RNC, Night Two — the view from Cow Hampshire

OK, it’s 10:00 and here comes The Governator…

I’m reminded of one of the more tasteless political jokes I ever heard.
“Do you know why Arnold Schwarzenegger married Maria Shriver?”
“They’re trying to breed a bulletproof Kennedy.”

I don’t think the Dems have anyone with as much popular appeal as Arnold…

J.

(Updates below the fold)

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10:03: “I walked around with the American flag around my shoulders all day long.” Wasn’t that Stallone in one of the Rocky movies?

Now he’s talking about living under Soviet occupation as a boy. That’s it, Arnold, give the old commies a swift boot.

“USA! USA! USA!” For some reason, that chanting always annoys me.

And there are those damned “CALL IDT” lanyards again…

Oh, man, he’s talking about the 1968 race and embracing Nixon… he’s a Nixon Republican. I guess nobody reminded him that 1968 was a pretty bad year for his in-laws…

10:10: He’s really playing up the immigrant angle, and lord knows he’s entitled. And now I wish like hell I’d opened a betting pool on just when Arnold would utter some variant of “I’ll be back.” Right now I’m putting it in around 10:25, as he’s summing up. Arnold wants that Constitutional Amendment passed so he can run for President, and he wants to come back to another GOP convention.

Oh, and he just kicked the UN! Good on ‘im!

But will he actually use a “terminated” line? I don’t think so… it’s a “down” line, and he’s trying to be “up” tonight.

Oh, and he called ’em “girlie-men!” It’s not even his line, and he STILL shamelessly used it.

10:15: I think the GOP has decided to take John Edwards’ “Two Americas” bit and hang it like an albatross around his neck. I don’t know if it’ll work or not, but I think it’s a viable plan and just might work.

Presuming Arnold gets that amendment passed, 2008 could be a VERY good year for the Republicans. Guiliani, McCain, Romney, Schwarzenegger… where the Democrats seem to be severely lacking in a “bench.”

Interesting reversal… America takes in people from all over the world, then turns around and sends it’s best back out around the world in the Peace Corps, etc. etc. It’s not exactly the far-left ideal of “open borders,” but it’s pretty much as close as it is in the world today.

10:23: OK, there’s the “I’ll be back” line. I was half expecting a comparison to the severely wounded soldier desperate to return to Iraq to Kerry’s collecting his three Purple Hearts and putting in for a trip home. I’m kind of glad he didn’t, though; it’s a bit too much of a cheap shot, even to me.

10:27: Ah, a little teasing of America’s Grandmother In Chief. No great shakes… but they’re getting the glare. And a bit of an acknowledgement that they’ve been a bit on the wild side… but so was he, at that age. And they’re pointing that out, too.

The jokes are getting a bit much. The “who are these guys?” is wearing thin. FInally, here comes Mom…

10:32: Oh, that poor hamster… but that original story was really stupid. And my mistake, it’s Dad. This should be good — I don’t think I’ve ever seen him publicly interacting with his family. Good chance to show himself as a family man.

He really does love her, and the girls… it really shows.

“Isn’t she lovely?” Kind of overdone…

Laura Bush really does look like a librarian… and not the “hot” one. She’s a soccer mom, a security mom, a suburbanite. She’ll get a LOT of identification from them.

Her mom’s named Jenna? I didn’t realize the twins were named after both grandmothers. That’s a very nice touch.

10:38: “…an Oldsmobile Cutlass, and George behind the wheel.” Anyone else immediately think of Ted Kennedy?

10:43: Laura’s talking a LOT about the War On Terror. She’s tying it into the sacrifices and struggles of the families of the military, but it’s still a smidgen surprising. Since the theme o’ night is “compassion,” I thought she’d talk more about education and child-raising and the like, but she found a good way to tie it together.

Comparing W. with Lincoln and FDR as “reluctant warriors.” Good call.
And she’s humanizing W., letting us see the side he’s so reluctant to show to the world. It’s something only a wife (and I mean REAL wife, not a Hillarybot) could do.

I really, REALLY like the “W stands for Women” signs. Nice double play on language.

She’s comparing the terrorists to Nazis. Time to invoke the Godwin rule on the first lady…

10:50: Mention of the abolition of slavery and women’s vote. I know the GOP was behind the former, but was one party more strongly behind the women’s vote than the other? I never really looked into it… I suspect neither, for the simple fact that neither party has claimed it.

“So happy they’re campaigning with us this fall.” This way we can keep an eye on ’em…

Wow… married 3 months after meeting at a barbecue? Didn’t know that… and I don’t think there was a pregnancy involved. That says a lot.

In the listing of his virtues, will she mention “loyal to a fault?” Doubt it, but oughta…

“Dignity and respect for the office he holds.” In other words, no interns on their knees on the Presidential Carpet…

10:56: Laura’s showing her upbringing. Unlike Guiliani, she’s not running over. And for someone who’s not really thrilled about public life, she did pretty damned good.

I always said that whatever else the Clintons did (and that was a HELL of a lot of disgusting, contemptuous, revolting things), one thing they did right was how they brought up Chelsea — kid always seemed to have her head screwed on right. With the twins, we see that Dubya and Laura aren’t great parents, but damn, they’re refreshingly NORMAL kids. That just reinforces the perception that they’re “just plain folks.”

OK, time for a quick munchie and bed. Until tomorrow evening…

J.