Posted on 09/03/2004 1:24:57 AM PDT by ambrose
-snip- (click on above link to read his other comments) -snip-
Okay, folks, George W. Bush, the Big Kahuna, the Main Event. Let me give you some notes, made as I was watching and listening.
1. That introductory film was superb - maybe the best such film I have seen (although the one for the senior Bush in '88 was mighty good - remember the survey of the Salvadoran honor guard, and the hugging of the old Polish woman?). The W. film was soft and hard at the same time, crunchy and soggy (to borrow Mike Barone's language, I think). The 9/11 material was not treacly, and even the guitar music was fairly non-treacly.
The ending of the film - the story of throwing out the first pitch, at that post-9/11 ballgame - was masterly. It didn't hurt that Kerry kind of screwed up his Fenway Park toss right before his convention.
2. The crowd's initial chant of "U.S.A., U.S.A." was surprisingly not obnoxious.
3. In the first sentence, Bush seemed to screw up the word "accept" (in "I accept your nomination . . ."). Sounded like "assept." That's okay - maybe an opening jitter.
4. What a beautiful, beautiful set of opening paragraphs - well-nigh perfect. Go right into 9/11, don't dilly-dally around. Talk about what has gone on - then move into the future.
5. The mentions of the family: Those transitions are marvelous - from Cheney, to Laura, to the daughters, to the siblings, to the parents . . . and then to Reagan.
6. Okay, that stuff - sort of obligatory prelude - is out of the way. Now we go on - get programmatic.
He makes a mistake when he says "the largest tax relief in a generation." That does not work. The White House is scared to say "tax cut," or "tax cuts" - something about focus groups. Just like you can't say "voucher" or "privatize." (One talks instead about "choice" and "personal accounts.") Bush should have said "largest tax cut in a generation" - "the largest tax relief" is borderline ridiculous.
7. I loved this line: "The story of America is the story of expanding liberty." I loved it mainly because it was true. Insightful.
8. How about W.'s presentation, his sheer performance? You know, I think he gives a speech as well as just about anyone now. I really do. Especially when he's rested. When he's tired - that's when he stumbles.
9. Getting just a little pablumy, in the domestic portion. But it's "substantive" (a word I normally dislike, but to which I now succumb).
10. He calls the tax code "a complicated mess" - which reminds me of one of Carter's best lines ever: "a disgrace to the human race" (tax code).
11. The prez botches "accessible" - comes out "assessible" (a lot of people do this).
12. You know, what he's saying now, in this domestic portion, is basically what he said in the 2000 campaign: same rhetoric, same plans, really. And why not? The rhetoric is still right, and the plans are still right. You can't do everything in a term - and there's a war on.
13. Getting a little soccer-mom-ish, but this speech is not designed for hairy-chested ideologues like Jay Nordlinger (I already got mine from Zell) - it's designed for everybody. I consider this section very Karen Hughesy.
14. Somehow, Bush's whipping out of Spanish doesn't seem as offensive or condescending or affected as from other politicians. And the "Viva Bush" chant, which followed in the crowd, was excellent. (Spontaneous? Must have been, I would think.)
15. Man, is Bush relaxed - really relaxed. Having fun. Love his remarks about his website address. Not sure why - just enjoying his relaxation, his confidence.
16. Have rarely heard Bush so funny - "that's a lot, even for a senator from Massachusetts." Deft. Marvelous.
17. Nice nod (but just a nod) to right-to-life. Gay marriage? He has made it a judicial issue - an activist-judges issue. I thought for sure he would follow up this line with something about respecting gays, and conducting this debate with civility. He always does this, on the stump (so far as I know). Surprised he omitted it here.
18. When he was jabbing Kerry, he didn't look or sound mean - at all (at least to me - I'm probably not the right one to ask). I'm talking about the "conservative values" section - the section in which Bush mocked Kerry for calling himself the candidate of "conservative values." Excellent to bring up Kerry's anti-Reagan rhetoric ("moral darkness").
19. Okay, the war: "This election will also determine how America responds to the continuing danger of terrorism - and you know where I stand." Superb. Superb. Especially that "continuing danger of terrorism."
20. Said "nucular" - but he's supposed to.
21. The disruption from the protester (what turns out to be the first protester). Wish Bush had commented on it - this is what speakers, like actors in the theater, must do. If a chair collapses, you incorporate it somehow. The Madison Square Garden disturbance was too long-lasting not to be commented on. Bush's rhythm was disrupted; the crowd was distracted. He should have had some prepared remark (maybe he did). I wish he had said, "They've already had their convention, now we should have ours." That would have driven them - you know, them - ape.
