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| The Republican Convention 2004 in New York City
a personal review of some highlights by Robert A. Hendrix http://www.coyotemanhendrix.com/repnatlconvention.html
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John McCain
Rudy Giuliani Elizabeth Dole Bill Frist, M.D. Arnold Schwarzenegger the Bush twins Laura Bush Zell Miller Vice Presidenty Cheney George W. Bush Conclusion |
This is going to be a bitter political fight. Since the Democratic Convention, 'independent' political action groups have called the military service of Senator Kerry in Vietnam to question. This is ironic in that neither President Bush himself nor Vice President Cheney spent one minute in Vietnam. Yet it has served as a distracter to voters and Kerry himself, forcing him to go on the defensive about these 'non-issues'. With all due respect to veterans of the Vietnam War, it is frankly irrelevant what statements Kerry made before Congress after he returned from the Asian Conflict. Furthermore, the Vietnam War was over thirty years ago - THE VIETNAM WAR IS NOT AN ISSUE IN 2004!
At the outset, concerns were repeatedly raised in the media over potentially violent protests against the George W. Bush's Republican administration and the Iraqi War especially. However, the week was reasonably civil. In interviews, some delegates described overt hostility from some of the protestors, noting how they made obscene hand gestures with the middle finger toward groups outside Madison Square Gardens, as when attending Broadway shows. As the Republican Convention came to an end, daily protests seemed to wane - still, a total of nearly 1,800 were arrested over convention week. Another major concern was the threat of terrorist attack. Madison Square Gardens is right above Penn Station where local trains and Amtrak run. It is also an active area transversed daily by great numbers of citizens and visitors to New York. Comedian Lewis Black (Comedy Central) asked openly how did the republican planning committee come on such a berserk idea as to hold the affair in such a dangerous place? Nonetheless, levels of security never before seen in the free United States of America were successfully employed. The convention ended without any serious incident. I watched what I could of the Republican Convention - I had the feeling that relatively few people were watching this media event. I tried to give the Republicans "equal time" for consideration and critique. In the manner of my review of the Democratic convention, the following are short personal commentaries regarding the Republican speeches that I viewed.
back to top of Republican Convention 2004
The sacrifices borne in our defense are not shared equally by all Americans.
But all Americans must share a resolve to see this war through to a just end.
...in recognition we were attacked not for a wrong we had done, but for who we are - a people united in a kinship of ideals, committed to the notion that the people are sovereign, not governments, not armies, not a pitiless, inhumane theocracy, not kings, mullahs or tyrants, but the people.
...
War is an awful business. The lives of a nation’s finest patriots are sacrificed. Innocent people suffer. Commerce is disrupted, economies are damaged.
Rating: I wish I could vote for this guyback to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: Rudy is okay by meback to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: a bit preachyback to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: balanced in that a physician lawmaker gets to speakback to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: what a trip!back to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: silly fluffback to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: who could possibly dislike this lady?
Rating: Far too bitter and stridentback to top of Republican Convention 2004
Rating: quietly powerful and intelligent
As recently as one generation ago, a senator or congressman could campaign for national office, drawing selectively on the various compromises, 'flip flops' and questionable votes he had cast in the give and take of the Washington lawmaker role. These days, the reporters, analysists, and hostile adversaries readily dissect such a protean platform. Moreover, the dissection is disseminated publicly over mass media. This has made it much easier for governors and "Washington outsiders" to find sufficient acceptance among the voting public. Unfortunately for Senator Kerry, the vicissitudes of Congressional life over the past several decades leave him open to rancor and scorn based on his own voting record. The Wild Card Phenomenon Clearly, it is better for a candidate not to have too much that can be exposed about him or her...
Rating: The President presented his speech wellnow it is up to AMERICAN CITIZENS ALONE to choose, which is as it should be. Some idiots including some local leaders in the city of Washington, D.C. as well as a few other scattered spots around the U.S. have suggested that anyone who is a resident in the United States should have the right to vote. Reportedly, a few towns have enacted or are considering statutes to extend access to the American democratic process to pretty much anyone who walks in the door (including ILLEGAL ALIENS). Anyone so ignorant as to consider such a concept seriously should have to take high school American history and civic classes, earning a grade of C or better before being allowed to vote or hold office again.Let us hope for collective wisdom...One weakness of democracy is that politicians (especially local yokos) can attain various levels of leadership based on popularity alone. With an uneducated or skewed constituency, an unqualified individual can be voted in in spite of bigotry and prejudice, dogmatism and demagoguery, or despite a serious lack of perspective, depth, intelligence, integrity, judgment or fundamental knowledge. Effective democracy as a basis for a free society requires above all, quality SECULAR education of all its citizens.
Conclusion
President Bush has enjoyed a substantial 'bounce' and floated to a double-digit lead in post convention polls. On Saturday, 2 days following the closing of the Republican Convention, a Newsweek poll showed 52% to 41% in favor of the president - a TIME magazine poll also showed an 11-point lead for Mr. Bush. In contrast, candidate Senator Kerry's bounce was more what one would expect of most white guys - no real detectable jump in standing in the polls whatsoever. The reason for this may be in 'tangible' political substance. Kerry has made a big deal of his Vietnam service and that just isn't relevant to issues of the economy and the war on terrorism. Further, with regard to the war on terrorism, Kerry has not indicated any convincing change in approach except perhaps to raise fears that he would subjugate American policy to the approval of the French, Germans, Russians, Chinese, or other 'allies'.
In what is clearly more than the power of an incumbent administration, the Republicans seem very defined and more importantly, very much in control. The Democratic candidates have thus far failed to put forth any message or position beyond the anti-Bush appeal. They are likely to lose for this failure as well.