Tuesday, August 31 2004
THE FIRST NIGHT: Before I comment on the speeches, a caveat: one of the interesting things about reading the blog reviews of the speeches at the DNC - especially John Kerry's speech - is that they seemed terribly bubble-biased. What I mean is that bloggers who were in Boston breathlessly reported on what a great speech Kerry gave and the tremendous energy in the hall that night, but it didn't translate through the television to those of us watching at home. The bloggers were inside the bubble of the convention and their own excitement led them to think Kerry's speech was a heck of a lot better than it was.

I was also inside the bubble last night. I was also excited by the crowd and deeply moved by the tribute to September 11 and the singing of Amazing Grace. I tried, however, to keep reminding myself of what it all must have looked like and sounded like to those of you watching at home, and especially to anyone who would be considered a "swing voter" or an "undecided."

John McCain's speech was a mixed bag. The content of the speech was good, but the delivery was average, at best. To be honest, Lindsay Graham received only polite applause during his introduction of McCain and for a split second I was concerned that McCain might get the cold shoulder from the crowd. He didn't.

But despite the long, standing ovation at the beginning and his reference to Michael Moore about half-way through the speech (which absolutely brought down the house), McCain didn't seem to connect with the crowd. Some lines came across awkward, others were lines McCain should have known would be applause lines, but didn't.

Nevertheless, McCain offered a solid testimony to Bush's leadership skills, his vision, and a strong defense for the justification of removing Saddam Hussein.

Rudy's speech was, in a word, brilliant. More than anyone else living today, Rudy embodies and personifies the courage and strength of our country on September 11. His remembrances last night were like a transport in time back to that fateful day, and his heartfelt recollections of President Bush during that time struck me as powerful reminders, not only of why many people like Bush, but of what we face in the war on terror.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is a more effective weapon against a political opponent than ridicule. Giuliani's attack on Kerry's record of flip-flopping on serious issues was, I thought, one of the most devastating I've seen this year. It was done with humor, with wit, and with perfect timing. Rudy's line about understanding why Edwards thinks there should be two Americas - one America where Kerry can vote one way and another where he can vote the opposite - couldn't have been done better by Jay Leno or Dave Letterman.

But after all the laughter ended the message Rudy left was a deadly serious one: John Kerry does not have the courage and ability to lead with resolve as Commander in Chief.

I'll leave you this morning with one final thought. There was a lot of focus on September 11, 2001 last night. I could just feel Democrats around the country screeching "exploitation!!!!!" as the widows of 9/11 spoke in tribute to their loved ones and as Giuliani recalled the heroes and horrors of that tragic day.

And even though Democrats held their own tribute to 9/11 in Boston, they don't want Republicans to talk about September 11. In fact, they want the public to forget about September 11 for political purposes.

I take that back. Democrats are fully willing to exploit the memory of 9/11 by making movies (and money) slandering the Bush administration and by issuing ad hominem attacks on the President himself, yet they don't want America to refocus on the reality of what happened that day and what it meant to us and for us as a country.

Last night inside the convention bubble I got the feeling that the picture of September 11, which had grown fuzzy over the last three years, started coming back into focus. Even though the speeches weren't carried on the network news and not a lot of people saw them live, I still think the message will make it's way out. That message is a tug at the sleeve of a country who has submitted to a gradual case of comfortable amnesia over the last three years. That message is only four words long and it isn't Republican or Democratic message, it's an American message: WE WILL NEVER FORGET. - T. Bevan 8:55 pm Link | Email | Send to a Friend

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