] "I've been going to Republican conventions since 1972,
] and I've never seen a convention with as many protesters
] in the streets," said David Gergen, who has worked for
] several Republican presidents, and Bill Clinton. "The
] irony is that was a convention held here because of
] echoes of 9/11, but it opens with echoes of Chicago and
] the Vietnam war.
]
] "The protests are anti-Bush, with heavy antiwar
] overtones, but this is Chicago without the fisticuffs,
] without the fight, without the bloodshed - so far," Mr.
] Gergen added. "To interpret this politically is hard, but
] my gut is that large, peaceful protests are not what the
] Republicans want. The protesters are stealing the story
] for the first day and drowning out the Republican
] message. If there's violence, that could all change."

The New York Times - News Analysis: Upstaging Before the Show - The RNC Convention Protest March