RNC - Day Four

Message: Well, the message isn't quite as clear for Bush's speech. Of course there's the reiteration of themes from other nights, Kerry's a wuss, be afraid, but this speech tried to do a lot. There was the first mention of a small bit of record and an agenda for the future. Matthew Dowd spins it as hopeful, but I won't give it that. It was more about, "well, we didn't get this done, but re-elect us and we will." The most frightening part is this crusade to spread "freedom" to the Middle East. "Freedom is on the March."

The speeches:
Pataki:
Yawn. My gosh, definitely not Presidential material. Those of us who could stay awake through it actually heard for the first time the name Osama Bin Laden.

Bush:
A presidential election is a contest for the future. It is when you don't want to talk about your miserable record.
I am running with a compassionate conservative philosophy. Really? I mean really? A handful of social programs under funded does not translate as compassion.
In our world, and here at home, we will extend the frontiers of freedom. More on the new Crusade to come.
To create more jobs in America, America must be the best place in the world to do business. Ah, we've mentioned jobs for the first time. But then he goes the wrong way.
To create jobs my plan will encourage investment and expansion by restraining federal spending, reducing regulation and making the tax relief permanent. Uh, not the guy to talk about spending. Regulation? Does anybody remember Neil Bush? Oh, and tax cuts again, because that'll create jobs.
To create jobs, we will make our country less dependent on foreign sources of energy. You can't really disagree with him on this, but notice how he says "energy" and not "oil."
And we must protect small-business owners and workers from the explosion of frivolous lawsuits that threaten jobs across our country. Frivolous lawsuits? Oh, that's a jab at Edwards. And in what way do lawsuits hurt small-business owners?
Another drag on our economy is the current tax code, which is a complicated mess, filled with special interest loopholes. Because, like he said, rich people have tax accountants; they don't pay taxes anyway. And is this really they guy you want pushing tax reform?
In a new term, I will lead a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the federal tax code. Is he saying flat tax or national sales tax? Oh, boy, I hope not.
So we will double the number of people served by our principal job training program and increase funding for our community colleges. He's already cut funding for job training and the Stafford Loan program.
...we will create American opportunity zones. Haven't we been doing this for years?
As I have traveled our country I have met too many good doctors, especially OB-GYNS, who are being forced out of practice because of the high cost of lawsuits. To make health care more affordable and accessible, we must pass medical liability reform now. Am I only one that gets nervous when this President mentions OB-GYNs? I'm not really sure what he's getting at here, but I am scared of what it might be.
We must strengthen Social Security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes in a personal account, a nest egg you can call your own, and government can never take away. There'll be more comment on this in the future, but let me just say now that this would involve transition costs of maybe $2 billion. And it all depends on a strong market; it is not "secure."
We are insisting on accountability, empowering parents and teachers, and making sure that local people are in charge of their schools. Does anyone else see a contradiction when he then talks about "testing every child," or requiring "a rigorous exam before graduation?"
And then comes the Christian Right agenda:
I support welfare reform that strengthens family and requires work. "Strengthens family?" Does that mean he's only going to give welfare to two-parent households?
...we must make a place for the unborn child. No surprises here.
I support the protection of marriage against activist judges. Oh, yeah, yeah. Because it's judges you're afraid of.
And I will continue to appoint federal judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. This from the man who wants to appoint judges who put the "laws of God" over the text of the Constitution.

Okay, I could go line by line through most of this and come up with the same thing, but I want to look at the more frightening things in the speech.
And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all want.
We must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late.
and democracy is coming to the broader Middle East.
The terrorists are fighting freedom with all their cunning and cruelty because freedom is their greatest fear. And they should be afraid, because freedom is on the march. I believe in the transformational power of liberty: The wisest use of American strength is to advance freedom.
I believe that America is called to lead the cause of freedom in a new century. I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty. I believe that given the chance they will embrace the most honorable form of government ever devised by man. I believe all these things because freedom is not America's gift to the world, it is the Almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world.
So it's a Freedom Crusade. Is this our new foreign policy. Advancing freedom and democracy by force? This President believes it is our God-given duty to spread liberty with the use of our military power. Is this what you want for our country?

Kerry, rightfully, comes out swinging. We'll see in the next week whether or not the campaign can be effective in defending Kerry and attacking Bush-Cheney. It will be a long and ugly two months.