Citizen's Rent 2005

Kerry's Speech

Damn. I hate it when my technology fails and deletes my post. So I've got to recreate my post on Kerry's speech. Here goes.

Having watched so much of the convention, I've overdosed on the references to Kerry's Vietnam service. But, most of the country isn't a junkie and hasn't watched so much coverage. So I suspect that the constant repetition I experiences was the right decision for the prime time audience. BUT, I thought Kerry's opening was a bit ham handed. "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting to duty." Then a salute that wasn't exactly crisp. Ah well. I really want him to knock it out of the park, so It seemed a bit ham handed. His recognition of his competitors during the primaries and thanks for their unity in the party was gracious.

Overall, I think he did a good job. He was definitive in his position on national security, defense, and the economy. I was surprised by his call for finishing the effort to bring equality for women. It's been forever since I've heard a male politician mention this when he wasn't addressing a women's group. His recollection of 9/11 was somehow very effective and brought tears to my eyes. "'It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us. I am proud that after September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush's call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans. How we wish it had stayed that way."

I'm glad he's addressing the fact that he sees complexities in the world. It's one of the things that really drives me crazy - that somehow a black and white approach to the most complex issues is somehow deemed to be a strength. "...some issues just aren't all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn't make it so." That's effective, I think.

He slammed Bush and his administration very directly with this:

I will be a commander oin chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a vice president who wi9ll not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a Secretary Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually ypholds the Constitution of the United States....."My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high...

He was very clear in his position on national security. A couple of notable quotes: "I will wage this war with the lessons I learned from war." "I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as president." "Strength is more than tough words."

He highlighted the following:

• We need to have a plan for winning the peace before we go to war.
  
• We need to have credibility in order to bring other nations to the table.
  
• He is unquestionably willing to use force when necessary.
  
• He is committed to adding 40,000 troops to the military but not in Iraq - in other areas we've stripped troops from.
  
• He will never give other countries veto rights over our use of the military.
  
• He plans to double the special forces that fight terrorists.
  
• He is committed to providing complete and modern equipment to our troops.
  
• He intends to end what he called the "back door draft of the national guard and reservists."
  
• He underscored his desire to make the country looked up to and not just feared, saying that we need a strong military and strong alliances.
  
• He thinks it's critical that we lead the world in an effort to prevent nuclear proliferation.

After outlining his position on national security, he gave another great quote: "And then we will be able to tell the terrorists, 'You will lose and we will win. The future doesn't belong to fear. It belongs to freedom.'"

He didn't spend as much time on homeland security but did make it clear that there's work to be done, citing the lack of inspection of 95% of containers coming into our ports, the lack of security at nuclear and chemical facilities in the country, the need to fund our first responders, i.e. fire fighters and police.

He spent some concentrated time, and sprinkled throughout his speech, the truth that questioning or disagreeing with the government doesn't make you unpatriotic. That disagreeing with conservatives doesn't mean you have no values. "When Americans stand up and speak their minds and say America can do better, that is not a challenge to patriotism. It is the heart and soul of patriotism." I like that he saidthat the flag belongs to all of us and not to a president or a party. I like that the democrats are reclaiming their place as patriots and Americans. Aggressively.

I particularly liked this quote: "Values spoken without actions taken are just slogans." Yup. YUP, YUP, YUP! He's speaking directly to the part of me that is tired of the hypocrisy of words over deeds, of being labeled un-American for not agreeing with the administration, for questioning the leadership we have. And further on he subtly redefined family values by saying the real family is the American family. I think this could be a powerful retort to the Republicans, but it was too short to get traction.

He introduced his plans for the economy, education, health care, and energy with some detail:

The Economy
• New incentives to revive manufacturing.
  
• Incentives for technology.
  
• Close outsourcing tax loopholes and credit companies that don't outsource.
  
• Trade and compete in the world but level the playing field.
  
• Return to fiscal responsibility - cut the deficit in half in 4 years by ending corporate welfare. Adopt a "pay as you go" approach to budgets.
  
• Cut middle class taxes
  
• Rreduce the tax burden on small business
  
• Roll back the tax cuts on those making over 200K a year.

