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I have been hard on Governor and GOP candidate for president in 2000, George W. Bush, but that has all changed now. I don't agree with him on everything, maybe not even on a majority of issues, though he has made me think about immigration and free trade. Before Bush's speech last night, I would have hit you with a tirade containing excerpts from Alan Keyes or Pat Buchanan knocking NAFTA, GATT and the WTO. This has all changed now, after GWB cleared the bases with a GRAND SLAM HOMERUN SPEECH!
I now relealize that you con't agree with everything and every position a politician takes. Sometimes you must vote for the lesser of two evils or someone with differing views from your own whom you think is trust worthy. Sadly, the Democrat Party has failed on all fronts! Near the beginning of his speech, Bush touched upon this very leadership thing with, " This adminsitration has had their chance; they didn't lead and I will ". Turning that idea into a semi-mantra, he continued, " They have not led; we will ". Interjecting, " They had their chance ", he repeated the mantra, " they have not led; we will ". To finish the paragraph off like open prose, he promised, " Now they come asking for another chance; we say NO "!
Bush got to the issues by promising to sign legislation to ban partial birth abortion and to vowed to fix Social Security, a notorious third rail subject considered to be the kiss of death touching it during an election. He assured the people that a Bush administration would, " leave this nation greater than we found it ".
He spoke directly about education, a subject dear to him because his wife he a teacher. He stressed the need for local control, saying, " One size doesn't fit all, when it comes to education ".
He stood up to the forces selling out our national security and promised to strenthen the military and protect American soil from missile attack, saying, " At the earliest possible moment my administration will field a missile defense ". He injected the possibility of nuclear " blackmail ", one which the liberal Democrats seem to be ignoring.
Bush showed a sense of humor, retaliating against Gore's use of the word " risky " to describe almost everything GOP, no matter whether the risk was real or imagined ( the same for a true bleeding heart ) with a series of his own RISKIES, including the Apollo moonshot as a " risky rocket scheme ", and Edison developing the electric light bulb as, " a risky anti-candle scheme ". He portrayed Gore as calling Bush's campaign a " risky truth scheme ". The best joke was left for last, with, " He ( Gore ) leads the party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt but all he offers is fear itself "!
Hitting the Democrats right where they are the most vulnerable ( taking responsibility for their own actions ), Bush said, " We must usher in an era of responsibility ". He continued with a stark illustration of the difference between the word parsing Democrats and the straight talking Republicans, with, " A president himself must be responsible "
Finishing with a bang, he again took a shot at the pollsters and the liberals molding their positions according to popular opinion instead of personal conviction, saying, " I am not running in borrowed clothes ". He closed on a positive note, with, " We can begin again ".
This was one of the most solid speeches I have ever seen and heard. I understand why the Democrats are running so scared; they cannot begin to match George W. Bush with someone who has no real views like Al Gore.
- Bongo ( Climb the wall? )
Updated ( 8-4-2000 )
(c)2000 Bongo.