22. Can you imagine conservatives disrupting a Democratic nominee's acceptance speech? I can't. Am I naïve? Don't think so.
23. "We must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late." Important. Excellent.
24. ". . . a resounding endorsement for democracy" - wish he had said "of."
25. "When America gives its word, America must keep its word." If I may translate: No more April 1975s (Saigon). Would Kerry permit another one (i.e., in Iraq)? Does he want another one? What does he think of the first one?
26. I've always had this beef, but no one will listen to me: When you read from a Tele-Promp-Ter, the conceit is you're reading from nothing, you have no text. But then, you do something like quote a letter from a soldier. Shouldn't you have the thing written down, in front of you, or in your breast pocket, on paper, to read from? Wouldn't that be more natural, more sensible? You're not supposed to have memorized the letter you're quoting from. I myself think it would be very effective to look down - maybe even putting on reading glasses - and read from a slip of paper.
But ain't no one listen.
27. Here I think Bush blunders: I don't think that he, the president, had to go into the Kerry $87 billion thing. We all know about that, by now - umpteen other speakers have handled it. In fact, I feel he's descending a little.
28. Jabbing Kerry for his comment about our allies: "a coalition of the coerced and the bribed." So good. So very, very good. That's one of the worst things Kerry has said.
When listing allied leaders, Bush led with "Prime Minister Howard," and I almost had a heart attack, thinking he was mistakenly referring to the Tory opposition leader, Michael Howard - but - phew - he meant Prime Minister John Howard of Australia! He got to Blair last.
Oh, and the coalition of the coerced and the bribed? "That would be nations like Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, El Salvador, Australia, and others - allies that deserve the respect of all Americans, not the scorn of a politician. I respect every soldier, from every country, who serves beside us in the hard work of history. America is grateful, and America will not forget."
So very, very good.
29. "During our emotional visit . . ." Don't like. Wouldn't write that way. Rather than say "our emotional visit," show how the visit was emotional.
30. I have to tell you, I've never liked the phrase "He gets it" (or "He doesn't get it," or whatever). But as Bush was speaking about the Middle East and what it will take to overcome terror, I kept thinking, "He gets it. He gets it."
31. His shot at the press - quoting the New York Times re post-Nazi Germany and all - was magnificent. Simply delicious.
32. "I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for their liberty." Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times yes - perfectly true. They can barely utter a peep, in those societies.
33. In the word "kept," he doesn't really pronounce the "t" - a lot of people do that (including in my home state of Michigan).
34. "Even when we don't agree, at least you know what I believe and where I stand." Great: because both true and a shot at Kerry.
35. Some of the best humor I've ever heard in a political speech: "People sometimes have to correct my English - I knew I had a problem when Arnold Schwarzenegger started doing it. Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger, which in Texas is called 'walking.' Now and then I come across as a little too blunt - and for that we can all thank the white-haired lady sitting right up there."
And the delivery! So good!
36. When the president teared up talking about the families of fallen soldiers, I couldn't help thinking that those tears reflected the toughness of being the president, putting kids in harm's way, and then meeting with the families. Brutal. (Reagan said the same - they all say the same.)
37. Three miles from the Garden to Ground Zero? I'm surprised it's that far. Big city.
38. I don't like that "greatest nation on earth." I really don't. Even if you believe it, I think it should be unsaid. Let others - let foreigners - say it, if they want.
Ladies and gentlemen, I will be blunt: This was easily one of the best political speeches I have ever heard. It was one of the best texts, and one of the best performances. I thought, when it was through, "If America doesn't want to reelect this man - this measured, proven, smart, brave, canny, compassionate, balanced, inspired man - then America is a country with extremely serious problems."
I'm going away again, and won't be Impromptusizing, probably, until about - oh, the mid September teens. Think bounce (if you're a Repub)! I'll see you.
bump!
I can think of two speaches at this convention alone that were by far better than Bush's. Cheney's presentation was lackluster as well.
Bush is not a good public speaker. He's likeable, but an orator he simply is not. For that reason I would have far rather seen them cut his speach in half and bump up the bullet points.
After about forty minutes it was all I could do to keep watching.
I don't think this speach was designed to speak to men. Bush is going to get the male vote. IMO, this presentation was designed to pull women along too.
Sorry, but that's the way I see it.
