Palin Takes the Show; McCain Looks Forward to Nov. 4

“All’s well that ends well” appears to be the mantra of the 2008 Republican convention in St. Paul. A gathering that started late and in a far from celebratory atmosphere, is ending strong. McCain gave his speech on Thursday with the party unified, party activists energized and the polling virtually tied.

This 2008 Republican convention marks the eighth one attended by David Tyson, past state party official and current delegate. Discussing the different gatherings, he contrasted the energy of this convention to the lack of enthusiasm at the 1996 convention that nominated Bob Dole.

At that convention Dole’s selection of Jack Kemp did little to energize the conservative base. In contrast, McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin did much to unify the party and energize the base.

Tyson met Palin’s brother and father at the Minneapolis convention center. They were looking for Palin buttons, just as Tyson was. The fact that none could be found was an indicator of the Governor’s popularity after her Wednesday speech.

Palin’s address electrified the convention audience. A factor in the response was the perception that the media attacks on the Governor of Alaska were personal, sexist and elitist. Palin’s speech prompts one to believe that her theme song will be John Mellencamp’s “I was born in small town.”

Her address was interrupted eight times by boos from the audience. One time when she referred to journalist attacks, many of the delegates turned and booed the media section in the stands

McCain’s nomination is a tribute to persistence. Many of the West Virginia supporters were with the Arizona senator in his 2000 campaign and in 2008 stayed with him in the dark days before New Hampshire when he had low standings in the polls.

Today the voter surveys have McCain tied with 60 days left. The degree of parity in the polls suggests that each party accomplished their convention goals when it came to party unity and activists’ energy.

It seemed appropriate that a session would close with country music star John Rich singing “Raising McCain.”

- Dr. Rupp is professor of political science and history at West Virginia Wesleyan College

Issues vs. Character…or are They the Same?

Professor Galarneau discusses the "issues" of this 2008 presidential campaign, with similar implications as if one were to give a mouse a cookie. Enjoy...

Here we go. Again. The campaigns are already starting to cloud what should be considered the most important aspect of presidential campaign arguments. The 2008 election is moving into that very subjective junction where Jerry Springer meets talk radio: Character opinion.

When was the last time that ISSUES maintained enough momentum to make it through the name-calling cycles of the media slaughterhouse all the way up to election day? He said, she said, they said...I’m telling!!!

Is the Environment still important, or is it more important that Sarah Palin’s daughter is pregnant? Are we concerned with a rough economy or are we more concerned with a perception that Obama and Paris Hilton have anything in common.

Jobs? Health care? National security? Who needs to talk about these when our society absorbs media confluence of gossip and bias that can only be satiated by sponging more of what the media provides in an endless, self-satisfying cycle. Real issues are boring. Real gossip…yummy.

What is the number one concern in this country? The character of the candidates? It makes you wonder if what the candidates plan to do once they get into office holds much weight (at least at this point in the campaigns, Sept. 2).

I guess I’ll have to ask Oprah Winfrey.

-Professor Pete Galarneau (the satirical approach)

Republican Convention: Day 1

The agenda of the 2008 Republican convention was held hostage by the hurricane in the Gulf as the leaders here pivoted quickly from convention focus to a worry and relief focus.

The result was a downsized opening day as virtually all the scheduled speakers were dealing with hurricane Gustav. The lesson of political inaction has been learned in the aftermath of Katrina three years ago.

The only major speaker was First Lady Laura Bush. Absent was the President, the Vice-President and the nominee. Also not present was California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger but his reason was the continued failure of his state to approve a budget.

The Monday session of the convention would have canceled, but legally a meeting had to be held Monday to do some technical things required by law to get McCain’s name on the ballot in some states.

Here with the West Virginia delegation, our day started with a breakfast which featured several speakers. The most dramatic was John McCain’s brother who brought with him the navy flyer flight jacket his brother had on the aircraft carrier, Oriskany, in October, 1967. John did not see the jacket until he came back from POW camp four years later.

Also speaking was a fellow prisoner of war who was with McCain in Hanoi camp.

Vietnam, a war almost a half century ago, has dominated the recent elections. Four years ago at the Democratic convention in Boston I heard from John Kerry’s fellow soldiers whom he served with in Vietnam.

Also speaking this morning was Governor Blount of Missouri who said that 600 National Guardsmen from his state have already been deployed to Louisiana. He had earlier spoken to Governor Jindal.

At noon I went with some delegates to the Fine Arts Center to hear Republican strategist Mary Matlin at a luncheon which focused attention on women and heat attack awareness.

Of her husband, Democratic strategist James Carville, Matlin said “He’s never right, but he’s never dumb.” She deals with him by “not listening to him on the television.”

Having a woman on the ticket was “a testament to the country,” Matlin said and criticism of Paylin was “so lame, patronizing, elitist and sexist.”

After the luncheon, the delegates got an early look at the Xcel Center- a large arena that serves as during the season as a hockey rink. The arena is dominated by huge screen on the stage which shows a waving American flag.

Compared to the Pepsi Center at Denver, the arena has smaller space , but the seating goes high and steep allowing for a better viewing and more intimacy. However, it may still be site of gridlock when the sessions are not scaled down.

It is interesting after being at the scripted and intense Denver convention, to now watch a convention, as Mary Matlin said, “flip overnight.” For within a day the event went away from the standard convention format of political rhetoric and image.

Here in what was expected to be political central for a week, the topic was stayed focused on the weather. What happens next may well depend on extent of hurricane damage and relief efforts.

- Dr. Rupp is a professor of political science and history at West Virginia Wesleyan College

McCain-Palin

On Friday morning, news broke that John McCain official chose Gov. Sarah Biden (R-AK). The politico world was expecting some sort of shake-up candidate for the maverick, but few suspected Palin.

Her little known background will certainly benefit McCain in the next two months, but some are critical of his choice saying she is without the necessary experience, having only been a governor for two years, and she lacks the economic flare that a Romney would have brought to the ticket.

However, it is no secret why he chose her: disgruntled Clintonites.

In her debut appearance in Dayton, Ohio, Gov. Palin spent no time beating around the Bush, and praised Sen. Hillary Clinton for a job well done in her respective race.

Palin also offers valid experience and a diverse background. She has a history of cleaning up corruption in Alaska, especially with energy producers. Also, she offers a solid conservative ideology, coupled with a beautiful family, life time NRA membership, and a pro-union household.

As a large group of Wesleyan students is traveling to Washington, PA on Saturday to a McCain-Palin rally, they will see first hand how effective the Republican ticket will be in the coming months.