The Republican Convention: Another Catastrophic Success?

[Khephra]

I�m going out on a limb here, but the red meat, red state dominated RNC may turn out to be what George W. Bush likes to call �a catastrophic success.� His soldiers stormed the podium, reigned shock and awe down on their enemies, and overpowered the viewers without thinking much about the aftermath or an exit strategy.

First came the explosive opening salvos aimed at taking John Kerry out on the first night. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani both gave powerful speeches. And the 9/11 families were beautifully dignified. But the overall effect was that the Republicans were using the 9/11 tragedy for partisan gain. Giuliani added to that feeling when he bragged about saying, in those first moments of the brutal attack, �Thank God George Bush is our president.� Because, as every swing voter knows, had Bill Clinton or Al Gore or John Kerry been president at that moment, they would have just sat there, staring off into space, frozen, too stunned to even-- Oh wait, that�s what the �thank God� president did.

Also on that first night came Hollywood elitist (i.e., democrat) turned sensible, regular guy (i.e., republican) actor Ron Silver, to prove that not all the beautiful people hate Bush. I suppose he was chosen to offset the Kerry-supporting likes of Ben Affleck, Bruce Springsteen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Newman, Steve Buscemi, Matthew Broderick, Jon Bon Jovi, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Mellencamp, Susan Sarandon, Jerry Stiller, Chris Cooper, Martin Sheen, Mary J. Blige, Sean Penn, Chevy Chase, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Jessica Lange, Larry David, Steven Spielberg, Robert DeNiro, and Meryl Streep (to name a few). Wow, Ron Silver and Bo Derek?! I want to be on that team.

Day two brought the movie star governor of California, showing the rest of the nation the political savvy he brings to his job in Sacramento. No wonder they think of us as kooks. The guy began by waxing poetic for Richard Nixon, actually calling him �a breath of fresh air.� I understand that Arnold was new to America, was watching his first political campaign, and didn�t speak English at the time. But didn�t he turn on his TV again during the 1970s? I�m guessing some swing voters swung hard left at that moment. And the �girlie man� gag couldn�t have helped with the female vote. Plus, Schwarzenegger�s immigrant roots, though admirable, couldn�t have played well with the large segment of the conservative base that is up in arms over Bush�s liberal immigration policy. Yes, Arnold lived the American dream. So do Lotto winners. But their version of the American dream isn�t the stuff that economic theory and political philosophy should be based on.

more........

http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_9987.shtml

[unfrigginreal]

1. Whoa, pretty strong stuff from this right wing rag

If I’m right, the RNC may just go down in history as the biggest “self-inflicted wound” of the 2004 presidential campaign.

[Khephra]

2. It is a pretty damning editorial, isn't it?

I couldn't believe that it was coming from a Republican source myself when I read it the first time. Powerful, powerful stuff. It also echoes my exact thoughts on the Convention.