A Busy Day's Brief Observations

Though I'd vowed to myself I wouldn't, I turned on the convention last night. I couldn't help myself. Some quick thoughts:

• Now I'm no fan of Rudy Giuliani. His personal life is abhorrent (and yes, it does matter), and his positions on most social issues stink. But his speech last night was one of the three or four best political speeches I've ever seen. Funny. Poignant. Humble but firm. Simply outstanding.

• Evidently, the soon-to-be-dismantled Air America radio network is now available in South Florida. While out excercising after the convention, I (against my better judgement) tuned in on my Walkman to see what they were saying. The host (whoever it was) was ranting about how "the working man is being conned into voting directly against his best interests." A few minutes later, during talk about the largely peaceful protests outside, the same guy spat "Well, I certainly don't want to give the cops any credit for that. I'll credit the demonstrators."
  
  Like cops aren't working men? But isn't this typical liberalism? They love the "teeming masses" of workers, but any actual, real workers they find utterly distasteful. Like Michael Moore, the "champion of the working man" who ridicules and disdains actual working people in his films.

• I'd love to know what the Democrat Party has to say about the Air America host's hatred for the NYPD, whom the rest of the world has hailed as heroes for the last three years.

• The Kerry campaign is in deep, deep trouble. The Republicans are energized, they are for something (rather than just against something), and their candidate is the most personable, likeable guy. When was the last time in presidential politics that a stiff beat someone with presence and charisma? Even Nixon had more charisma than his Democrat opponents.

• The protesters are walking a dangerous line here. If they're peaceful, they won't get much coverage. But the more they get carried away, the more it will play in the Republicans' favor. The average union guy who votes Democrat (or the Great Undecided Soccer Mom) don't want anything to do with cross-dressing loonies who set fires.

• Most of America doesn't like Michael Moore. Yes, his movie made $110 million. But at $8 per ticket, that's about 13 million people in a nation of nearly 300 million. He appeals to a vocal fringe, but normal people find him disgusting--the visceral reaction to Moore inside the hall last night is just the tip of the iceberg. If I were the Republicans, I'd mention him again, and I'd say "At our convention, Michael Moore had to get in on a media pass. At their convention, he sat in the presidential box." Anything they can do to connect Moore to the heart of the Democrat party will benefit Bush hugely.