# 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:** 3
**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, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/41 "2008-09-04T04:19:46Z")
By the way, too bad Tina Fey is no longer on SNL. She could impersonate Palin without even trying! ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/42 "2008-09-04T04:33:00Z")
What a hateful, empty husk of a creature she is. Nothing about policy, nothing but attack after attack. God, the Republicans are terrified, aren’t they? Their convention has been hollow, ugly and depressing – just like their vision for this country. Not surprising, as they have nothing to run on: they can’t run on Bush’s accomplishments yet they can’t seriously assert their differences lest they imply their fuhrer has been less than a success… And so they bring out Giulian911 and have him try to inspire fear in the plebes, while Palin attacks Obama, a man who’s done more _good_ for others in his young life than she’ll ever accomplish in her narrow, shallow, ignorant life. Oh it’s on. I hope Biden tears her apart. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/43 "2008-09-04T04:36:51Z")
I finally heard what the crowd keeps shouting: “JERRY JERRY” ---
**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, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/44 "2008-09-04T04:41:39Z")
Her speech was about 25% shout outs, 10% energy policy, and 65% pure fiction. The base will certainly eat it up, and she certainly looked like a star up there. I agree it was disjointed to an extent, but speeches where they have to hold for applause every five seconds always sound like that to me. I think McCain/Palin will get a bit of a bump this week, but I can’t see her really bringing in too many independents with her hard right wing views. The idea of McCain croaking and her picking a couple Supreme Court justices scares the hell out of me. Speaking of McCain, he needs to never speak right after her again. He looked even older and more feeble than usual. Like grampa was back stage watching her, forgot where he was, and wandered out to ask her when they’re going to eat dinner. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/45 "2008-09-04T04:52:46Z")
Did anyone else pick up on Palin’s shameless ploy to get the votes of parents of disabled kids? “…to all you parents out there, let me tell you, you will have a friend in the White House.” If I believed it, I’d take some comfort from that. In reality, that seemed disgustingly cynical. I hope the media press her for policy specifics on the initiatives she’s going to support. ---
**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, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/46 "2008-09-04T04:56:37Z")
Like I said in the Palin speech thread, I think she mechanically delivered a routine, boilerplate attack speech that will have no appeal to anyone but the right wing base. She was nasty, gratuitously condescending (what’s the point of shitting on all community organizers? What fucking snob), and divisive in a thoroughly counter-productive way. She was put on this ticket to try to attract Hillary voters but made no attempt to reach out to them or give them any reason to vote for McCain. When the dust settles on this, I don’t think she will have moved the needle in any significant way towards McCain. I think we’ll see Obama still comfortably in the lead after the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/47 "2008-09-04T04:57:56Z")
Funny comment I heard on the radio: _“Vote for Cotton and Peggy Hill!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/48 "2008-09-04T04:59:33Z")
I had the speech on in the other room while I looked at Internet porn. Listening to her voice, it struck me just how much she sounds like Julia Sweeney. ---
**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, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/49 "2008-09-04T05:02:45Z")
She did a very good job for what amounts to her first time on a national stage. I’ll have to read through her speech to pick the few moments of substance from the rah rah bullshit. Some of it was just outright lies. I can’t give her much credit for repeating lies with a straight face. ---
**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, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/50 "2008-09-04T05:04:47Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Funny comment I heard on the radio: _“Vote for Cotton and Peggy Hill!”_ Ok thats hillarious. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/51 "2008-09-04T05:06:26Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > By the way, too bad Tina Fey is no longer on SNL. She could impersonate Palin without even trying! Lorne Michaels is probably begging, BEGGING her to make appearances as we speak. (PS: Given the much-discussed Palin beauty queen history, this just vindicates all of you who found Tina Fey attractive! :)) > [@choie](#): > > What a hateful, empty husk of a creature she is. God, the Republicans are terrified, aren’t they? Perhaps the head honchos are. The pundits and their readers online, OTOH, seem to be giving nothing but an ocean of praise and excitement. She’s their Obama. Underestimate that kind of mood at your own peril. