Confused Convention
The 2008 Republican National Convention was more confused and unfocused than any other convention of either party in recent memory. Sen. John McCain knows it.
In complete contrast, the GOP conventions of 2000 and 2004 both had a set goal, and they reached it. In 2000, it was the creation of the passionate conservative. Gov. Bush promised a satisfied America that he would continue the growth, prosperity, and peace of the 90's, but with the home grown moral compass of the average American to bring back integrety to the Oval Office. The convention of 2004 was much different. The goal was to remind Americans of the horrors and realities of the post 9-11 world, and the determination and success of Bush's leadership in keeping America safe. The passionate conservative phenomenon won two unwinnable elections for a party that unashamefuly took America back the Reaganomics of deficit spending. Democrats must not forget those lessons, even if the Republicans themselves have.
John McCain is a republican of another generation. He has never fully identified with the Reagan conservatives or the Bush elites. McCain is now the head of a party not yet willing to admit the wrong doings of a failed administration, so will find it difficult to give the power of full leadership to that of McCain. The Senator from Nevada is fully aware of this challenge. If he didnt before the convention, he sure knows it now.
Neither convention made an attempt to sway and rewrite the narrative of this election to focus on the issues. Things are still more about personalities,rather than the lives of struggeling Americans. It is shameful, and irresponsible.
In complete contrast, the GOP conventions of 2000 and 2004 both had a set goal, and they reached it. In 2000, it was the creation of the passionate conservative. Gov. Bush promised a satisfied America that he would continue the growth, prosperity, and peace of the 90's, but with the home grown moral compass of the average American to bring back integrety to the Oval Office. The convention of 2004 was much different. The goal was to remind Americans of the horrors and realities of the post 9-11 world, and the determination and success of Bush's leadership in keeping America safe. The passionate conservative phenomenon won two unwinnable elections for a party that unashamefuly took America back the Reaganomics of deficit spending. Democrats must not forget those lessons, even if the Republicans themselves have.
John McCain is a republican of another generation. He has never fully identified with the Reagan conservatives or the Bush elites. McCain is now the head of a party not yet willing to admit the wrong doings of a failed administration, so will find it difficult to give the power of full leadership to that of McCain. The Senator from Nevada is fully aware of this challenge. If he didnt before the convention, he sure knows it now.
Neither convention made an attempt to sway and rewrite the narrative of this election to focus on the issues. Things are still more about personalities,rather than the lives of struggeling Americans. It is shameful, and irresponsible.
Who can say what Obama would have done had it happened one week earlier.
We are incredibly lucky that we didn't have to find out. The convention could have ended up being a disaster relief benefit instead.
Living in a suburb of Jefferson Parish, I am particularly aware of what could have been... and wasn't.
With the convention, I was talking about the conventions message for the election. One speaker would attack the democrats, a follow up speaker would praise bypartisanship, to only be followed by someone who attacked obama. There was no consistent message. Both Bush conventions had a message, and the campaign won on those messages. They framed the debate. 2008 did not. The democrats on the other hand, had a message. The first time since Clinton. The message was consistent, biding, not the right message (in my opinion). The Obama convention failed to explain what and how the democrats were going to improve peoples lives. The convention was to vague in detail, and not enough red meat slamming the republicans. In other words, it was TOO nice. Democrats lose when they strive to be the nicest on the block. But this years different. The GOP doesnt have a message, but our message is not yet fully developed. I expect it'll mature into something Americans will embrace.
Republicans are just stuck with 8 years of bad policies and bad results. They know their going to lose the not so veto proof dem majority in congress. They know their losing seats. Their energies going towards the white house race. But so far their not doing what they need to do. So far, McCain picking Palin was the smartest thing the party has done. But, whats usually good for the GOP is usually bad for America.