The Classicist: "Convention Minutes" by Trent England

Convention Minutes
September 3, 2004 The protestors marched, carried on like fools, and attacked police officers and delegates in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, overall boosting the likeability of the delegates, the speakers, and the President inside Madison Square Garden. Other than that, all is normal within the Republican camp. The President has made his case for his re-hire very clear. His domestic platform (though marked with a few unsavory government program plans) was fresh and what we should expect from the man. He re-stated his plan to be rock-solid on terror and defended his case for invading Iraq. He delivered one of his finest speeches in a spectacular manner: in the round. For all of his oratory glory, his acceptance speech wouldn’t have been the gem that it was had it not been for his opening acts, Monday through Thursday. It has been said before that Senator John Kerry travels in the company of celebrities. To Democrats needing sleeping pills, visions of Ben Affleck and Dave Matthews flanking John Kerry aid them in believing Kerry will win. But the President’s endorsements come in less-than-shiny packages; a diamond ring wrapped up in brown paper. Kerry’s celebrity friends are delivered to him on a silver platter; day-old bread with a side of caviar. The American people don’t judge the Democratic National Convention by how many household celebrity names endorse him. Likewise, they also don’t judge the Republican National Convention by how many credible politicians – Democrat and Republican – endorse the President. He has the endorsement of the governor of the state the RNC was hosted in, and he isn’t even a resident of the state. John Kerry, who is a senator from Massachusetts, has nothing from the governor of the state but scorn (by the way… Romney for President 2008). Even the mayor of Boston – one of the cities Kerry lives in – was on less-than-favorable terms with him leading up to the DNC. The same cannot be said of Michael Bloomberg and George W. Bush. So, the President left out some important things. Yes, he did talk about life, but he didn’t defend his embryonic stem cell position. He didn’t talk about the jobs gained overseas as a result of outsourcing (something he needs to defend) and the quality of life that is better for those countries as a result. He left out one of the most important points – that his tax cuts ease the tax burden on employers, allowing them to hire more employees and increase productivity; that they encourage entrepreneurship and stimulate the startup of many new businesses. But, for all of that, and considering its length, it was an important speech. It wasn’t only important for his conservative base or his points bounce he’ll surely get, but rather a stark contrast between his and Kerry’s acceptance speeches. This is especially essential to undecided voters for whom the conventions are a big part of the decision-making process when they decide who will run the country. And you thought the convention was over when the nominee accepted the bid? Think again. This year, the opponent added an appendix. In what has never been done before, John Kerry held a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio, on the last night of the convention, with a pre-written speech. Pre-written, mind you, before the convention was over, before the President had accepted his party’s nomination. Had the crowd that had been waiting even seen the President’s speech? This, he must believe, is what it takes to win an election. Like the protestors’ television coverage and the protestor who disrupted the President’s speech for maybe twenty seconds, Kerry’s last-minute move to speak in front of a sleepy crowd (a sleepy Kerry crowd? You’re kidding, you say...) only helps the Bush camp because the more negative attacks America sees from the opponent, the better the President looks, even through the medium of the liberal media.
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Convention Minutes

September 3, 2004

The protestors marched, carried on like fools, and attacked police officers and delegates in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, overall boosting the likeability of the delegates, the speakers, and the President inside Madison Square Garden.

Other than that, all is normal within the Republican camp. The President has made his case for his re-hire very clear. His domestic platform (though marked with a few unsavory government program plans) was fresh and what we should expect from the man. He re-stated his plan to be rock-solid on terror and defended his case for invading Iraq. He delivered one of his finest speeches in a spectacular manner: in the round.

For all of his oratory glory, his acceptance speech wouldn’t have been the gem that it was had it not been for his opening acts, Monday through Thursday. It has been said before that Senator John Kerry travels in the company of celebrities. To Democrats needing sleeping pills, visions of Ben Affleck and Dave Matthews flanking John Kerry aid them in believing Kerry will win.

But the President’s endorsements come in less-than-shiny packages; a diamond ring wrapped up in brown paper. Kerry’s celebrity friends are delivered to him on a silver platter; day-old bread with a side of caviar. The American people don’t judge the Democratic National Convention by how many household celebrity names endorse him. Likewise, they also don’t judge the Republican National Convention by how many credible politicians – Democrat and Republican – endorse the President. He has the endorsement of the governor of the state the RNC was hosted in, and he isn’t even a resident of the state. John Kerry, who is a senator from Massachusetts, has nothing from the governor of the state but scorn (by the way… Romney for President 2008). Even the mayor of Boston – one of the cities Kerry lives in – was on less-than-favorable terms with him leading up to the DNC. The same cannot be said of Michael Bloomberg and George W. Bush.

So, the President left out some important things. Yes, he did talk about life, but he didn’t defend his embryonic stem cell position. He didn’t talk about the jobs gained overseas as a result of outsourcing (something he needs to defend) and the quality of life that is better for those countries as a result. He left out one of the most important points – that his tax cuts ease the tax burden on employers, allowing them to hire more employees and increase productivity; that they encourage entrepreneurship and stimulate the startup of many new businesses.

But, for all of that, and considering its length, it was an important speech. It wasn’t only important for his conservative base or his points bounce he’ll surely get, but rather a stark contrast between his and Kerry’s acceptance speeches. This is especially essential to undecided voters for whom the conventions are a big part of the decision-making process when they decide who will run the country.

And you thought the convention was over when the nominee accepted the bid? Think again. This year, the opponent added an appendix. In what has never been done before, John Kerry held a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio, on the last night of the convention, with a pre-written speech. Pre-written, mind you, before the convention was over, before the President had accepted his party’s nomination. Had the crowd that had been waiting even seen the President’s speech? This, he must believe, is what it takes to win an election.
Like the protestors’ television coverage and the protestor who disrupted the President’s speech for maybe twenty seconds, Kerry’s last-minute move to speak in front of a sleepy crowd (a sleepy Kerry crowd? You’re kidding, you say...) only helps the Bush camp because the more negative attacks America sees from the opponent, the better the President looks, even through the medium of the liberal media.

Back