Education

• Smaller class size
  
• Treat teachers like professionals
  
• Provide tax credits for college
  
• Invest in head start.

Health Care

• Affordable and accessible for all.
  
• Crack down on the waste in the system.
  
• Save $1K/year on premiums.
  
• Doctors make medical decisions, not companies.
  
• Government will negotiate drug prices.
  
• Americans can buy medicine from other countries.
  
• Commit to energy independence.

My favorite quote on his domestic agenda: "We'll stop being the only advanced nation in the world which fails to understand that health care is not a privelege for the wealthy and the connected and the elected, it is a right for all Americans."

The most potent quote on his domestic agenda: "I want an America that relies on its ingenuity and innovation and not the Saudi royal family."

He directly challenged Pres. Bush to run a postive campaign. This should go over very well with women, who apparently have identified divisive politics as one of their biggest concerns. I liked his reference to red states and blue states that set up his statement that he sees a country that is "red, white and blue".

I also like the way he handled the question of faith. He stated that he doesn't wear his faith on his sleeve but that it has been the source of his principles, his values. And then he gave this quote: "I don't want to claim that God is our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side." Very nice. Very, very nice.

He talked again about values, giving examples of people in tough times and saying "Help is on the way." The overall theme of the speech was "America can do better. Help is on the way." He said it's our turn to ask "What if..." and opened that by asking "What if we had a president that believed in science?" and went on to specifically endorse stem cell research. He had a nice "what if" litany there.

And then it was over. He did well. Really well, I think.

Analysis of the Convention Speeches

It's a bit surprising to me that some of the strongest writing online providing an analysis of the convention speeches comes from Andrew Sullivan. If you're looking for solid analysis of the speeches and the overarching themes of the convention, visit his site.

Barack Obama's Speech - Revisited

For those of you who don't know who Barack Obama is - he's a state senator in Illinois who is running for an open Senate seat. His opponent in the race dropped out and he's currently running unopposed. He's the new wonderkid of the Democratic party. There was some grumbling about the decision to give him a keynot spot in the convention, but after that speech I think the grumbling will be done behind closed doors.

The media is enraptured - and should be. He kicked it.

There's no link yet to a video stream of his speech - but when it comes, click it. For now, use this link to the text of his speech.

Obama was confident but not arrogant. He was humble in the face of the opportunities he had in this country. He was comfortable behind the podium and connected with the crowd. His fundamental message was this - this is not a divided nation, this is the United States of America. And it's a land of hope.

Favorite quotes (this was hard, I wanted to quote almost the whole speech, so read it):

"I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible."

"John Kerry believes in the constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties nor use faith as a wedge to divide us."

'When we send our young men and women into harm’s way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they’re going, to care for their families while they’re gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world."

"It’s that fundamental belief—I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sisters’ keeper—that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family."

"Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America—there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."

"In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope? .... It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. The audacity of hope!"

Theresa Heinz Kerry's Speech

Her son gave a warm and loving introduction to his mother. Now it's her turn, dressed in a great rich red. She's smart. She says that she wants to speak from the heart and then breaks out into comments in the five differrent languages she speaks. Way to reach out. She is an immigrant and embraces it effectively.
She addressed her own reputation for being opinionated by talking about her personal feelings about the preciousness of freedom. And basically said that where she is called opinionated, men are called smart and well-informed. Huh. I liked that a great deal, but I don't know how smart it was. What men will that alienate?

Favorite quotes:

"My name is Theresa Heinz Kerry. And by now, I hope it will come as no surprise that I have something to say."

"My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called opinionated, is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish. And my only hope is that one day soon women who have all earned their right to their opinions, instead of being called opinionated, will be called smart and well-informed, just like men."

"Isn't it time that we began working to give parents more opportunity with their children. And wouldn't it be wonderful for parents to be able to afford a full and good family life."

"In short, John believes that we can and we must lead the world as America, unique among nations, always should. By showing the face, not of its fears, but of our hopes."

"John is a fighter. He earned his medals the old fashioned way. By putting his life on the line for his country."

