August 20, 2008

The keynote speaker for the Republican Convention.... Rudy Giuliani!

Wow. Interesting. I like it because he was such a great speaker at the 2004. As I live-blogged at the time:
He's lively and good humored. He expresses pleasure at seeing so many Republicans in New York. He says: "I don't believe we're right about everything and Democrats are wrong. They're wrong about most things. [Big laugh.] But seriously, neither party has a monopoly on virtue. We don't have all the right ideas. They don't have all the wrong ideas. But I do believe there are times in history when our ideas are more necessary and more important and critical and this is one of those times when we are facing war and danger." ...

He turns here to John Kerry, who has no clear, consistent vision. He says this isn't a personal criticism of Kerry and that he respects Kerry's military service, which draws spontaneous applause from the crowd. But the two men are different: Bush sticks with his position, and Kerry changes. Kerry voted against the Gulf War, Giuliani says, and when the crowd boos, he ad libs, "Ah! But he must have heard you booing," because Kerry later supported the war. Giuliani is animated and comical as he talks about Kerry. He quotes Kerry's famous voted-for-it-voted-against-it line and does a cool New York shrug with perfect timing. He has a punchline: maybe that's what Edwards means by "the two Americas." Giuliani is having a great time. He's passionate about fighting terrorism, biting as he criticizes Kerry.

His speaking style is far more engaging than McCain's--and McCain did well. Giuliani seems to be speaking extemporaneously and really talking to us....

He's going a little long now, and the audience is getting a bit restive. But he's still cooking. President Bush is the man! Giuliani is willing his beliefs into us. I'm not sure he has a way planned out of this speech. Freedom! Mission! Wait, I think he's coming in for a landing. He's got a final approach: "We'll make certain that they have heard from us." And a final line: "God bless America." Great, great speech.

26 comments:

Icepick said...

Wait, I think he's coming in for a landing. He's got a final approach....

"Well grease my landing gear, I'm coming in for a landing!"

Icepick said...

Which just simply leads to this.

Paul said...

His speaking style is far more engaging than McCain's--and McCain did well. Giuliani seems to be speaking extemporaneously and really talking to us....

Well of course! Rudy's a New Yorker. AND he's Italian. Wuddya expect?

AllenS said...

Speaking of Edwards and the two Americas, he's correct. The Fornicators and the Knockeruppers.

Icepick said...

Speaking of Edwards and the two Americas, he's correct. The Fornicators and the Knockeruppers.

Then let's hear it for Fornication!

bearbee said...

Shouldn't a keynote speaker be a party rising star such as Obama in Democrat 2004 convention?

john said...

Shouldn't a keynote speaker be a party rising star such as Obama in Democrat 2004 convention?

My thoughts exactly.

Does McCain even know anyone who isn't just some old fart?

john said...

By the way, he doesn't know me.

Blue Moon said...

bearbee: Agree - shouldn't someone like Jindal or Palin be giving the keynote?

Roger J. said...

Rudy is going to fire them up--he's a great speaker--he connects--I think by the time the conventions are over the republicans are going to be up by 5 points in the national polls--

Ruth Anne Adams said...

They won't be giving the keynote because one of them [Palin or Jindal] might be giving the veep acceptance. [LET IT BE PALIN, Please.]

bearbee said...

As mentioned in another thread with the current Palin Ethics flap it seems to me that she would be an imprudent choice.

Anonymous said...

Go Rudy. So much better than the cheesy entertainment scheduled for the Clinton convention. What? Oh, sorry.

Ron said...

Edwards was a Fornicator...but he was traded to the Knockeruppers for a Masturbator to be named later...oh, and a 3rd round Wanker!

Zachary Sire said...

HA HA HA. Ron Paul won more delegates than Rudy (he won ZERO) but Rudy will be the keynote. Republicans are brilliant.

