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08/30/2004: "Opening Night at the RNC"

Overture
I heard that the Democrats have a “Truth” Squad watching over this convention and that Senator Hillary Clinton is a leading member of it. Somehow my feeble mind just doesn’t go to a word association that joins truth and the name Clinton together. Perhaps they should have called her a gatekeeper instead. Now “gate” I can associate with Hillary. Travelgate, Chinagate, Whitewatergate. Meow.

Act One
The curtain goes up with a thirteen year old from the swing state of Michigan doing her best to sing the National Anthem which is one of the hardest songs to sing and too much to ask of most thirteen year old voices, hers included but she gave it a great try. Guess that was the demonstration of the family values thing.

The invocation from the Muslim Imam was a nice little inclusive touch. A medley of Broadway tunes ending with “On with the Show” was very apropos and honest.

Ron Silver gave a good speech from the perspective of a 9/11 Democrat who is now supporting President Bush. Ron is not the usual actor. He holds a Master’s Degree in Chinese History. He is unlike most of the Hollywood intellectuals who never finished high school or dropped out of college but feel sufficiently qualified in their political analysis to attempt to educate the rest of us. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

John McCain flipped a coin and decided he was a Republican today. He has been out stumping for the President for quite sometime now despite his friendship with John Kerry. What does that tell you about Kerry? The Maverick McCain is a media darling, at least he was before tonight’s speaking engagement. John’s speech was one of his best ones. The theme was “Rendezvous with Destiny” and the need to fight, (yes fight as in kill not appease) the evil in the world. I’m sure Michael Moore (who was hired to cover the convention for US Today) was gagging. (Memo to subscribers: cancel that subscription.) The sucker punch came with his comment about a “disingenuous filmmaker” who would have us believe’….the crowd went nuts booing Moore and chanting four more years. Pan camera to Moore who takes a bow. At least the moron acknowledges he is a disingenuous filmmaker. Given the time John McCain spent as a POW, it would be difficult to believe that he would support a war of any kind but he does support both wars we have fought under this Commander in Chief as wars that had to be fought not wars that we wanted to fight.

Three family members of victims of 9/11 did a tear-jerking segment following Senator McCain speaking with courage and conviction. This was followed with a moment of prayer not silence and a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace.

Rudy Giuliani spoke about the need for clear leadership in this dangerous world. He held out the olive branch saying that neither party has a monopoly on virtue and that Democrats are not always wrong-just most of the time. He talked about how glad he was on 9/11 that President Bush was President at the time. He chronicled terrorist attacks and the failure of accommodation and appeasement. Rudy was the only speaker that brought up Mr. Kerry’s inconsistencies but did it with a sense of humor. He then said that Kerry’s flip-flops explain why John Edwards sees two America’s. Hey, New York is a rough town. You gotta be tough to play in that league. Rudy gave a great speech, he’s primed and ready for 2008.

All in all it was a very positive opening night with little Dem bashing. Tomorrow, Act Two.