The press has become remarkably skilled at ignoring protest marches and demonstrations, especially if the event is even slightly to the left of mainstream opinion.   Whether they fear being labeled with the ‘liberal media bias’ tag by the clowns at Fox or if they just base their decision on ratings (peaceful marches don’t make for exciting TV), the major news stations do their best to ignore political demonstrations in this country; unless of course, the celebrity participation quotient is too high to overlook.

Fortunately for political activists of all types, the next ten months include a series of events where media coverage is guaranteed and political protest would be most appropriate.  I’m referring to the numerous events related to the 2008 Presidential elections, from the ongoing debates through to the national party conventions at the end of the summer.   At the top of the list are the Republican and Democratic candidate debates in California later this week.  Both are co-hosted by CNN and will be covered by all types of media.   Not surprisingly, the Republicans have chosen a location with extremely tight security, thereby shutting down any practical opportunity for protest – their debate is being held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, a location designed with bunker-like security precautions.   Fortunately, the Democrats are having their debate at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, the site of the annual Academy Awards ceremony.  This location, smack in the middle of Hollywood Blvd., is perfect for protest organizers looking to maximize media coverage. 

Although the debates guarantee a level of media coverage far higher than typical campaign stops, the countless appearances candidates have scheduled in support of the February 5^th “Super Tuesday” primaries also offer some great opportunities for creative protests.  Almost every campaign event has some level of media coverage, especially among the local media outlets, so these stops should be considered as potential protest sites.  And with campaign stops typically catering to the party faithful, security is often remarkably lax,   It is often possible for protesters to get right up in proximity to the candidate, making for irresistible video spots that local stations will play over and over again.

While the debates and campaign stops both offer interesting protest opportunities, nothing compares to the national party conventions in terms of historical significance or level of media coverage.  While the locations of this year’s conventions (Minneapolis for the Republicans, Denver for the Democrats) can’t compare to NYC or Los Angeles, there are some advantages to the smaller cities.  When the conventions come to town in a smaller city, they truly monopolize the city’s attention for the duration of the event.  That just doesn’t happen in a place like Los Angeles.  Protest organizers in Denver or Minneapolis can be certain that they won’t be overshadowed by a celebrity arrest or the latest news from Wall Street.  Also, while the smaller cities do their best to ramp up law enforcement capabilities and event security, they just don’t have the resources or experience of New York or even Washington DC.   This doesn’t mean that protesters will be able to run wild in the streets, only that the opposing sides will be a little more evenly matched.  This is most readily apparent in the weeks leading up to the conventions; in Los Angeles prior to the 2000 Democratic convention, protest organizing meetings were overflowing with middle aged white guys wearing brown shoes and  Members Only wind breakers.  Smaller cities can’t afford to allocate dozens of plain clothes detectives to this sort of intelligence gathering. 

With Iraq no closer to a final resolution, the Taliban having re-occupied most of Afghanistan and the economy roaring towards recession, the opportunities for protesters couldn’t be better.  Its up to each and every one of us to do our part to bring down the Bush administration: even if it takes until the end of his term, we need to send him packing in disgrace.  He’s earned it.