I’ve heard seemingly endless stories about John McCain’s POW and military experience while watching the Republican convention speeches. I respect anyone who signs up to defend American safety and freedoms, including John McCain.
But, I’m getting a little tired of Republican leaders acting like there’s only one way to serve your country. Rudy Giuliani scoffed and mocked Barack Obama’s service as a community organizer. Obama was willing to knock on doors in some of the poorest neighborhoods in America. The kind of places Rudy didn't visit when he was Mayor. Obama chose to pass up better paying jobs so he could serve others.
I actually believe that volunteering in the community and working on political issues can be a form of service to our country. Apparently, Giuliani thinks that kind of service isn’t worth anything more than a snide laugh. So on behalf of everyone who ever got involved in serving their community I say, screw you Rudy Giuliani! There are plenty of ways to serve America without a gun in your hand.
After ignoring Obama’s management experience directing a voter registration drive that registered hundreds of thousands of new voters in Chicago (not at the direction of the machine) Giuliani claimed that Obama has less experience than any candidate in at least 100 years. He said it's an absolute fact. Last night Fred Thompson said Obama was the least experienced of any candidate in history.
The Republican speakers are lying to you. They’re doing it repeatedly (like claiming that Obama passed no reforms) but this is a very easy one to disprove. One hundred years ago the Democratic Party nominated Williams Jennings Bryan at their 1908 convention in Colorado. His only experience in elected office was a term in Congress and he was known mostly for his public speaking.
Eight years ago the Republican Party nominated someone with fewer years in elected office than Obama and absolutely zero experience at the federal level. I wish the Republican Party had been so worried about experience eight years ago when they nominated a Governor who road through life on his Dad’s last name against a sitting Vice President. Then we wouldn't be in this mess.
By the way, did anyone notice Rudy say that McCain was going to expand free trade and less than a minute later claim he would stop sending jobs overseas? What exactly does he think is sending those jobs overseas? That’s like saying you’re going to stop a flood by praying for more rain.
And what were all the references to “cosmopolitan” and “San Francisco” about? Gee, that was subtle. Why don’t they just get Arnold to come onstage and call Obama a girly man city slicker? Give me a break. What does that say about Rudy's maturity level? Don't most people stop those kind of childish taunts sometime after they finish high school? Grow up, Rudy.
It says a lot that the convention floor chanted for more drilling. It won’t lower gas prices and it won’t make us independent of foreign oil. But the oil companies want it so the Republican Party does too. Could it be any more obvious that this is officially the party of the oil industry? Is it any surprise that their Vice Presidential nominee's husband works for an oil company? Is this what people want after eight disastrous years of two oilmen in the White House?
Rudy Giuliani was the perfect keynote speaker for the talk radio conservative crowd. He misrepresented Obama’s words. He made contradictory statements and expected no one to notice. He tried to tell people that what’s good for corporate special interests is good for everyone. He pretended to be a populist everyman and expected no one to point out that he’s a rich big city mayor. He claimed his party expands freedom but expects us to forget the patriot act, extraordinary rendition, and everything his conservative allies did to silence anyone who spoke out against the war. His speech was full of petty insults and condescending laughter. He perfectly represented the nasty, bitterly partisan talk radio attitude that is destroying American politics.
I've been telling friends to expect a lot of personal insults and terrorism fear-mongering from the Republican convention because that's the only way they know how to win. That's exactly what we got tonight. Rudy said he doesn't know who Democrats are offending. I know who Rudy is offending: The intelligence of the American voter.
