Speaking to the choir and congregation
By ROBERT RUPP, Special to The NewsEditor's note: Robert Rupp, a political historian at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, is providing a daily journal of analysis and happenings from the Republican National Convention.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Every convention has two audiences - the gathered delegates and the public that needs to be introduced and convinced of the nominee. In a sense, the speakers at a convention have to address both the choir and the congregation.
The first audience is important because close elections can turn into landslides when a portion of a party's base stays home and sits out the election.
The second audience is important because 20 percent of voters make up their minds after the end of both parties' convention.
On Tuesday, Republicans, who already lost a day of their convention because of Hurricane Gustav, dealt with this tension by falling in line behind John McCain with a parade of witnesses that included his defeated party rivals and his president.
They also introduced McCain as someone who placed service about self and as a maverick who took independent stands.
Tuesday's speakers included Fred Thompson, who gave not so much a speech as a conversation about McCain. Every candidate has to have a story and every candidate should have Thompson as the storyteller. The former Tennessee senator walked the quiet audience through McCain's remarkable life.
Sen. Joe Lieberman came next. His historic speech marked the first time that someone who ran on the national ticket of one party addressed the convention of the other side. Eight years ago Lieberman was the Democratic nominee for vice president. Now he is endorsing McCain for president.
The closest thing to such a public partisan switch occurred in 1940 when the 1936 Republican vice presidential nominee Frank Knox of Illinois served in Franklin Roosevelt's cabinet as Secretary of the Navy. Knox was the running mate of Alf Landon on a ticket that carried only two states. Lieberman ran with Al Gore and won the popular but not the electoral vote in 2000.
Lieberman began his speech by asking the question everyone was thinking: "Why is a Democrat like me at the Republican convention like this?"
The answer is to get Democratic votes, to reinforce McCain's ability to work across party lines and also to further his maverick image.
On Wednesday, McCain's vice presidential pick Sarah Palin introduced herself to the delegates and to the national audience.
Just as Lieberman's speech will not win over that many Democrats, Palin likely will not bring in many of the 18 million Hillary Clinton voters. However, her candidacy can attract the independent women voters who constitute the swing vote in such key battleground states as Pennsylvania and Michigan. Many have waited 24 years for a woman to be on a national ticket and probably enjoy that Palin's selection has confounded pundits.
In her speech Palin played up not only her identity as a woman, but more important her identity as a reformer. The reaction in the hall was positive as the choir enjoyed both the words and symbol of Palin at the podium. How that plays to the congregation in the coming weeks is still to be determined
For despite the enthusiasm and controversy over her appointment, the voters vote for the top of the ticket. And in this regard the burden of victory rests on the ability of John McCain to reach both the choir and the congregation during his acceptance speech today.
|
tch4apples
|
|
|---|---|
|
09-13-08 6:38 PM
|
WHY would a “HARDCORE HILLARY” supporter ever vote for a ticket that could take the historic title away from her? Don't they understand the medical and old age issues that could very possibly put Palin in history for all of time? Do you really want Palin so close to the presidency—JUST BECAUSE SHE IS FEMALE? Hillary will have a sure second chance at being our First Woman President, but only if Obama wins this one. Not to mention Hillary would be a FANTASTIC president!!
|
|
bobzim
|
|
|
09-04-08 2:28 PM
|
Good points "thatsjustme." I believe in the weeks to come, we will learn more disturbing facts about her. Something tells me McCain's vetting process was not all it's cracked-up to be. Just another of his "rash" decisions.
|
|
thatsjustme
|
|
|
09-04-08 2:10 PM
|
Several claims regarding the "reformer" identity should be called into question. First, the bridge to nowhere. It is well documented that she was for the bridge before she was against it. She made efforts to lobby Washington for the bridge and on;y turned against it when it became a national joke. Her relationship with criminal Sen Ted Stevens also calls into question her so called "reformer" credential. She worked closely with him, praised his efforts in public many times and received warm congratulations from him for the nomination and failed to discredit him. Lastly, her claim to have foreign policy experience because Alaska is close to Russia. Really? Is that all it takes? I guess because I drive a car that uses gasoline that makes me an expert on the energy crisis. Give me a break. Obama/Biden 08
|