The President delivered a very strong acceptance speech at the convention. What particularly struck the author were the big ideas esconced in the speech as well as certain deftly executed ripostes against the opposition. For full text click here.
Big Ideas:
- Why this election is the most important since 1984. "I believe the most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch."
- The OTHER reason why the Iraq conflict was justified and necessary. "So we have fought the terrorists across the earth not for pride, not for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake.--- And we are working to advance liberty in the broader Middle East, because freedom will bring a future of hope, and the peace we all want. And we will prevail...Free societies in the Middle East will be hopeful societies, which no longer feed resentments and breed violence for export. Free governments in the Middle East will fight terrorists instead of harboring them, and that helps us keep the peace."
- Why the enemy is indiscriminately killing in Iraq. "Others understand the historic importance of our work. The terrorists know. They know that a vibrant, successful democracy at the heart of the Middle East will discredit their radical ideology of hate. They know that men and women with hope, and purpose, and dignity do not strap bombs on their bodies and kill the innocent. The terrorists are fighting freedom with all their cunning and cruelty because freedom is their greatest fear and they should be afraid, because freedom is on the march."
- The idea has worked superbly before. "Fortunately, we had a resolute president named Truman, who with the American people persevered, knowing that a new democracy [Germany, ed.] at the center of Europe would lead to stability and peace."
- Attitudes. "Another priority for a new term is to build an ownership society, because ownership brings security, and dignity, and independence." Bravo. Not just for Social Security and retirement but applicable universally.
Good ideas:
- American opportunity zones
- small firms combining to buy cheaper health insurance (this is a really good idea- this is the crux of diversification. It's the same principle why an individual mortgage is risky but a pool of risky mortgages can be rated AAA)
- a community health center in every county
- medical liability reforms
- Expanding Pell Grants (this helped the wongdoer and countless others through college)
Stuff I liked:
- Fiskes John Kerry for calling Great Britain, Poland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, El Salvador, Australia, and others "a coalition of the coerced and bribed"
- factoid that we spend, as a nation, six billion hours annually in tax related matters. Using very rough numbers (150 mio workers; 2,000 working hours/year = 300 bio hours worked) That's 2% of the nation's time annually
- lauds Dick Cheney's contribution early and conspicuously. Many thought that Cheney would be 'dropped' from the ticket. Sorry, W is a discerning man of integrity.
Stuff I didn't like:
- 62 minutes - hope enough of the big and good ideas hit home
- blanket support for religious charities (am a separation of church and state nutter and worried about religious charities that are fronts...)
For a professional's take on the speech, see NRO's Jay Nordlinger's excellent contribution here.
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