# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/161 "2008-09-05T03:24:02Z")
Boy, McCain loses on speaker points. Bless his heart, he looks so uncomfortable up there. I think he handled the hecklers okay, but you’d think a lifer from the Senate might be a little less deer-in-headlights. If anybody would be on top of quashing protesters during a speech, I’d think it was the GOP. Epic fail for security! I did like what he said about Obama. Classy. Pretty much everything else he said I disagreed with, but that’s to be expected. The background is bizarre. When Mike Huckabee spoke, I think they had a shot (live) of the local elementary school’s front lawn and parking lot. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/162 "2008-09-05T03:28:25Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > They were shouting USA USA USA to drown out protesters who’d sneaked in and heckling. One of my favorite blogs say it’s because they think it’s 1983 and McCain’s opponent is the Iron Sheik. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/163 "2008-09-05T03:28:35Z")
This is the strangest speech I’ve ever heard. Why are we back to his P.O.W. story? How is that going to help this country with the foreclosure problem, our energy problem, our lack of standing in the world, the devaluation of our dollar, and so on and so on. We get it. You were tortured and you were brave. And we _appreciate_ it. Sincerely. But jesus this is getting old and tiresome. It’s so completely irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/164 "2008-09-05T03:29:33Z")
Tom Brokaw: “But the fact is, governor, that you’ve had 8 years of a Bush administration and a lot of Republicans in Congress for the last 8 years, so why wouldn’t the American people say, 'Look, they had their shot. We’re gonna change?” Tom Ridge: “Uh, because John Bush… [grimace] because John McCain is very much his own man…” Oh my. ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/165 "2008-09-05T03:32:12Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > He’s… wait, “govenrment assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the 1950s. That’ll change on my watch.” > > What? Here’s what the transcript given to AP says: > [@](#): > > I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn’t even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That’s going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We’re going to help workers who’ve lost a job that won’t come back, find a new one that won’t go away. > We will prepare them for the jobs of today. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. For workers in industries that have been hard hit, we’ll help make up part of the difference in wages between their old job and a temporary, lower paid one while they receive retraining that will help them find secure new employment at a decent wage. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/166 "2008-09-05T03:33:27Z")
> [@JonScribe](#): > > Here’s what the transcript given to AP says: Uh-huh. Pull the other one. It’s got bells on. What a maroon, McCain is. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/167 "2008-09-05T03:35:11Z")
Ok, I love how just after the line about teaching an illiterate adult how to read, they show someone holding up a homemade sign that reads: > [@](#): > > THE > MAVRICK Wow. If he writes his own speeches, he ought to be ashamed. If he has speech writers, he ought to fire them. That was the most disjointed, rambling, strange speech I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/168 "2008-09-05T03:37:14Z")
I noticed both last night and again tonight the Reps are selling “Be scared! The boogie men are out there and we are the only ones who can protect you!” Guess they have nothing else to peddle. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/169 "2008-09-05T03:39:15Z")
I didn’t watch the speech (doctor’s orders – need to keep my blood pressure down). How many times did John McCain mentioned George W Bush (you know, the sitting president from his own party)? I gonna guess zero? Am I close? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/170 "2008-09-05T03:40:07Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > I didn’t watch the speech (doctor’s orders – need to keep my blood pressure down). > > How many times did John McCain mentioned George W Bush (you know, the sitting president from his own party)? > > I gonna guess zero? Am I close? Once, but not by name. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/171 "2008-09-05T03:41:30Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Once, but not by name. lmao! I remember that. My roommate asked the same thing and I told him he referred to Bush by number. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/172 "2008-09-05T03:42:53Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > lmao! I remember that. My roommate asked the same thing and I told him he referred to Bush by number. 😃 He mentioned the elder Bush by number and said “the president” for the younger Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/173 "2008-09-05T03:53:46Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Tom Brokaw: “But the fact is, governor, that you’ve had 8 years of a Bush administration and a lot of Republicans in Congress for the last 8 years, so why wouldn’t the American people say, 'Look, they had their shot. We’re gonna change?” > > Tom Ridge: “Uh, because John Bush… [grimace] because John McCain is very much his own man…” > > Oh my. Beautiful Freudian slip! Mark Shields made the same point. He observed the difficulty of a long-serving Republican giving a “throw the bums out” speech. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/174 "2008-09-05T03:55:22Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Tom Brokaw: “But the fact is, governor, that you’ve had 8 years of a Bush administration and a lot of Republicans in Congress for the last 8 years, so why wouldn’t the American people say, 'Look, they had their shot. We’re gonna change?” > > Tom Ridge: “Uh, because John Bush… [grimace] because John McCain is very much his own man…” > > Oh my. Talk about a Freudean slip. I’m glad you heard this too, because I thought I was hearing things. There’s no way Tom Ridge could’ve just called McCain “Bush,” I thought to myself. HA! ---
**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 5, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/175 "2008-09-05T04:00:01Z")
I was hoping I could say something respectful and laudatory about McCain tonight, but that was a pretty boring speech. I think that, once again, they made the mistake of pitching the speech right at the Republican base. National security, flag waving, POW [drink], but nothing about health care, nothing useful about the economy, nothing about getting out of Iraq – just the usual, self-righteous bullshit. Somebody needs to tell the McCain campaign that they have to try to appeal to somebody besides Fox News fans. ---
**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 5, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/176 "2008-09-05T04:02:57Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Talk about a Freudean slip. I’m glad you heard this too, because I thought I was hearing things. There’s no way Tom Ridge could’ve just called McCain “Bush,” I thought to myself. Maybe a passive aggressive snipe. “That’ll teach him not to pick me for veep!” ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/177 "2008-09-05T04:04:48Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Somebody needs to tell the McCain campaign that they have to try to appeal to somebody besides Fox News fans. I really do think that McCain brought in the Rovians, and they all decided to go with a motivate the base campaign strategy. I just don’t see how that can work when the Republican base has been dramatically shrinking and the Democrats has been exploding. Sorry fuckos, once too many times to the well. Maybe if you clean house and come back as a party of integrity rather than a party of shit-sandwiches, you may have something. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/178 "2008-09-05T04:09:11Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FjjBQi-gaOw/hqdefault.jpg "Ridge on McCain: MSNBC 09/04/08") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjjBQi-gaOw) In case you missed it live. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/179 "2008-09-05T04:12:24Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I was hoping I could say something respectful and laudatory about McCain tonight, but that was a pretty boring speech. I think that, once again, they made the mistake of pitching the speech right at the Republican base. National security, flag waving, POW [drink], but nothing about health care, nothing useful about the economy, nothing about getting out of Iraq – just the usual, self-righteous bullshit. Somebody needs to tell the McCain campaign that they have to try to appeal to somebody besides Fox News fans. I don’t think the Republicans are expecting to win on policy. They’re running on two things - scare the people into believing that Obama will raise their taxes, and off-shore drilling. Everything else is image, as it was in 2000 (and oh, what a lie that image was - W ran as a moderate!). Most of their voters, I think, are the low info voters who wouldn’t know a policy if it bit them (which it has). So why bother presenting policy? The Dems are trying to win on policy, so they do have to provide details. THey’ll get the poorest of the poor, who are probably also low info voters, but other than that, they’ll get people who are more interested in solutions than symbols and who don’t consider tax relief the single most important civil liberty. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817/180 "2008-09-05T04:12:37Z")
Note to code pink: You’re not helping. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-national-convention-thread/461817.md?page=10)