"In America, the true patriots are those who dare speak truth to power."

"And the Americans John and I have met in the course of this campaign all want America to provide hopeful leadership again. They want America to return to its moral bearings. And it is not, it is not, a moralistic America they seek. It is a moral nation that understands and willingly shoulders its obligations."

"Together we will lift everyone up. We have to. It's possible. And you know what? It's the American thing to do."

Barack Obama's speech

Oh my God. If this is the next generation, we all have hope. What an amazing and inspiring man. I've never listened to a political speech and had tears come for all that it made me wish for and believe could be.

I'll post later with a bit of deconstruction. Right now, I just want to be enjoy the moment, enjoy the hope, and take pride in this young leader in our party.

Howard Dean's Speech

Without a doubt, the level of enthusiasm in the convention hall is markedly higher for Dean than any of the speakers that preceded him. He can't quiet the crowd. It's almost like they're thanking him for re-energizing the party.

In his speech, he unequivocably backed Kerry and laid out a domestic agenda. His tone is serious and calm. As much as he's endorsing Kerry, he's also challenging us to own the party, to be proud to be democrats, to do what we need to do to "take our country back". It's a different kind of speech.

My favorite quotes:

"Tonight, we are all here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party."

"I'm Howard Dean, and I'm voting for John Kerry."

"America's greatness rests on far more than the power of our arms. Our greatness is also measured by our goodness, it's in the capacity of our minds, of our hearts, and it's in the strength of our democracy. I saw it in a college student in Pennsylvania who sold her bicycle and sent us a check for a hundred dollars with a note that said 'I sold my bicycle for democracy'."

"They learned that politics is too important to be left to politicians. They didn't just pack their bags, they packed their hopes that we can take our country back. You know what? We will."

I think Howard Dean still has the ability to bring people into the democratic party, to engage the disenfranchised. He is somehow fundamentally outside the party and when he speaks of the "common man", he seems to be one of us in a way that none of the other politicians are.

I didn't support Dean because I didn't think he had the experience in this time of war. But I am ever so glad that he ran and that he didn't stomp home when he lost the primary but instead chose to continue to be a leader dedicated to bringing us all into the process of democracy.

Daschle's Speech

Daschle looks and sounds good. He's jumping right into the theme of unity. And using this speech to buck up his own race to retain his seat in South Dakota.

My favorite quotes:

"Boardroom priorities won't crowd out the kitchen table values and the era of Enron and Halliburton undermining our common purpose will come to an end."

"When our soldiers do right by America we must do right by them."

He's pledging as the 'next majority leader' that we'll take back the Senate. Ooh. Maybe. In reality, this may be a negative for Republicans who aren't happy with Bush. They may be less likely to vote for a Democrat for president if they think the Senate will also be run by the Democrats.

And that's it. He did a fine job endorsing Kerry and laying out a domestic agenda. And campaigning for himself.

Kennedy's Speech

I'm not surprised they put Kennedy on when the networks weren't covering the convention. His speech is more partisan in its tone than any other I've heard. He's mentioned Enron, Halliburton, etc. But he is weaving in the themes I'm picking up - Kerry/Edwards offer strength and wisdom together, Kerry/Edwards are uniters not dividers.... But unlike yesterday's speakers, he's not weaving his criticism of Bush into a promotion of Kerry. He is, however, weaving it into the arc of American history.

His speech itself is fine. Nothing amazing. But I wonder if it wouldn't be viewed as more powerful if it were given to a full house with a high energy audience. It's also very possible that his speech will be more impressive as written instead of as spoken. But then.... I don't like these zingers:

"In the depths of the depression, Franklin Roosevelt inspired the nation when he said 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' Today we say, the only thing we have to fear is four more years of George W. Bush".

"Our struggle is not with some monarch named George who inherited the crown. Although it often seems that way."

Eeew.

This feels so ham handed and even negative after yesterday. I hope it's red meat for the delegates and not the tone for the day.But maybe it's just me. It's getting great reviews from the pundits. But then again, they've been salivating for confrontation so maybe that's why they like it.

