RNC Day 4

Sorry, but I warned you. I was stuck at work all day. My thoughts on the Day 4? Well, I wrote them down, but they seem dated already, so I won't post them all. I will post bits and pieces, however.
Everyone keeps saying they support Bush because he has taken the war to the terrorists. Afghanistan is a no brainer, for either side. A majority of both sides agreed that attacking the Taliban was the right choice to make. So that's not really a reason to vote Bush. Let's come back to Iraq in a moment, as it may or may not fall under that umbrella of the war on terror. In what other way has this attack been waged by us? Where else have we taken the fight to them?

If you say Pakistan is on our side, then you should vote Kerry. Those are his kind of ideas, to encourage international support for the war on terror. They also are a more "law and order" approach, also a dig on Kerry. So how does that work, exactly?

So then to Iraq. No Al Qaida ties, no WMDs, no real terrorist threat to America. So was the plan to sacrifice out troops to keep the battle over there? Is that why it was such a difficult decision? Do we put our troops out like lambs for the slaughter so their children can go to school with a lessened threat of terror, but still with no guarantee against it? Yes, there are terrorists living over there. There are terrorists all over the world, right, including here in America.

Look, it's Mel Martinez, a trial lawyer for Bush. I'm sure Bush will come out and denounce his words and his position when he makes his speech. He gives another America is great speech and wants us to vote for Bush because of it. Martinez is taking a page out of Kerry. Talking about people working two jobs to make a better life can both be a sign of hard work and the horrible state of wages here in America.

Let's invade those who make box cutters. Nice work Pataki.

Here comes President Bush.

He seems a little stilted so far.

Nothing will hold us back except the lack of promised funding. Hmm... Uncertainty or weakness. I hate to beat the dead horse, but the 9/11 commission, the Department of Homeland Security, and the can/can't win in the war on terror speak out against that.

Extend the frontiers of freedom. Job loss and outsourcing is now a "career opportunity." Hell of a spin, George. A campaign vow to make the tax cut permanent that he has been making for months. Nothing new. Stop frivolous lawsuits. This must be where he smacks down Martinez.

The tax code is full of WMDs, and we must invade it and destroy it. No word on how. Increase spending, spend more... sounds like a tax hike coming to me.

"American opportunity zones?" Sounds like a government hand out to me. Tepid applause for insuring the poor.

Lawsuits... here it comes Martinez. Take it!

That's the third time he's stumbled during the speech.

Did I miss the part where Bush promised home ownership during the last election, or talked about it at all prior to his sinking economy?

How ironic from the man that raided Social Security and screwed up the surplus in the budget to offer Social Security ownership to the people.

This reminds me all of things I have already heard from the President. Either I pay to close attention to things, or he hopes that no one else does.

What, may I ask, is the interpretation of law if it is not personal opinion? Law rulings are all based on opinions. That's why they carry that name.

Here comes the fear... its terrorism time. I know where he stands. He doesn't think we can win. No wait he does. Iraq is about WMDs. No wait, ties to terror. No wait, about liberation.

What, a protestor invades the convention? How can he keep terrorists out of America when he can't keep protestors out of the convention?

In all honesty, that is an impressive record. America and the world aren't safer, but oh well.

Another protestor.

There are a great number of people registered to vote here in America, but not all of them do. Turnout will show if they are afraid or not. And again, only 9.5 million are estimated eligible to vote in Afghanistan. So Bush endorses voting fraud.

Of course, he may not have the support of Prime Minister Tony Blair anymore.

Cut to Karen Hughes singing along. I think she wrote that line. I even saw her shill it earlier on CNN.

(Alright, I need to juxtapose his actual quote here for clarity: Germany is a land in an acute stage of economic, political and moral crisis. [European] capitals are frightened. In every [military] headquarters, one meets alarmed officials doing their utmost to deal with the consequences of the occupation policy that they admit has failed.") Does Bush admit the occupation policy in Iraq has failed, then? Is that what he is getting at?

Overall it did its job I think. He was wobbly and weak at the beginning when he announced his domestic plan, he was strong on what he does best, and has done for months and months, which is talk up the war on terror. By the end, it doesn't matter what proposals he made at the beginning, because that's not the crap he's running on. It's all the war on terror hype.

Kerry and Edwards respond:
Edwards hits it well. Quoting Bush's last speech that he would lead us to a better place has me smiling and clapping. Keep it strong. Sadly, it seems only MSNBC is carrying it.

MSNBC are the only ones showing the Kerry speech as well. FOX News cuts in. Kerry gets a dig at the Bush speech length.

Already effective in that they've stopped the talking heads laud the Bush speech and instead they will have to address this as well.

I will not have my patriotism questioned by those who didn't answer the call. Nicely delivered. A strong soundbite to reply to the rhetoric of the convention. The Iraq is back!

MSNBC cuts away. Kerry seems a touch uneven, he makes some strong points, but is a little stilted delivering it. I think if he hit harder, it'd help mute the bounce.

Like that. "Get the war out of the pocketbook of America, and the target off our backs." The kid story is good, but sadly, it's off the networks. Just as he hits his stride, Kerry is shut out. I hope that's not an omen of things to come.

Mo Rocca on CNN: I get it, I submit. 9/11 is all that matters. Bush got on a pile of rubble with a bullhorn and that makes him god like. I get it.

Wow. FOX News takes on Bush: This is the same agenda he ran on four years ago. One of them points out it is because he didn't have 60 votes in the Senate, and another replies well, he's not going to get that now. He's not going to be able to accomplish things this time either. Another points on community college won't help the economy at this point. She's right, of course.