How could it be, that two of the most liberal supporters of the Republican party can articulate the case for re-electing President Bush? Maybe because they know the name of the game, and can freely transcend ideological lines to make a case that only the truest of true unbelievers can reject.

I saw John McCain’s speech tonight through until he took on Michael Moore, and I completely missed Rudy Giuliani’s, owing to the arrival of a guest tonight. (I question his timing.) I will, however, take Zombyboy’s observations as reference. Of Rudy he says:

His words about Kerry wisely took us away from his Vietnam record and to his voting record in congress. And Kerry’s congressional record is anything but consistent or impressive. His hilight of Kerry’s two positions on Israel’s security fence, when talking to two very different crowds, further made the point that Kerry is inconsistent and, perhaps, unprincipled.

All without even a nod to the Swift Boat Vets.

[...] As an opener to the convention, this is pretty good stuff. The support that Bush has from what I would call cross-over politicians–those elected officials that have appeal to a broad center–really could act as a strong halo for his reelection bid. That is, if people bother to notice. Since none of this is being carried on networks (and, no, I don’t think it has anything to do with any bias–the networks simply aren’t that interested in covering the conventions anymore)

— Zombyboy: RNC Commentary III

I hope he mentioned Kerry’s pathological lying on Cuba.

I was also watching the post-speech commentary from FOX News’ panel, and one (I think it was the lady from Commie Radio) observed that the RNC opened with attacks against the opponent, which, seemingly, is bizzarro-world for them, since “normally” it’s the non-incumbent that attacks the other. Wrong. This convention is perfectly normal to attack John Kerry on the issues. President Bush has oiled the gears for the past weeks by staying way above the Swifties problem that has plagued the Kerry campaign, leaving Senator Kerry’s record in Congress, one that cannot be wrapped in the flag and deemed impervious to criticism on account of his votes being “patriotic,” wide open to picking apart.

One thing that I did observe with McCain is how natural his speech flowed, even taking a stab at Michael Moore (inciting cheers of “four more years” from the audience), blowing apart one of the most disingenuous images from F9/11: the “benevolent despotism” of Saddam Hussein and his paradise as dreamed up by Moore.

The partisan cheering was not, in anyway, rabid or foaming. If there is anything that I have observed in the conduct of Republicans towards this election is that they will stab you politely with facts and call you “sir” as you lay bleeding to death. I cannot say it of Giuliani’s speech, but I can say it of what I saw of McCain’s: it was nowhere near the level of discourse in the infamous Whoopi fundraiser in NYC, and the partisan backslapping seemed “normal,” in that they cheered where one could expect the audience would cheer.

At a time when the sum, ergo cogito wing* of the Republican party—those a little bit to the social left of the Moral Authoritarians—are deriding the more liberal of the party as being “bad” for the “identity” of the Republican party, calling them Republicans In Name Only, the cogito, ergo sum wing is displaying that they, perhaps, can carry the most palatable message to the most people. As the RNC progresses I am sure that the former wing would do its damned best to maintain an ideological identity, and they are the ones closest to the president. I hope, for his own sake, that the president avoid tinging his social commentary with hues of Santorum and Frist; these are high hopes but if Bush maintains a focus on freedom, the core ethos of the Republican party, here and abroad—freedom to succeed economically, freedom from the fear of Jihadislam, freedom from the government kicking bedroom doors in—he will bring in more friends than what the Democrats did, which was focus on the enemy and provide a welcoming fence to those who really didn’t need it.

*Here’s some background info on my use of the latin statements to differentiate the wings of the Republican party.