Overview:
An energetic convention, heavy on war and bashing of Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), leaves the Republican mood dramatically shifted to one of confidence.
1) President George W. Bush matched expectations, and most other speakers exceeded them. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani may come out as the top winner, with Sen. Zell Miller (D.) attracting the most attention.
2) The Republican base is now more solid for Bush. This is not because of any conservative message in the convention, but because of the newfound optimism and the galvanizing effect of the liberal protests on the streets and disturbances in the arena.
Bush:
Bush gave a good speech, which was all he needed to do, considering the apparent momentum he now has.
1) It was not much different from a State of the Union address, but much better than this year's SOTU. It recalled accomplishments and laying out policy proposals in moderate detail.
2) Bush went long stretches of time without mentioning Kerry. This was an important shift of tone to the positive, especially considering the media's focus on Wednesday night's negative turn.
3) Bush did not shy from talking about Iraq, focusing on liberation and the human side of the war. Bush did not try to claim Saddam Hussein was a specific threat as he has in the past, but instead vaguely included Iraq in a network of terror that needed to be stopped before it strikes America. He painted Iraq and Afghanistan as an extension of the American missions in World War I and World War II-unabashedly Wilsonian.
4) Bush laid out a domestic agenda that included tort reform, tax simplification and Health Savings Accounts. His best crowd reactions were non-specific references to activist judges and "the unborn." He also called for a constitutional amendment on marriage.
Miller:
Miller delivered the most blistering and poignant attack on Kerry of the campaign so far.
1) The Madison Square Garden crowd was never as electrified all week as it was when Miller launched into Kerry.
2) Miller's delivery was forceful and clear. He and Giuliani were clearly the rhetorical champions of the week. Miller was angry-perhaps too angry. Democrats immediately responded by comparing the speech to Pat Buchanan's 1992 podium speech, which was received well at first, but later garnered partial blame for the elder Bush's defeat.
3) The Georgia Democrat's message was one that had been touched upon earlier in the convention, and suggested by the outside attacks on Kerry: Kerry is unfit to be Commander-in-Chief. Miller brought this home with his portrayal of Kerry's Senate record.
4) Miller put the national security question in very human terms, in a way the Bush campaign-talking about defending freedom and bringing peace to the Middle East-has not done. Miller spoke about keeping his family safe, and in attacking Kerry's votes, highlighted the human element of a strong defense-protecting troops and our homeland.
5) The litany of Kerry anti-defense votes has been brought out before, but never nearly as effectively as Miller did it. Lumping Kerry with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D.-Mass.) and listing the triumphs of the weapons they jointly opposed forces Kerry to defend his Senate record, a topic he has avoided thus far. If Kerry does not refute Miller's charges, he will suffer.
6) Miller, for the most part, managed to avoid tricky questions of Iraq while talking about defense. This is a more effective tack on the topic, because it allows the Bush team to go on the attack without having to play any defense.
7) Democrats hope that Miller can be dismissed as an angry demagogue. Miller would have done better to have softened his expression and tone while keeping the same forceful language.
Cheney:
Cheney did a good job in his acceptance speech, using his sober tone to his advantage.
1) In a head-to-head comparison of their convention speeches, Cheney was no worse than even against Edwards who was disappointing in Boston. Cheney matched expectations and served as a nice follow-on to Miller, who truly stole the show Wednesday night.
2) Cheney has never been a stirring speaker, and so he tried to issue a calm speech contrasting the two campaigns-a way to go on the attack without being as harsh as Miller was.
3) Cheney's speech, like Miller's, focused on Kerry's Senate record, specifically on defense. After a Tuesday night relatively light on war, the former Secretary of Defense led into President Bush's speech setting this campaign clearly on terms of national security.
4) Cheney and Miller formed a one-two punch as the typical "bad cops" in comparison to Bush's mostly positive address.
