Party conventions have to be among the most stupefyingly boring activities known to man. Only a masochist watches them end to end, and I would seriously worry about the mental stability of anyone who tunes in for the insightful commentary from Brokaw, Jennings, and Lehrer.
At I have seen them all since Truman.
Not to mention ridiculously expensive, and nowadays an increasingly colossal security hassle. And it's nothing but a bunch of preaching to the pom-pom waving, silly hat-wearing converted.
The E train runs right under my office building, three stops away from Madison Square Garden. I'm no more enthusiastic about the Republican convention coming to town than I would be if it was the Democratic convention. Both have about as much significance as the half-time show at a high school ball game. I'll be staying home the day Bush is on, to avoid all the security and transportation hassles and the possibility of a nearby terrorist attack. And I won't be watching on TV -- there are plenty of good opportunities to watch Bush speak on TV, but this won't be one of them.