The 70-page Democratic platform contains 12 references to the word “Internet” and the plank, “Internet Freedom” under the heading, “Advancing Universal Values.”
How many of the Internet references pertain to legalizing Internet poker?
Zero.
How many of the Internet references discuss the issue of Internet gaming?
Zero.
A week after Republicans approved a platform that called for a “prohibition” on Internet gaming, the Democrats seemingly ignored the issue altogether.
Delegates to the Democratic Convention in Charlotte, N.C., gave their support to the party’s platform Tuesday in the convention’s opening session.
Poker is having an affair with politics and the mainstream media, and it seems to be one of those flings…not sure where it started or where it will end, or even what it means, but enjoying it nonetheless.
Sure, the UIGEA was the first to act, but it was the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) who bought the drinks and started the bigger conversation. Most recently, the poker lobbying organization did something that didn’t seem like a big move in the beginning but is turning out to be an ingenious one. They established two charity tournaments to benefit the Paralyzed Vets of America, one to be played at each of the political conventions. The Democratic National Convention was the stage for the first, where none other than Ben Affleck won it. The second event will take place tomorrow in Minnesota, close to the site of the Republican National Convention. Both events are getting wide mainstream media coverage, i.e. Bloomberg, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, and The Denver Post.
The poker/politics affair goes even further, as poker has also become the analogy of choice for many writers and reporters well outside of the poker community. Terms like “poker face” and “all in” are finding their way into articles about Barack Obama and John McCain, either because Obama has been known to play poker or simply because poker is a good analogy. For example:
Chicago Sun Times: Does Barack Obama Really Have a Poker Face?
One of the guys speaking last night in Denver (and so few seemed to be listening) was none other than Former Rep. Jim Leach (R-IO). We hate him! He’s pretty much the architect of the UIGEA, having written the defeated house bill that would be repackaged in the Senate and passed by Bill Frist.
But apparently, since being ousted, he’s had a change of political heart and is abandoning the Republican right wing in favor of the Obamawagon.
I’m not so sure I trust this guy, but some of the things he said that caught my attention:
Yet what frustrates so many citizens is … the way today’s Republican Party has broken with its conservative heritage.
The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values. … And the party historically anchored in fiscal restraint has nearly doubled the national debt, squandering our precious resources in an undisciplined and unprecedented effort to finance a war with tax cuts.
Interestingly enough, Leach’s speech was followed by the commercial below, starring Matt Damon, the poker-friendly star of Rounders, for One.org:
Alas, no mention of poker on that site, either, as their special interest is apparently in ending global poverty. Hmmm … not sure how we can tailor the poker message to tie in with their worthy cause. But hey, we do know that Matt Damon is, um, “doing things” to Sarah Silverman, who will be playing in the PPA charity tourney tonight. So the connection between ending global poverty and allowing people all over the world to bet tens of thousands of dollars on a flush draw could be closer than we think!
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) just gave his address — not nearly the tear-jerker CNN analysts predicted it would be — and Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), speaking from the floor of the DNC, immediately followed as a guest on Hannity & Colmes. Wexler, of course, is the sponsor of the ever-pokery HR 2610 (Skill Game Protection Act) — he definitely knows what’s up, and what’s wrong, with current online poker law. However, in his time with H&C, he did not bring up poker. He spoke instead — with Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” blasting in the background — about the importance of universal health care, Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as a running mate, and women’s rights.
Jackson is one of four cosponsor’s to Rep. Pete Sessions’ (R-TX) HR 6663. That bill, of course, is the most straightforward fix to the UIGEA — simply limiting its reach to online sports gambling — yet one of the more controversial because of, um, politics.
Perhaps shockingly, he didn’t mention anything about the critical importance of being able to easily compete in online WSOP satellites in his five minutes he had to address the world … but hey, that’s where we stand: We have a young, pre-introductory Day 1 speaker to the Democratic party (his debut performance on such a stage) aware of our issues and philosophically on our side, though not exactly the way the PPA would like him to be.
It’s gonna be a late-night event at Coors Field on Tuesday, Aug. 26. $500 a seat, with proceeds going to the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Hosted by the PPA, with Andy Bloch, Barry Greenstein, and Ben Affleck serving as poker ambassadors. Sponsored tables available for businesses looking for a meaningful way to spend their charitable dollars.
The 70-page Democratic platform contains 12 references to the word “Internet” and the plank, “Internet Freedom” under the heading, “Advancing Universal Values.”
One of the guys speaking last night in Denver (and so 
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) just gave his address — not nearly the tear-jerker CNN analysts predicted it would be — and Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), speaking from the floor of the DNC, immediately followed as a guest on Hannity & Colmes. Wexler, of course, is the sponsor of the ever-pokery HR 2610 (Skill Game Protection Act) — he definitely knows what’s up, and what’s wrong, with current online poker law. However, in his time with H&C, he did not bring up poker. He spoke instead — with Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” blasting in the background — about the importance of universal health care, Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as a running mate, and women’s rights. 