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/52 "2008-09-04T05:10:30Z")
Disclaimer: I haven’t seen any of the RNC on TV or video yet, but I’ve read some of the quotes from the speeches. And I say good for the 'Pubbies for wanted to run out those liberal clowns who have been running Washington for the last several years! Those commies in the White House gotta go! :rolleyes: Seriously, who in the cheesey heck do they think has been in the White House for the last six years, seven months, and some odd days? Which party had a majority in Congress for most of that time, and most of the time of the previous administration? An Avaogadro’s Number worth of :rolleyes: is not enough! ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/53 "2008-09-04T05:11:21Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Giuliani just said that the Democrats want to increase terrorists … how come I haven’t heard about this before??? You didn’t get the password to the secret DNC web pages? It’s between “Forced Gay Adoptions for all” and “Socialist-muslim conversion to an arugula-based economy”. Unless, of course, you’re not on the distribution list… If that’s the case, I’m sure they’ll cover the plans during your stay in the Happy-Groupthink Re-Education Facilities. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/54 "2008-09-04T05:13:58Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Perhaps the head honchos are. The pundits and their readers online, OTOH, seem to be giving nothing but an ocean of praise and excitement. She’s their Obama. Underestimate that kind of mood at your own peril. The head honchos are whom I was talking about. I couldn’t care less about the Republican pundits and their readers – they would say the same things no matter if Palin stuttered and spewed all over the microphone. But the rationale behind the bile uttered on the podium tonight by my former mayor and this Tracy Flick-esque VP wannabe is pure terror of impending failure. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/55 "2008-09-04T05:25:52Z")
> [@choie](#): > > The head honchos are whom I was talking about. I couldn’t care less about the Republican pundits and their readers – they would say the same things no matter if Palin stuttered and spewed all over the microphone. But the rationale behind the bile uttered on the podium tonight by my former mayor and this Tracy Flick-esque VP wannabe is pure terror of impending failure. But arguably, if said readers are excited enough to go out and vote/campaign for McCain because of Palin, and said pundits have success encouraging them to do so because of Palin, does it matter what the head honchos think and why they did it? It works either way. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/56 "2008-09-04T07:29:52Z")
With one big difference: Obama is a phenomenon, he just sort of “happened”. Palin is almost custom-made, she is precisely formed to fit the hole. She embodies the myth dearest to their hearts, that the cramped and narrow values she represents reflect the values of the “real” Americans. They are determined to believe against all evidence that the vast majority of Americans agree with them, but are somehow stifled by the evil machinations of the liberal media and the “elites”. And that this silent, stifled majority will rise up and sweep them to power. Ever wonder who the 30% of Americans who will never turn against Bush, even if he were to publicly sacrifice the twins to his Dark Lord in the Rose Garden. Them. There they are. The horror. The horror. This is usually the point where I bring up the urgency of the campaign against Cognitive Dissonance, pointing out its status as the number one threat to the Republic. But it isn’t. They are. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/57 "2008-09-04T19:21:54Z")
Here’s a [poll that really surprised me](http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/09/01/us/politics/20080901_POLL_GRAPHIC.html) (see bottom graphic): > [@Volokh Conspiracy](#): > > This morning’s New York Times has the fascinating results of a poll of the views of Republican National Convention delegates on a variety of issues. The poll reveals that 49% of the GOP delegates support either gay marriage (6%) or civil unions (43%). Only 46% of the delegates believe there should be no legal recognition whatsoever of same-sex couples. That is a LOT closer than I ever thought it would be, especially given the venue at which the poll took place. Certainly, it’s not ideal, but that’s a lot more of a concession than I thought would’ve happened. What does this mean? Could it be that the elder “old guard” are the main holdouts on this issue? That the Christian fundamentalists are losing their grip? Or that delegates are somehow becoming further and further distanced from their party? ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/58 "2008-09-04T19:47:13Z")
[37 million watched Palin.](http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/09/palin-ratings-s.html) That’s slightly less than Obama, but around 13 million more than Biden. Make of that what you will. ---
**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, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/59 "2008-09-04T19:50:17Z")
> [@ArizonaTeach](#): > > [37 million watched Palin.](http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/09/palin-ratings-s.html) That’s slightly less than Obama, but around 13 million more than Biden. > > Make of that what you will. You know, it’s interesting; whether intended or not, the McCain campaign has very subtly forced Obama to run against Palin! Barack is now comparing his own record to that of his opponent’s pick for VP!!! ---
**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, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/60 "2008-09-04T19:53:22Z")
Obama Vs. Palin is a fucking blowout for Obama. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817.md?page=4)