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Norton

Legally, it's where delegates gather to officially nominate their candidate even if it's a foregone conclusion.

Politically, it's an opportunity to have a few days of party rhetoric and uninterrupted national exposure.

The latter, is more important in modern political campaign tactics. As much as I would like it to be otherwise, political conventions do in fact sway many voters one way or the other as reflected in before and after convention polls.

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There is such a thing as a nation being so right that it does not need to convince others by force that it is right.

Woodrow Wilson

chinthee

This has been an interesting effect on the Republican National Convention. McCain has called a halt to it, and both he and Obama are rushing to show they are the best Americans to save people in a national emergency.

The way I see it.... McCain did the smart thing, not because he wanted to be a saviour, but because he knew that the Republican convention news would be stuck in a back drawer compared to the coverage of the Hurricane. Good decision. All news in the US will be about the Hurricane and its after-affects for a few weeks. Better to re-schedule the convention and at the same time show you are a real American.

I'm not sure how this will play out in the end.

Milkman

I think it was a smart move by McCain. No evidence of course, just a hunch.

It gives Palin time to practice with her handlers, and I think there is some voter fatique in the American publice.

And, the conventions are useless jokes anyway. Except, as Norton pointed out, technically and realistically the delegates cast their votes. But they can cast their votes without all of the baloons, hypoerbolic speeches, and silliness.

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Military men are dumb, stupid animals, to be used as pawns for foreign policy

raycarey

it also give the republicans an opportunity to further hide two of the most reviled politicians in america.....bush and cheney.

chinthee

^More total crap by raycarey. Everybody knows GW Bush is not scheduled to appear at the Republican Convention. Jesus. Talk about grasping at straws. A democrat brainwash victim.

Milkman

Yeah, I thought about this also.

BWB and Cheney will skip the convention because of the Hurricane.

Very convenient. Let the GOP/McCain try to distance themselves from the two.

raycarey

try again tubby.

he was scheduled with cheney for the first night....but now he's "busy".

chinthee

^Oh, come on Ray. It's been reported for a long time he wasn't going to appear. BTW, I'm on your side, dickwad. I support Obama for now.

raycarey

Bush and Cheney to skip convention due to storm, White House says - International Herald Tribune


and honestly, for someone who thinks he knows something about US politics.....how could you even imagine that a sitting president wouldn't be scheduled to speak at his party's convention?

it's mind boggling.

chinthee

ray, you're grasping at straws. Everybody, including GWB, knows he's the most unpopular President in history. Why don't you try some original thought? A doctoral candidate should be capable of that.

raycarey

a long time, eh?

admit it, you really have no idea what you're on about.

Milkman

I don't care about the bickering. But the point is:

Q: was GWB scheduled to speak at the convention, originally?

That is the question.

raycarey

of course he was. see my link above in post #1629.


but this is what chinthee posted....

now that the evidence has been presented, i wonder if he would care to retract.

my guess is he'll just slink away......

Milkman

This scrimmage ought to be over.

Here is the answer to the question:

Link: McCain: Convention curtailed for Gustav - The conventions - MSNBC.com

I do think this cancellation was very convenient and we'll see if GWB and/or Cheney re-schedule the appearances.

raycarey

they may, but it seems more likely that they'll only be there on tape.

because GWB is really busy leading.

Norton

No need to speculate guys. The GOP has a website which described in detail the now curtailed convention. The web site understandably has yet to be updated as I'm sure the organizers are running around trying to figure out the best way to spin the Gustav party crasher.

The pre Gustav plan:

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2008
Country First: Service

Speakers will include:

• U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.)
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif.)
• Vice President Richard B. Cheney
• First Lady Laura Bush
• President George W. Bush

http://www.gopconvention2008.com/schedule/service.aspx

raycarey

when is gimmick scheduled to speak? i know she had a spot before the VP nod, but i'm sure they've moved her now.

btw, don't underestimate the opportunism and cynicism of the bush white house....if the gulf coast is even slightly less damaged than it was when bush stayed on vacation 3 years ago, i'd be willing to wager he makes an appearance and tries to make is seem that he is responsible for increasing the gulf coast's hurricane preparedness.

Boon Mee

Excellent video depicting BO's unreadiness to become POTUS:

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: A new McCain spokesman for Obama’s unreadiness

Norton

^Another hotair blog, eh! Not worth looking at.

Boon Mee

Go ahead!
Keep reading the Daily Kos and get y'all's talking points there, eh?

Back on topic:

Several Reasons Democrats Are Stuck on Stupid with BO:

Obama seems shady. There are unanswered questions such as his dual citizenship with Kenya that just hang out there and make him seem like he’s hiding something, or that he doesn’t really want everyone to know, or that he wants some people to know but not others.

3. Obama seems socialist. Americans are more open to having the government save their bacon, true enough, but there does seem to be a stopping point. Not with Obama. There is not one American problem that can’t be solved by American ingenuity government interference.


4. Obama just can’t say that he loves America. He can’t do it. I know this is strange, but Americans love America. They want their president to love America, too. When Obama was questioned by the little girl about why he wanted to be President, a softball question that’s eluded even regular journalists, Obama stumbled. If Obama gets tongue-tied with a seven year old, how is he going to defend American values to the world? Answer: He won’t.


5. Obama seems unprepared. The more the campaign goes along, the more inexperienced he looks. Well, he IS inexperienced. His knee-jerk response to Russia and the UN demonstrates his naivité. I don’t like Hillary Clinton, but I have a good idea about how she’d respond to Putin. Obama compared with McCain on this? There is no comparison.


6. Obama acts like he’s better than everyone. His sanctimony grates. Both in affect and content, Obama seems to think he’s above it all. Ugh. He’s not the Queen of England. The Presidency isn’t just a figurehead. It’s a working job where the people need to be represented and not by some effete fluffy-headed idealogue.


7. Obama has pissed people off. Here’s what did it for me, as far as not liking him as a person or potential president and I don’t think I’m alone among women on this issue: When he called the reporter sweetie it crawled all over me. She is not a friend or relative. She is a reporter. Calling her “sweetie” was dismissive and inappropriate. There are reasons why the Hillary supporters aren’t coming around, this is one of them.



Seven Reasons Democrats Have Been Stupid About Obama « Blog Entry « Dr. Melissa Clouthier

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