Online journal

Democracy in the raw

Robert Trigaux is a business columnist for the St. Petersburg Times. While covering the economic issues at the Republican National Convention in New York, he'll share his opinions and experiences in the online journal.

[Getty Images]

A member of the group "Billionaires for Bush" holds a sign as he marches down 5th Avenue on Sunday.

			Robert Trigaux
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Sunday's street protests across Manhattan and outside the Republican National Convention might carry the theme: Which Political Planet Are You From?

While protesters marched in numbers approaching the population of St. Petersburg, most Republican delegates hovered in and around the $200 per night midtown hotels and $350-$1,000 (and up) fancier quarters that line Central Park South. The delegates are enjoying Sunday's planned "Welcome GOP" entertainment and dining gatherings. Far from the madding crowd. That's probably a good thing. Because there are a lot of passionate people today upset with the Bush administration, the war in Iraq and even the economy.

I got up early to make my way to Central Park this morning. A group calling itself Billionaires for Bush claimed to be gathering across from The Plaza, the famed hotel that caters to the wealthy. The group planned to express their admiration for, and thank, the current White House.

Don't get me wrong. Billionaires for Bush is a national protest group that lampoons the ways of the rich. They are middle-class people who get dressed up as tuxedoed fat cats, corporate elite and heiresses to "express" their appreciation to Bush for making their lives so much easier and richer.

The gathering outside the Plaza was hardly lost on the locals and tourists who gawked at the "billionaires" who mugged for cameras in their attire and posed outside The Plaza in front of the many limos.

As street theater, it was a good show. Hundreds of "billionaires" gathered, each with their own "name" that played off wealthy antics. Some of my favorite names were Tex Shelter and Hal E. Burton for the men, and Iona Bigg Yacht for the women.

After some rousing cheers, chants and songs, the Billionaires for Bush headed down 5th Avenue at midday. Their destination: to join up with the day's big United for Peace & Justice protest march that would swell to well over 100,000 people. The route of the big protest ran from just north of Greenwich Village up to Madison Square Garden, then east on 34th Street, and down 5th Avenue to Union Square.

I first caught up with the protesters on 5th Avenue, just south of the Empire State Building, then later watched more at 34th Street by Macy's (yes, it was open for business). Though the massive protest was clearly focused against the war in Iraq, including a poignant march by hundreds of people carrying flag-draped (cardboard) coffins, there were plenty of folks marching for other reasons. There were numerous signs and chants against the skyrocketing deficit. Others protested the Bush administration's (lack of) international relations with the poster: "Yee Haw! Is Not A Foreign Policy." Fox News even took some heat from protesters upset by the network's conservative leanings.

As protests went, this was a big one. And a largely peaceful one, as far asI could tell. Some protesters on bicycles had been handcuffed and sat on side streets while the police loaded their bikes on to the backs of trucks. But these were the exceptions.

I was surprised that amid all the anti-Bush sentiment, the pro-Kerry signs were not prolific. Anti-Bush does not necessarily mean pro-Kerry. Will these protests matter in the end? Sure they will, even if they do not change the outcome of the presidential election. I later watched the CNN, Fox, C-Span (which to its credit carried some of it live and without commentary) and local television coverage.

It just wasn't the same as being there, no matter your political preferences.

I knew of (but never saw) some people from St. Petersburg and Tampa who were marching Sunday. In a protest so vast, it would have been like finding needles in a haystack.

I guess it was democracy in the raw (and the heat). And it was historical as it was the biggest protest march ever during a political convention. This is the last day before the big GOP show begins. Now the protesters will be competing for media attention with the actual convention. Let's see how that plays out in the coming days. My guess is this match-up isn't over by any means.

[AP photo]

Andrea Duquette, left, and Ashley Perry dress in cheerleader outfits from "Electoral College" while waiting in line with other delegates going to a show in Times Square on Sunday. The women own Electoral College Sportswear and Accessories based in Orono, Maine.