With the start of the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party will spend the next four days trying to convince the electorate (and themselves) that they are an opposition party. The corporate media will no doubt bring coverage of what the delegates are wearing, talk of the "great importance" of this election, and prime-time speeches by the Democrats as they "move towards the political center." While the Democratic leadership and their presidential candidate move toward the center, there is growing unease with the party among its delegates who are generally far more "progressive" than Kerry. However, the Democratic Party has become homogenized with little room for internal dissent and as a consequence, many Democrats feel forced to vote for Kerry due to a lack of choices.

Protests outside the convention have also begun amidst a "security" situation that greatly stifles dissent. A group of activists dramatized what they called the "internment-like conditions" of the Free Speech Zone by dressing as hooded prisoners to illustrate the connection between government repression abroad and the repression of dissent within the United States.

For independent coverage of the convention, consult Democracy Now, the Boston IMC, and This Modern World.