At the end of Senator John McCain’s acceptance speech before the RNC, he stated, “Fight with me. Fight with me…Fight for what's right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people…Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all…Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up for each other, for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America…Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight…Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up…We never quit.” In watching it his speech and more importantly hearing it, the inflection of his voice was not of a commander in chief, but one of pleading.
His plea to all of us, took me back in time when former Vice President Al Gore stated at the 2000 DNC, “I will fight for you…Are you with me?” I can still hear Gore’s strong inflection. Gore’s message was a challenge to us all, instead of pleading with us. I remember answering back to the television set, “I know that you will fight for us and yes, I am with you.” To bad the rest of America was not with him as the Supreme Court handed Bush the presidency. These past eight years would have been different for all Americans and not just some. We would not be fighting a war in Iraq costing this country $10 billion dollars a month and with no end in sight. Exactly who are the fiscal conservatives?
The $10 billion we are spending each month to fight this war in Iraq can go towards the repair our infrastructure which needs it. That bridge collapse last year in Minnesota is but an example. Ironic that it happened in the same state as the Republican convention. That black out which hit this nation in 2003 only goes to show how our electrical grid is in need of repair. Much of both conventions focused in on energy needs: We could be putting those funds towards better mass transportation in this country to help cut down on clogged road ways. Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy here in New York has asked for these funds. But, with many state coffers across this country stretched to the limit, very little funds are available.
While much has been made of McCain’s pick in Sarah Palin as his running mate and yes, by yours truly, we must remember that our focus should be on the top of the ticket.
In Senator Obama’s speech, I heard a similar challenge to the one I heard coming from Gore when he said, “I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land: enough! This moment, this election is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive.” The tone of his voice was one of strength.
Conventions are supposed to be highly choreographed events where those invited to speak at them should compliment the top of the ticket and the overall theme is singular in message. This Republican convention seemed to compliment the bottom of the ticket namely Palin. Many of their speakers were verbose and visceral in nature offering nothing to the American people. One must ask who was controlling the message coming out of that convention. This was certainly not John McCain’s convention.
Was it the extreme right wing of that party or the moderates of that party? While the Democrats did take swipes at the failed Republican leadership of this country and offered their red meat, the Republicans were out for blood. I think America have seen rivers filled with blood as our troops come home dead and wounded and have cried and still are crying oceans of tears.
After hearing Romney, Giuliani, Palin, Graham and others speak, their speeches left me with nothing and I am wondering how it was received by the rest of America especially the undecided voters. I am hoping that those who backed Senator Clinton or those who are called Reagan Democrats will not deliver us all to evil. That is exactly the tone that came out of that convention.
Last night as they showed images of both the Oklahoma City bombing and the attacks on September 11th it simply played to the fear card. In viewing those images, dead people were still within those structures and in the images of 9/11, people were still dying. Have a little respect for the dead. Do not use dead people as a political message when they cannot answer back.
It is getting old where the Republicans think they own 9/11 when the events of that day affected all of us.
Those responsible for the bombing in Oklahoma City were captured and adjudicated where Timothy McVeigh was executed and Terry Nichols now sits in a Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado for life in solitary confinement. Shortly after the bombing in OKC, it was President Clinton who came on the air in quick order telling Americans not to jump to any conclusions as to who was responsible.
In juxtaposition, the terrorist responsible for 9/11 namely, Osama bin Laden still remains free and it only shows the failure of the present Republican administration. On that bright summer day, Americans had to wait for hours to hear from President Bush. In both McCain’s and Palin’s acceptance speeches there was no mention of Osama bin Laden.
Senator Obama did mention bin Laden in his speech at the conclusion of the Democratic convention when he said, “I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell, but he won't even go to the cave where he lives.”
The Republicans cite that they are the party that care about our national security, then why didn’t President Bush listen to the warnings coming from Richard Clarke who was a counter terrorism expert who served under numerous administrations? No, he was demoted.
President Bush shouted out through that bullhorn at Ground Zero, "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." One must ask; well have they heard us? No, because this president targeted the wrong people.
Through this Republican administration and for the majority of the time we as a country were governed by a Republican congress, what has transpired is that we have become more isolated as a nation. Isolation too can be dangerous and this is where real change must come.
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