After an abriviated actual first day of the 2008 Republican Natinoal Convention, its second day became the first day of the convention for the GOP to make its case for John McCain. It was an odd political spectical, to say the least. Say what you will about the ability of the Republicans to actually govern, they do know how to campaign. Most elections, their conventions blow those of the Democrats out of the water. Tonight's festivities looked more like small-town candidate event than the opening night of a national convention.
For starters, the sports arena in which the convention is taking place in St. Paul was about a 1/3 full... maybe. There were delegates on the floor and press in part of the first tier of bleachers and everything else was just open seats. There is absolutely no reason for this to be the case. It no doubt added to the relative quiet in the hall. "Added to" is the correct term here because the delegates themselves cheered about as hard as a patch of turnips during the evening. It was just plain odd. (See the TPM wrap-up mentioned below for a possible reason as to the quiet of the crowd.)
The main events for the evening includes speeches by President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, former Republican Senator Fred Thompson, and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman. This all was odd in its own way as well.
Bush was the first member of this group to speak. His speech was about eight minutes long and was via satellite from the White House. McCain should send a thank you note to Hurricane Gustav for bumping Bush from the much longer, live speech he was to have originally given last night. Still, one can't totally ignore the leader of one's party, however desirable that may actually be. One can -- apparently -- have him give a short speech that appeared to serve little more purpose than to introduce his wife. (Laura Bush spoke directly after her husband.) Current and former presidents are always given major speaking slots at conventions, until now. This was a slap in the face to Bush -- however well-deserved such a slap always is -- and demonstrates just what an anchor the McCain campaign views him to be. (Of course, no two people in the Republican party hate each other more than do Bush and McCain, so this may have worked out better in other ways as well.)
Thompson and Lieberman spoke thereafter. Thompson is the better scripted speaker of the two. His speech was aimed directly -- and only -- at the Republican base. This seems to be going after chickens that should already be in the hen house. If McCain still needs to solidify those who are solidly Republican in their leanings, he's in big trouble. In today's political world, neither major party can win with its base. The pickings are in the middle. Lieberman made an effort here with his speech, urging Democrats and independants to flock to McCain. Lieberman has never been a gifted speaker, but his words were better than those of Thompson for their role.
As a follower of politics, of course, what he was saying was absurd. His call was mostly one for national unity, to put party above politics. Lieberman, however, has never been that sort of politician. He was a long-time hatchet man for the Democrats. Now that he has sided with the Republicans, he's doing the same for them. He also kept referring to himself as a Democrat. He left the party in 2006 and while he caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, this is only to maintain his standing on committees. He is now a Republican in all but name. Repeatedly referring to himself as a Democrat was only the latest chop, chop, chop of his hatchet.
The most glaring point about the speeches tonight was that they did nothing to pump up the Republican brand, which is generally one of the points of the first night of a convention. The night was only about McCain, not McCain the Republican. This does not bode well for Republican candidates down ticket from McCain in November. When your candidate is running from his own party, it's not a good sign.
Finally, the speeches themselves did open up significant lines of counter attack for the Obama campaign. Much was made of McCain's political history tonight. It is simply that this political history is exactly that, history. The McCain of today truly would not vote for the McCain of the past, or vice versa. It will no doubt be a strong Obama line of attack that what McCain has attempted to create in the past, he is now attempting to rip down. Tonight helps provide one more avenue for that.
This great change in beliefs is illustrated as well in his greatest backer. Lieberman has done a complete "180" not just since he ran with Vice President Al Gore in 2000 -- and ultimately help sink Gore's candidacy during the Floriday recount -- but also since his own unsuccessful campaign for the presidency in 2004. No one can express this change better than can Lieberman himself. (Watch Lieberman's convention speech, then watch these clips. Priceless.)
Bottom line: This night really didn't do anything -- IMO -- to impart the idea of McCain as a change agent seperate from the Bush years. If you can't do that, you can't get the middle.
Note: You can see TPM's quick wrap-up for -- and reflections on -- the day here.
2 September 2008
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