Poor Rudy. All his whoring out of 9/11 for years and years FAILED. Not very smart to base your campaign around exploiting thousands of dead civilians in the city you were supposed to be protecting. Total tool.

Oh, and his first press conference this morning was a complete disaster! Love it.

Unknown said...

Cool! Maybe it will be a misogynists-only convention? If you haven't cheaten on your wife or left her for a rich bimbo because your wife has become disabled, please do not attend...

Proof that the GOP is everything we expected and more!

veni vidi vici said...

"
"Well grease my landing gear, I'm coming in for a landing!"

...

Which just simply leads to this."


Perhaps Rudy should be addressing the Dem convention, in which case the *this* in the foregoing quote would link to that Obama-bukkake hand-sign thing. Greased up for the hard landing, indeed.

save_the_rustbelt said...

One more reason not to watch the convention.

Where's my Blockbuster card honey?

ricpic said...

If the GOP convention panders to the left as much as I think it will - Rudy RINO as keynote speaker is indicative - enough conservatives will sit out the election to hand it to Obama.

That will be step one in the death of the Republican Party for there's no way today's Republicans, committed as they are to the corporate state, will gather themselves to oppose the absolute horrors of that same corporate state taken to its logical conclusion by an Obama administration.

Maybe, just maybe, out of the coming horror the old America will be reborn. What a breath of fresh air when patriots wave Don't Tread On Me above their heads in the first convention of a party as yet unborn.

vbspurs said...

Shouldn't a keynote speaker be a party rising star such as Obama in Democrat 2004 convention?

Perhaps that rising star is the Republican VP nominee?

It's interesting to speculate that neither Palin nor Jindal have been given a slot...

(I LOVED THAT SPEECH, Ann. I still love Rudy, no matter what)

vbspurs said...

Speaking of the 2004 RNC, that was possibly the best one I've ever seen. Whereas the DNC was all disorganised, and loosey-goosey in staying-on-message, the Republicans put on an extravaganza. I swear that that convention made up the minds' of a lot of people to vote for Bush.

Remember Zell Miller giving that old-fashioned, rabble-rousing speech?

"This is the man who wants to be the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces? US Forces armed with what...SPITBALLS?!"

Oh God, classic.

Lieberman won't come close...

Cheers,
Victoria

Peter V. Bella said...

The only reason Hillary is in the Senate is because Rudy got sick. If it had not been for that, she would have been a totally washed up has been instead of a potential presidential candidate.

Beth said...

They won't be giving the keynote because one of them [Palin or Jindal] might be giving the veep acceptance.

I'm not betting on Jindal. He made so much fuss of "I got the job I want!" and "No, I really don't want to be the VP candidate" that last week when McCain was out campaigning on an oil derrick in the Gulf, he didn't invite Jindal and Jindal seemed to be keen to be busy elsewhere.

I think he was reading "The Rules" and played a little too hard to get. And if that's the case, the Rudy keynote is something of a diss.

But what do I know? Maybe he's warming up for the run right now. And as I've said before, that would be no surprise. The guy never sticks to the job at hand.

Simon said...

Palin has been given a spot at the convention - same day as Rudy.

It's dangerous to draw inferences from all this. You can say "well, they're not going to want to juggle the schedule once speakers are assigned." On the other hand, scheduling someone to speak gives them a reason to be planning their schedule around being in Minneapolis that week without arousing suspicion.

I'm with Ruth Ann. Still holding out hope for Palin.

Unknown said...

He's a great speaker--I want to hear Palin, too.

I hope they didn't give it to Rudy because he's sick or something...

fav.or.it said...

The GOP supports anti abortion,and yet both Rudy and John cheated on their ill wives and left them for hot mamas. Now if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black I don't know what is! Some of the GOP politican's are sick... really sick... They had pedophiles in office. Some have been convicted of outright lying to the US Congress. Starting a war for no good reason. Does anyone want to buy a bridge? I have one for sale here in NYC.

sent from: fav.or.it