Republican Convention....

I watched it - Arnold's speech - sadly comprised of rhetoric of feel-good rah-rah-fluff. I was disappointed at how he recanted his story about meeting a brave soldier who had lost his leg, and was impaled through the chest and suffered other injuries while fighting in Iraq. And how he was probably not going to make it back, but he had the courage to continue to fight and was planning to get a prosthetic leg and go through therapy. Then he ended it by saying - the soldier said - "I'll be back".....

I have to wonder if the soldier actually said that, or if Arnold was just using his life - apparently his sacrificed life (since he said himself that that he probably wasn't going to make it, but never did confirm it before using him as an example, so he must have just assumed that he was going to die) as a vehicle to deliver his punch line "I'll be back". And the Republicans fell for it! They went gagagagagaga over it. It just took away all the meaning of the soldier's sacrifice - all summed up in a stupid movie punch-line.

I did laugh at his comment about pessimistic economists thinking that the US economy will be overtaken by other countries - he called them 'economic girly-men'. It was funny, but yet again stupid. And the Republicans fell for it! They have buttons with that saying. Like pumping iron and being a macho man will really grow the US GDP and give them competitive advantage over rapidly industrialized countries like China. But they went gagagagagaga over it.

Well I guess he accomplished his role as the head squad leader of the cheerleading pack...

Then on to the Twins.....

Horrible speech writing coupled by horrible delivery- all the commentators said it too. And you can feel it in the crowd. Trying to be 'hip' and cool, yet so awkward. And so they alienated the young cool crowd because of their 'uncoolness' (well come on they got booed on MTV) and then they alienated their convervative old-schoolers. They spoke as if they were teenagers still in highschool, instead of Yale graduates. If I were the dean of Yale, I'd be embarrassed. Truly.

Laura Bush's speech was good. It brought out the personal side of their family - driving car pools, watching her husband agonize over the tough decision to go to war. It helped dispell his image of a cowbow yeee-hawwing his way into Iraq.

Though despite this nauseating display of blind republicanism, I do admire the American's patriotism. I really wish Canadians were more patriotic, enthusiastic about their country. Not just during Leaf games, or sporting events, but about politics, about Canada as a great country, smart people, green grass, tall wheat, fiesty geese, plentiful moose...

I feel like breaking out in song - to sing...Land of the Silver Birch...home of the beaver...

I digress...

It's late! Bedtime!