Convention Confessions

I have a convession. Excuse me reader, it has been four years since my last convention. Here is my sin: Breaking years of tradition, I watched the infomercial that passes for our party's convention last night. I didn't feel as dirty as I thought I might afterwards. Is that wrong?

John McCain's speech was more rousing and supportive of Bush than I thought it would be, with a notable dig at the attendent Michael Moore -- who was more good natured about the slight than I would have expected. While Rudy Guiliani's speech was just about what I had expected: full of tough love, support for the President and Israel, and no BS about tertiary issues in the election.

I admit to feeling pride a few times during the grandiose speechifying, but also dismay at the continuing propogation of the idea that al-Qaeda hates us for our way of life. Parroting Imperial Hubris, it is very hard for me to believe that claim, when every communication from Osama & Co. provides a detailed list of grievances, not one of which has ever mentioned freedom of speech, the press, Britney Spears, or Madonna. Those last two, btw, are possible casus belli in most canonical military texts.

That quibble aside, both Guiliani and McCain went for the jugular and hammered at Kerry's lack of substantial policy leadership. They didn't hit him on his character in the period after Vietnam. Maybe that is a smart move, but I don't think so. They can attack his record once back in the US without impuning his actual combat record.

Maybe Laura or the Governater will hit that note tonight.

Oh, and don't we have something called a platform? I think it's where the party lays out just what it believes and why. You wouldn't know that it even exists by the convention speeches. Not one word about gays, abortions, the late JC, or anyone else. Why not? If the party feels strongly enough to make it part of the platform, why not shout it from the rooftops?

I'll tell you why -- but keep it between us, ok? The reason that they don't shout it from the rooftops is because we'll get our tuckus bloodied by starting a social civil war during this election year. We at the New Republicans know that eventually the social conservatives do not have the winning formula for a country as rich and different as the US. For the party to include language in the platform that costs us votes is to willfully slit our own throat.

Drop the divisive social engineering rhetoric, ok? If we're the party of partiotism and don't-tread-on-me, then stick to the message. We don't have to advocate gay marriage or abortion to accept it. If personal liberty is a foundational good, an inherently valuable good, then let people live as they wish. If you don't like it, make a commericial, work on outreach or think of a jingle. But stop trying to meddle with the Constitution.