Convention Bloggers

For those of you who find the aggregator at Convention Bloggers less than user friendly, I point you to this MSNBC page that has a side bar with links to all the credentialed bloggers.

Random Thoughts on the Convention - Day One

Gore did a great job. If he'd spoken that way when he was running, I think he would have won the popular vote with enough of a margin that he would have won the electoral vote. He was funny, self deprecating, clearly a man in command with a mind of his own. I liked him so much more now than I did when he was the nominee. Of course, I actually liked his raging speech to MoveOn.org too.

I posted separately on Carter. He was a statesman and has such an authentic voice. I think his views are based on principles that we would be hard pressed to disagree with. Carter is the kind of Christian I like. Deeds instead of words, gentleness, a commitment to touching lives. I wish the religious right would recognize him as representative of their faith.

For a convention that's not supposed to bash Bush, there sure is a lot of Bush bashing (though not by name).

Glen Close was a great choice for commemorating 9/11. Clearly her speech was scripted for her. But as the amazing actor she is, she was able to deliver it with dignity and meaning and heart. But she couldn't say spontaneously. Bummer. I wonder if she's the type to beat herself up over that. I hope not, because she gave a moving presentation.

I'm not sure how I feel about the presentation by the woman who lost family on 9/11. It feels a bit too much - her ethnicity and Muslim faith is a message in and of itself. Its blatant but I don't know if it's inappropriate. Her speech seems to have been written by someone else, though the sentiments may be hers. Her call for us to remember our unity on that day and the days that followed makes me sad. And the message that what unites us is stronger than what divides us is pertinent, but somehow discordant as she presents at this partisan event. I just don't know.

The violinist played beautifully. And I imagine the convention center, with the haunting refrains of Amazing Grace and upheld candles in a blue light was very moving. I don't think it translates on TV in the way it must have felt there. But the music - oh, it tugs at all that is sadly hopeful in me.

Hillary got an rousing welcome from the delegates. Loud and sustained applause. She did a good job of highlighting the shortcomings of the current administration in the context of presenting Kerry as a strong leader with the ability to lead the country in a troubling time. She's a master presenter.

Clinton himself is clearly still well loved by the party faithful. I don't understand how he looks so young.... In his recent 60 minutes interview, he looked quite a bit older. Stage make-up? Hmmm. He's still the master of oratory. He's SO comfortable up there, somehow managing to connect with a crowd of thousands very personally. It's amazing, really. Clinton's focus on what unites us is a good tie in with what the woman who lost her daughter in 9/11 said about what we have in common.

Clinton gave, as expected, a great speech. He did a good job using himself as a prop - a recipient of tax cuts and an avoider of military service. He positioned the Republican party as a party of believers that make bad choices. And he put it all in the context of 9/11 and the unity of the days that followed. He condemned Bush for dividing us and the world, presenting the Democratic party as the party that doesn't need a divided country or a divided world. I do think he over generalized the Republican positions and in some instances misrepresented them, particularly on unilateralism. But he makes me not care. Yikes, he's good. What did he say about Kerry, since this is supposed to be about Kerry? Well, he spent a fair amount of time talking about what his administration did (no surprise here). But he did connect Kerry to the "right choices" he outlined - funding police and keeping assault weapons off the streets, increasing port security, putting security over tax cuts for the wealthy as a priority, a fiscal policy that is anti-deficit and protects social security, an international policy that builds alliances instead of being isolationist and unilateral.

I hate to say this, but I didn't really get the end of Clinton's "send me" portion of his speech. Is he telling us to tell John Kerry to send us out to campaign for him? Hmmm.

He smartly identified Bush and Kerry as two strong men that both love their country. Smart attack. It's a killing them with kindness kind of approach.

He defined Kerry as having an insatiable curiosity and a willingness to hear those who disagree with him - obvious points of contrast with Bush.

His big line? "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values."

The best joke? "How can we enforce our trade laws against our bankers?" Either that or saying that he sort of resents John Edwards.

Clinton is a total wonk, but he makes wonkery engaging. I wish more politicians did so - we might have a more informed public.