Friday, September 03, 2004

This post might sound a little disjointed - I was interrupted several times while writing it; I was trying to squeeze a moment here and there in the midst of my normal workload, pestering phone calls that are typical on Friday (when’s my loved one gonna git out?!), and a farewell party for one of our folks. We had a great cake, pictured here. The photo the design is based on is here, the story on that fugutive is here.

What a great last night of the convention. I really like our President, although I have some serious disagreements with the addition of still more government programs. They sound good and make people feel all warm and fuzzy, but I’m not one who believes that our government is supposed to make people feel all warm and fuzzy on the taxpayer dollar.

As I was listening to President Bush’s speech, I had the random thought that it sounded more like a State of the Union speech (I was pleased to hear pundits say the same afterwards). It was substantive on the points, both for the domestic and foreign policy agendas. I do like the idea of allowing for small businesses to group together on health insurance - seems that would be a great idea that would only benefit everyone. I like the idea of reforming the tax code, although I’ll be interested in hearing how he plans to do that and how it will affect our taxes.

Others have noted that he was a little uptight in the beginning but that he loosened up as the speech progressed. I also noted that as he got more relaxed, his southern drawl became more noticeable - by the end he was in the folksy drawl that I really like. He’s definitely a man who is completely comfortable with who he is, stands on his convictions, and says exactly what he means. His self-deprecating humor was great, his digs at Hollowood inspired, his points about the New York Times of 1946 and today spot on. And his genuine concern for the security of America cannot be questioned - from his steady resolve to his humbled tears there’s little doubt that his overarching passion is our security and safety and enduring freedom. That is what I want from my President and that is what I get from this President.

Contrast President Bush’s speech to Senator Kerry’s. The President clearly outlined some things he wants to do in a second term; quite a few things actually. All I remember hearing Senator Kerry say was what he wasn’t going to do. And his follow-up “you’re just big meanies” rally at midnight was hardly a help for his cause of righteous indignation. Fortunately for him, it was a midnight and most people probably didn’t see or hear it. Unfortunately for him, all people are going to hear are the sound bytes that I think make him sound like the biggest whiner since Kingergarten. What’s interesting is that I don’t remember President Bush ever complaining about the slanderous lies and libel that have been hurled his way for the past four years. Continued silence might have served the good Senator better than that desperate attempt at deflecting attention away from his questionable actions in the 70s.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing how the Kerry campaign can continue to roll on one wheel they might still have on the bus. Bring on the debates!