Republican convention was most-watched convention on television--ever

Closing night of the GOP convention - click to enlarge


By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor



Party unity, a TV ratings bonanza, an "energized base," and the Democrats on the run have resurrected what might have been a moribund convention. A few months ago, John McCain almost dropped out of the race, and the party was in shambles. The Republicans leave Minnesota with a new lease on life and the stunned Democratic Party once again playing catch-up.


According to Rasmussen Reports polls, the choice of Sarah Palin as VP candidate is only slightly more popular that Obama's choice of Joe Biden. However, the buzz seems to belie that, when coming off the convention Obama/Biden seem--for the moment--to be little more than a footnote, and an irritating presence to disposed of later in the fall.


The Rasmussen Reports now say that Palin’s favorable ratings are .a point higher than either man at the top of the ticket. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.


Senator Obama, however, vowed yesterday to fight back: "We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about," Obama said. "I don't believe in coming in second."


Unlike McCain, Obama is still madly fundraising. Last night, Obama attended a $2,300-per-person party at the .home of party fundraiser Phil Murphy. About 200 people, including the Bon Jovis and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, attended.


Republican nominee John McCain can raise no more campaign money because he accepted about $84 million in public funding and the restrictions that go with it. Obama turned down the public funding (and broke an earlier pledge to the voters), in hopes he can raise and spend more on his own.


This next eight weeks promise some excellent political theatre.
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John McCain's acceptance speech: "We have failed you. Re-elect us."

John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican Convention, after kudos to the unnamed 41st and 43rd Presidents, and even Barack Obama and Joe Biden, was less a celebration of the G.O.P. than an admission of failure. He hammered away at the failures of the Bush administration over and over and over. After this speech, it's hard to imagine George Bush ever campaigning for McCain/Palin. I've never heard anything like it. It wasn't a great speech, but then John McCain is not a great orator. He didn't offer a lot of substance, but he probably got the job done. And he left the democrats an incredible array of sound bites on failed Republican policies.

Even his own party blanched at the excoriation and abuse he heaped upon the Bush Administration and all of their enablers (including, of course, many Democrats):

Of the 67 paragraphs in his speech, six focused on Barack Obama. One of those paragraphs praised Obama, and five took issue with his policy. But the most interesting paragraph was one that was met with near silence from the assembled multitude.

He did mention his predecessors, George Bush, although he could not bring himself to actually name them:

"I’m grateful to the President for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the First Lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st President and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country. "

And then, McCain began to talk about his own President, his own party, and the failed policies of the last eight Republican, years.

"I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption."

"We’re going to recover the people’s trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire. The party of Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan is going to get back to basics."

"We need to change the way government does almost everything"

"I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn’t even noticed."

"We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington."

"All you ever asked of government is to stand on your side, not in your way."

"when we tell you we’re going to change Washington, and stop leaving our country’s problems for some unluckier generation to fix, you can count on it."

"I’ve fought corruption, and it didn’t matter if the culprits were Democrats or Republicans. They violated their public trust, and had to be held accountable. I’ve fought big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on things you neither need nor want, while you struggle to buy groceries, fill your gas tank and make your mortgage payment.
"

"I’ve fought to get million dollar checks out of our elections. I’ve fought lobbyists who stole from Indian tribes [Jack note: coincidentally, yesterday, Jack Abramoff received an additional four years in prison]. I fought crooked deals in the Pentagon. I fought tobacco companies and trial lawyers, drug companies and union bosses."

"We lost their trust, when we valued our power over our principles."

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John McCain blows a metaphorical kiss to Barack Obama in the McCain acceptance speech

"...to Senator Obama and his supporters. We’ll go at it over the next two months. That’s the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. We’re dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. No country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn’t be an American worthy of the name if I didn’t honor Senator Obama and his supporters for their achievement. "

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Kisses at the GOP Convention

The Republicans have become the party of the air kiss.

Last night, Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin fired a couple at the attractive crowd of Republicans.

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Sarah Palin Hits A Triple::::::The Outsider::::::::The Velvet Hammer::::::And she did it from memory, due to a broken Teleprompter

By Pablo Fanque

All This Is That National Affairs Editor

St. Paul, Minnesota 9-4-2008

Greeted by a tidal wave of applause (not quite at the Triumph of the Will level), Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stood in front of the Republican National Convention last night, and, lord knows how many millions of Americans at home (will they beat Obama's 35 million TV audience?), as a small-town outsider ready to join John McCain in "a tough fight in this election against confident opponents at a crucial hour for our country." She was met with thunderous applause.

Palin appeared immediately after Rudy "9/11" Giuliani softened up the crowd with a full throated and systematic condemnation of Obama and a warm (maybe even heartfelt), embrace of Governor Palin.

She appeared nervous at first, her voice maintaining a nervous edge for the first few minutes. And then, she took off. There were awkward moments in the speech, but almost all of them were immediately followed by crowd-pleasing zingers that brought the convention to its feet again and again.

Amazingly enough, her teleprompter quit working in the middle of the speech. She continued, from memory, to deliver her speech without the teleprompter. Republican websites have already compared this performance to one of Barack Obama's who, when his teleprompter malfunctioned during a recent speech, "was left stuttering before a crowd unable to advance his speech until the problem was resolved."

Palin tore into Obama and Biden, and she did it well. She did everything she needed to do and more. This all adds up to one gnarly dogfight between now and November 4th. I don't think there was a blunder, misstatement, or mistake Obama has made in the last two years that she didn't bring up, and mock. She proved she is no shrinking violet and went into the traditional Republican VP attack dog mode with ease and vigor.

"The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of 'personal discovery.' This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer," Palin said.

Of course, this speech is one of the critical, but easiest, steps she must take in the next two months. She has the base hooked, now it's time to go after that other pesky 50% of the voters.

There is still that albatross hanging around their necks...The President. I may be wrong, but I don't believe she expended any oxygen talking about President George W. Bush, other than obliquely, to say they would go and clean up Washington.

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Photos: Republican Convention opens in Minnesota

click to enlarge

click to enlarge the opening cermonies

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