Think mega-bounce. I think Jay quibbles too much. This was a political speech and it serves its purpose masterfully and effectively. By that I mean it made people take another look at Bush as a human being and also gave them positive reasons to keep him around as President. It was very Reaganesque in the sense it was about the future and forward-looking. The President needed to do two things: he needed to show he could put the country on the right track and he needed to reassauge people's doubts about his being too rigid and not willing to accept he can be wrong at times. He accomplished both last night and my view is that unless he does something incredibly stupid between now and November, the election is his to win.
Zell Giving Sissypants Some Hell
Juan Williams opined on FOX News Channel that Zell Miller's speech was "full of brim and firestone"
I agree with J.C. Watts - Zell Miller can put his feet under my dinner table any day of the week.
EVERYBODY - you owe it to yourself to see Zell Miller put this liberal, socialist Kerry maggot right back up Kerry's backside!
WOW!
That was great!! I tried so hard to stay up. But getting up at 4 am every morning makes it hard. ( I hate east coast time!!)
So glad to hear W did so well! Bravo W!!! I love ya!!!!
Bet you liked Zell's speech... LOL..
(laughing because Zell was probably the personal fav of every Freeper)
If you mean the vulnerability stuff at the end - yes, women like to see a tough man show his pain and sorrow without compromising his manliness. No one will ever accuse Bush of being a girly-man but no one after last night will ever call him a stuck-up sexist machochist either. So if it got the soccer moms on his side, I'd say he scored a triple home run.
Very nice analysis - thanks.
>>Juan Williams opined on FOX News Channel that Zell Miller's speech was "full of brim and firestone"<<
I saw that. Too funny!
I notice Laura says "wadn't" instead of "wasn't". Texan. Cute.
Any speech that lasts an hour is too long.
I thought Zel Miller's presentation was excellent. He came off as the family patriarch saying things that needed to be said. I think he scored very well with women, even though the media tried to pass him off as harsh. Nope, when he talked about Bush protecting their children, I think he scored big-time.
The fact that he was a Democrat will speack to some members of that party. His thoughts on Kerry were excellent. His comments on Bush likewise.
The other speach I liked was Arnold Schwarzenegger's offering. The guy can deliver the quick quips in movies, but I didn't think he could deliver the type of moving speach he delivered on Tuesday.
His comments about his youth under the Iron Curtain were very telling. The connection with what the left tries to pass of in this nation, wasn't lost. His mention of Nixon and, how he himself came to be a Republican was charming. His comments about whether 'you are a Republican or not', were very good.
His comments on the U.N., whether you can spend your money better than the government etcetera, were right on. I know much of it was speaking to the choir comments. I never tire of hearing bedrock issues reinforced.
I know Arnold is problematic. I don't think we should deny that the guy is also an asset in other ways. There are people who tune in to see Arnold that won't tune in for anyone else. That's a plus any way you slice it.
I taped both Zel and ARnold's presentations. I just watched Arnold's again to see if it was as good as I thought. It was even better.
His comments about his experience as a boy when his father, his uncle and he had to go through a Russian checkpoint, was touching. Here's a guy that most people think of in his weightlifting or action hero image, who talked about fearing that his father or uncle would be taken into custody. You can't manufacture that type of experience. Contrast that with Kerry and Company.
The convention as a whole was masterfully correographed. I say, 'Job well done.'
Bush will get a ten point bounce. He'll extend that as sKerry/Edwards press and mealt down.
Cool.
Well I loved the speech too but as a taxpayer and a homeschooler, don't talk to me about expanding liberty. The story of America is now fine-print in the paperwork I file, in my driver license and Social Security card and insurance card and inspection sticker and tax returns and mandatory school medical exams and inoculation history form...
Agree! I didn't watch the Kerry midnight Pep? rally last night, but from some of the comments I read on FR, I didn't miss anything - except a chance to see Kerry appearing drunk!! I'm beginning to think we will in fact have a landslide -- as long as we can keep most of the voter fraud goons out of the picture - and that will take some doing.
The few times I hear comments by RATS - I've stopped listening to their lies and spin - I marvel that anyone would consider voting for them. Their mindset is so pre-9/11 -- so still in the Clinton slash and burn mentality. They just don't get it - after 9/11 America changed. And they haven't.
I agree. These folks are still living in the pre-USSR collapse 70s. They think socialism is the cause celebre and they won't give up.
They just don't have a clue. It's startling to see how inept they are.
He started slowly and deliberately, then switched gears and built to one of the finest climaxes ever delivered in any convention. It was magnificent. He did all he had to do--and more.
I think Jay quibbles too much
I agree, I listened with great pride and loved what he said.
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