I watched the first night of the Republican National Convention yesterday. It had some pretty cool stuff! It started with a patriotic video that was narrated by Robert Duvall. I forgot he's a Republican! Later, there was a young speaker who talked about how her group buys houses, fixes them up, and sells them to poor people at a low price, without taxpayer money. And there were other speakers who emphasized the value of private charity as opposed to big government. It's a good thing Republicans are reconnecting to their values this election year!
President Bush's speech was all right. He didn't give the audience sufficient time to explode with their applause, probably because he didn't actually see the audience. That put somewhat of a damper on it. But I liked it when Bush said McCain was ready to take on the "angry Left."
Lieberman's speech was also all right. I read this afternoon that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed his "displeasure" with Lieberman, and that there may be party discipline against him if the Democrats get a bigger majority. Oh, grow up, Harry! Lieberman supports John McCain. Don't you know that by now?
Lieberman did well to speak directly to Democrats and Independent voters, and also to emphasize John McCain's role as a reformer who works with the other party to get things done. And, believe it or not, I also liked it when he highlighted some of Bill Clinton's accomplishments: going against his own party to support welfare reform and free trade, as well as balancing the federal budget.
The best speech was that of Fred Thompson. You could hear a pin drop as he described John McCain's experiences in a POW camp. I can't imagine what it would be like, being secluded in a filthy room for two long years, experiencing continual torture for not betraying one's country. As Thompson noted, McCain had to hold on to a lot of hope to get through that ordeal. And remember that John McCain volunteered to stay in that camp, when he had an opportunity to leave ahead of others.
Thompson also made me laugh when he said that Obama's candidacy is indeed historic: he's the most liberal and the least qualified candidate in history. Maybe. Actually, I think Lincoln held fewer elected offices than Obama. Of course, Lincoln ran for more (I think), but he just kept losing.
Tonight will be even more of a blast. I can feel it! Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin will be speaking.