just throwing out a name here) someone like Madonna.  If he took it to a small, intimate setting, it would be compared to a wine party ...

Celeb Attack On A Monumental Scale
BAGnewsNotes — ... A number of things are going on here. It has already been pointed out that Bush's nomination stage in 2004 featured Roman columns also, and that, of course, it is a common theme in Washington and presidential campaigns (just look at the monuments and government buildings). But at this point, that shouldn't matter. The Obama campaign needs to realize that, visually and metaphorically, they aren't on a playing field, and they need to compensate for that. ...

Bush's 2004 Temple
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan — Take a deep breath, in and out, and don't let the micro-news-cycle throw you for a loop. Yeah, I know. Me too.

When History Makes the Latest Flap a Non-Story
PoliGazette — The "he’s an elitist" story of the day is all about Barack Obama’s plans to give his acceptance speech tomorrow in front of a replica of a wall of an ancient Greek temple, column, lintel, and all. Besides the fact that the entirety of Western culture largely owes its existence to the Greeks, those people who were paying attention in 2004 noted that the setup seemed oddly familiar to one they had seen before. Oh yes: the stage set up at the Republican National Convention where George Bush gave his acceptance speech. When ...

Campaign Finance Conundrum
Sound Politics — ... , all that's missing is a giant phallic symbol to give Bob Herbert a case of the vapors. Sure, some Democrats will say "Bush did it!" . But a couple of pillars as a backdrop to a stage and some huge American flags is pretty standard political fare - as just about any visitor to Washington, DC will attest. That, and funny thing, President Bush had a real seal because he is a real, sitting President. Meanwhile, the campaign that has been deemed arrogant by reporters on its beat, who is desperately trying to dodge the elitist label for its candidate, and who famously ...

Who's Directing Obama's Campaign Anyway? Oliver Stone?
Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys.. — ... and Obama just kept standing there like a bad parody of rock star or a model for Brooks Brothers "casual man". Did he know? Oh, yes, I believe so and he gave them the pose for a nice long time while they held up their camera phones above the plane seats. That says something about the ego more than some other instances that have been presented. Now he's going to come out of a Greek temple facade (how appropriate is that word? Facade?) to give his vaunted speech. Some people are comparing it to Bush's stage in 2004 . There are a few problems with this comparison. First, ...

Column Inches
Political Punch — ... Column Inches August 28, 2008 10:31 AM So I was at INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium this morning for Good Morning America, and yes, the Greek columns on the stage look a bit weird. Though as Ben Smith points out , President Bush had an ornate set with Grek columns when accepted the GOP presidential nomination in 2004. The Obama campaign says this is another one of those idiotic phony issues trumped up by the GOP and ...

8/28: Watching And Waiting
Blogometer — ... reported that his acceptance speech "will be delivered from an elaborate columned platform resembling a miniature Greek temple": OBAMA II: Pot, Meet Kettle Liberal bloggers are pushing back against the criticism of Obama's Greek pillars by pointing out that Bush delivered his 2004 acceptance speech on a stage with Greek pillars : "Republicans who are mocking Obama's appearance haven't mentioned it, but George W. Bush accepted his own nomination in 2004 on a set with a similar neoclassical theme, with columns rising on either side of him, as the pictures ...

Mocking Republican mockery
Daily Kos — ... They forgot that George Bush accepted the Republican nomination in 2004 on a similar neo-classical set. The columns were less Greek and more Roman Imperial, but that's a stylistic preference for Republicans. You would have thought somebody in the GOP was paying attention that day. ...

A "weakness for extravagance?"
Lawyers, Guns and Money — ... You can really taste the true here. Anyone who would deliver an acceptance speech in front of Greek columns must be some sort of pussified high-brow. I'll bet his wife even ...