# Republican National Convention thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 3, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817 "2008-09-03T04:31:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/21 "2008-09-04T01:06:34Z")
The most interesting thing I’ve read so far has been that in both Thompson’s and Bush’s recounting of McCain’s POW ordeal, one word never came up: **Torture**. [Some speculate](http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-truth-that.html) that they can’t refer to what McCain was subjected to as “torture” without implicating the current administration’s policies that sanction(ed) similar–or identical–treatment to alleged enemy combatants. So, has anyone actually cited McCain’s treatment as the T-word in one of the speeches (or videos) yet? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/22 "2008-09-04T01:18:46Z")
Wheres the excitement? before the DNC people wanted to hear what Hillary, Bill, Teddy, Gore, Biden and specially Obama would say. The only one people seem to care about for the reps is Palin, and thats because they expect her to be a catastrophe. Not even the sitting president of the united states could get people interested in this convention, thats a says a lot about the lack of interest in the republican party in this election. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/23 "2008-09-04T01:20:43Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > “Drill, baby, drill…and drill now” That’s what SHE said. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/24 "2008-09-04T01:22:08Z")
Hollywoods latest series of horror movies: THE ELITES!!! ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/25 "2008-09-04T01:23:41Z")
I have one thing and one thing only to say about the Republican Nationa-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/26 "2008-09-04T01:28:36Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Hollywoods latest series of horror movies: > > THE ELITES!!! Yeah–I heard the beginning of Mitt Romney’s speech. Highlights: -Washington is liberal because they give constitutional rights to detainees at Guantanamo. -The sun is gonna rise in the west, not over those elites in Washington [because the non-elite McCain is in the west]. -We need the party of big ideas, not the party of big brother. That last bit was especially perplexing. Isn’t he supposed to be a Republican? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/27 "2008-09-04T01:30:19Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Wheres the excitement? before the DNC people wanted to hear what Hillary, Bill, Teddy, Gore, Biden and specially Obama would say. The only one people seem to care about for the reps is Palin, and thats because they expect her to be a catastrophe. See, I don’t know why people expect her to be a catastrophic speaker. She used to be an on-air personality, and has done stump speeches before. I certainly expect her to be able to give one good speech. As a candidate and prospective VP? Yeah, _that_ I see as a catastrophe. But I’m sure people will go all ape-shit lovey-dovey over her tonight. Hopefully, she’ll have enough of a good night that she can no longer play the snivelling liberal-media-victim card anymore. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/28 "2008-09-04T01:52:13Z")
The Hawaii Governor is snooze-inducing beyond belief, which is being made worse by people interrupting repeatedly for not-very-enthusiastic but way-too-frequent applause. And now she is talking about how experience governing a small city is BETTER because of how small the city is, because everyone knows everyone and they hold you personally responsible. But my LORD this woman makes me want to take a nap. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/29 "2008-09-04T02:05:43Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Yeah–I heard the beginning of Mitt Romney’s speech. > > Highlights: > -Washington is liberal because they give constitutional rights to detainees at Guantanamo. > -The sun is gonna rise in the west, not over those elites in Washington [because the non-elite McCain is in the west]. > -We need the party of big ideas, not the party of big brother. > > That last bit was especially perplexing. Isn’t he supposed to be a Republican? > > Daniel I wondered the same thing! Much of what he said sounded like criticism of the current administration, in a twisted sort of way. The pundits on PBS opined that this speech was a clear sign that Romney is getting ready to run in 2012. All these speakers are starting to blur, but I think the biggest applause came when Romney (or was it Huckabee?) talked about people who wanted a handout from the government. The Democrats ignored the poor (bad enough), but it sounds like the Republicans would like to eradicate them. Romney and Huckabee are good speakers though, and Huckabee is actually pretty witty. How would you describe that facial expression of Romney’s, after he’s made a point? It’s not quite a smirk, not quite a moue – I’ve seen televangelists do it. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/30 "2008-09-04T02:06:49Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > The most interesting thing I’ve read so far has been that in both Thompson’s and Bush’s recounting of McCain’s POW ordeal, one word never came up: **Torture**. [Some speculate](http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-truth-that.html) that they can’t refer to what McCain was subjected to as “torture” without implicating the current administration’s policies that sanction(ed) similar–or identical–treatment to alleged enemy combatants. > > So, has anyone actually cited McCain’s treatment as the T-word in one of the speeches (or videos) yet? Guiliani just said it. And, he’s wearing a flag pin, unlike the other speakers I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/31 "2008-09-04T02:10:58Z")
I wonder where so many white people get the balls to hold up “country first” signs. As if Republicans care about the nation more than Democrats. Where if you look at there convention audience half of America seems missing. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/32 "2008-09-04T02:15:08Z")
Oh yeah, and what’s up with Romney going after unions? He had negative things to say about the teachers’ union and “big government unions”. Are they going after the working person’s vote or not? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/33 "2008-09-04T02:18:13Z")
Giuliani just said that the Democrats want to increase terrorists … how come I haven’t heard about this before??? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/34 "2008-09-04T02:21:35Z")
Guiliani is spouting the same, stupid, Obama bashing crap you’d hear on any am radio station at two in the afternoon. There’s still no real sense of inspiration or transcendence with this convention. No emotions but anger and hate. What is this crap about how liberals won’t say the words “Islamic Terrorism?” WTF is he talking about. Jesus fucking Christ, this guy is an asshole. It’s going to be one of the great pleasures of my life revel in the misery of all these scumbags on election night. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/35 "2008-09-04T02:25:33Z")
Man I’m going to need to lie down after this. I finally had to mute the TV. It’s much better if I can pretend Guiliani is announcing a sex change operation or something. The Toolbox from Hawaii was the worst though. Btw how much of this much ballyhooed EXECUTIVE experience does McCain have? Rhymes with NERO NERO NERO NERO?!? Edit: Oh shit, time to take on the mythical “they.” How dare THEY say Palin won’t have enough time to spend with her family?!?!? GUILIANI’S RIGHT!!! I FREAKING HATE THEY!!! ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/36 "2008-09-04T02:30:24Z")
It’s one fucking lie after another while the crowd cheers and cheers. How discouraging. Feel free to post in my Pit thread about how the same people who are cheering McCain’s military record now were choosing Bush over him in 2000 and shitting all over another Vet in 2004 to elect a guy who avoided serving in combat. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/37 "2008-09-04T02:31:25Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Giuliani just said that the Democrats want to increase terrorists … how come I haven’t heard about this before??? I’m not sure - we talked about it at our latest meeting here in the Bay Area. Should I forward you the email? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/38 "2008-09-04T02:32:02Z")
What in the Hell are they cheering about? They barely know this woman. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/39 "2008-09-04T04:14:51Z")
I can see why the Democrats are so terrified of Palin, and why the media are going after her like a pack of spider-monkeys – the kid’s a STAR! “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.” OUCH! I think I’m in love… ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/40 "2008-09-04T04:16:16Z")
Was that speech really that good? I thought it was incredibly disjointed like she was reading from a checklist and not giving a speech. Like when Bill Clinton, or Obama, or Huckabee were up there I felt like I was being led somewhere. It seemed like she read a statement or two from a checklist and then waited for applause. Then went to the next bullet with no segue or lead in or anything. I really thought it was painful to watch. But I appear to be a minority as all the commentators on CNN and Fox referred to it as “sophisticated” and “brilliant.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817.md?page=3)