Tuesday
I watched a little of the RNC this evening. Yeah, it shocked me, too. Someone on IRC had mentioned that Arnold Schwarzenegger was speaking and my curiosity was piqued. I have to admit: He gave a good speech. Years of being in the spotlight have served him well – He had the crowd pretty much wrapped around his finger. There was even a part of his speech that echoed JFK’s “Ich bin (ein) Berliner” comment. I’m not sure if that was planned or not, but it seemed to be very effective.

Then there were the Bush twins: Barbara and Jenna. Their introduction of their father wasn’t stilted, but it was stiff. Granted, this may have been one of the few, if not the first, time(s) that they have spoken before a crowd like this, but you would have thought that someone would have given them a little coaching.

But, I digress…

The DNC and the RNC are what I think would call: “A lot of political dick-waving.” Yes, the conventions are good ways to hear the messages of the parties. You get to hear voices of not only the candidates, but of their supporters. As the cameras panned around Madison Square Garden, I caught myself thinking (more than once): “Whoa… black people!” I even mentioned it to :

[20:16] : Whoa! Black people!
[20:16] : at the RNC?
[20:16] : they must be lost
[20:16] : lol asking for directions downtown
[20:17] : “this doesn’t look like the urban league…”

Anyway… the thought made me laugh because one of my supervisors at the USPS in North Carolina was Republican. And she was African-American, too. (And a mother and a grandmother and I’m sure there were a number of other labels that one could apply to her…) I remember her mentioning that someone had asked her “how and why” she could possibly be a Republican. Her response was simple, adroit and amazingly clear: The party spoke to many of the issues in which she believed.

Isn’t that what it’s all about: Voting for the candidates and/or parties who believe in the same issues as you? I think so. I also think that it would be a swift kick in the pants of the American voting system if third-party candidates had more of a voice. It would be interesting to see how the GOP and the Dems would deal with a credible threat from left field. Especially if the platform offered a viable balance of the best of both of the other parties’ issues/promises.

*gets down from soapbox*

NPR and Other News
Morning Edition: Florida Court Weighs Terri Schiavo Case
Morning Edition: A Criminal Genius He’s Not
Day to Day: Proposed Amendment to Allow Foreign-Born President
All Things Considered: Teaching a Dumb Dog New Tricks

Stray Toasters

Time to find some trouble to get into. Or a snack.

Namaste.