August 1, 2000

GOP Convention Notes

A B+ for the Teacher

Following the steady and substantive speech by GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush's wife Laura Bush last evening, usually astute News Hour with Jim Lehrer pundits Mark Shield and Paul Gigot (and Lehrer himself) gave the speech high marks.  They also considered Laura to have ever so slightly crossed into negative territory by recalling incidents on the campaign trail where crowds have exhorted the Bushes to victory to "restore integrity and respect to the White House," an obvious reference to Bill Clinton's lack of same during his pants down episodes with the fat broad.

In total, Laura Bush's speech was well-delivered and not in the least pandering.  She made a few promises, but not as many as Hillary and the Democrats routinely make and break.  She outlined her husband's solid record of improved education in Texas, smiled without overdoing it, and came across as a cordial and intelligent woman who trusts people more than government.

You can contrast this with what can reasonably be expected at the Democrats' Los Angeles convention:  Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore sucking up to the monolithic and obviously stifling teachers' unions, and Hillary outlining huge government "policies" and "initiative" at the expense of parental choice.  The impression will be that a liberal Democratic regime knows what's best for "our children."  And yet you can't escape the fact that while Laura Bush spent her time in schools and libraries teaching, Hillary was hiding subpoenaed files, concealing court-requested billing records, making a killing in cattle futures, and of course raising millions of Hollywood dollars as the superstar of the Democratic Party.  Tipper, while her cultural views might strike a sympathetic chord, in effect wants to circumvent the First Amendment. Always from the Democrats, THEY tell YOU what they want you to do, or as often what THEY DON'T want to do even if the laws of the land demand it.

It is always a risky proposition to introduce spouses into elections, for the elections are not about spouses but "issues."  Or they are supposed to be?  This may be evidence that despite the message Big Media tries to sell (and Democrats eager to distract attention away from Bill Clinton's extramarital "personality" problems), "personality" and a candidate's life beyond the policy arena does matter to the electorate, and they are anxious to get a complete and rounded picture of the person they might vote for.  And that Bill Clinton may not escape so easily from his tawdry open-fly trysts -- that the American people will remember and vote accordingly.

The General Delivers

It wasn't until fairly recently - 30-35 years ago - that the Party presidential nominating conventions ceased being a genuine battle among party factions and potential candidates and evolved into the present-day coronations of a clear-cut nominee.  With such suspense drained away from the convention, these quadrennial gatherings have become media-dubbed "lovefests" with only the occasional Pat Buchanan or Jesse Jackson showing up to throw some juice to the parties' respective right- and left wings. 

It took a while to adapt to the new "reality" of non-suspenseful conventions.  The initial ploy was to have the candidate hide out until the final evening, thereby building some suspense leading up to the nominee's Big Speech.  But now (a Democratic innovation using Bill Clinton) it is evident to the party powers that there is more to be gained from dribbling out the candidate appearances over the course of the convention, to put the star more in an increasingly ignored spotlight.  

Last night, the GOP used this innovation with positive effect, using George W. Bush (on monitor from a campaign-trail classroom) to introduce the GOP's true non-candidate favorite (McCain be damned) - General Colin Powell.  And the introduction praised Powell's valued past services to America and hinted at "service still to come," a sure fire acknowledgement that Powell is headed for high office in a W administration.

The Republicans adore Powell's achievements and his poise and his loyal service throughout what can only be termed a superlative military career. They appreciate what he represents as a black man and immigrant who has risen to the top of his chosen armed service career and now approaches levels beyond that.  But Republicans are also wary of an admittedly moderate Powell, they are dismayed he won't be veep, they are dismayed even that he won't seek the very pinnacle of politics.  And they are cautious of his message of inclusion and his pro-affirmative action viewpoint. 

But last evening, as he delivered an impassioned, well reasoned and truly intelligent speech, it was fun to have the General as a Republican.  He respectfully saluted both Bushes - the father he served and his son he may yet work with, and his former Pentagon boss Dick Cheney, and tore into the notion that a great America can ignore the harsh realities in which too many children exist.  And even when he called for what sometimes sounded like Democratic solutions of more government and a measured approach on Affirmative Action, his delivery exuded such credibility and force, and passion, he did not fail to get everyone listening to think about his words, that they might translate his ideas into action.  He tempered his observation that there were 2 million prisoners in too many prisons with a call for making citizens' "contributors" not "convicts."  Even for tough-on-crime conservatives, it is an idea worth considering.

And of course he mentioned Reagan's Shining City on a Hill, and he did so not in a patronizing or pandering or sentimental way, for Colin Powell has lived the American Dream and believes in the ideas of America as strongly as any Founding Father, and more strongly than most of today's lip-serving politicos.  The General spoke out convincingly and sensibly and forcefully for school choice, and school vouchers and charter schools, throwing down the gauntlet at a failed educational establishment dominated by self-serving teacher's unions.  This was a speech delivered by a man who made his mark as a warrior, and who is now beating his own personal causes not just into ploughshares, but into a powerful idea-laden fertilizer for all children in all of America.

There is not a doubt in this heart that Colin Powell can excel at any task he takes on, that he surpasses any prospective high cabinet appointee of a prospective Alpha Gore administration.   He is only 63 years old, and healthy as a race horse.  In 4 years he can be veep, in eight he will win such a landslide that only Reagan's '84 Mondale demolition will be in the same class.  Salute General Colin Powell, and his courage and convictions that fit so snugly in the GOP tent. 

--Dick Acorn