The Elimination of Choice

Watching the Republican National Convention is an exercise in ambivalence; Condoleeza Rice with her thoughtful and soul stirring speech, brought me to tears of patriotic pride. Chris Christie demanded a respect for the American People seldom heard from any politician. A respect totally ignored by Ryan. This is a crucial election year (Aren't they all?) and frankly, even though I tilt left, I would have loved to be able to choose a reality based alternative to the inexperienced, star struck current administration.  I thought Mitt Romney might have been that choice, but just as with John McCain, the choice of a Vice Presidential running mate has closed that avenue. Last night Ryan did the exact opposite of the tone set by Christie, he showed the ultimate disrespect for himself and his party by ignoring Christie's admonition to "tell the truth". The Washington Post, not a bastion of liberalism and Obama love, summed up my reaction to both Ryan and his personal ethics in this editorial: "Mr, Ryan's Misleading Speech." I've voted in every election, local and national for the last five decades. This time I may not bother.

Chris Christie - Killer Speech.

Here's Chris Christie's Keynote from the 2012 Republican National Convention. (Full Speech Courtesy of NBC) There are some very important points here including some not very subtle slams at the intractability of Republican Congress and the doctrinaire ideology of the Tea Party. Interesting was the delayed reaction from the delegates at a number of the more non-partisan and apolitical valid visions for America and the denial of the targets of some of his observations. He did not toe the party line, he makes sense expounding basically sound principals of government, it's a damn shame that the Republican Party will, divisively ignore the basic common sense inherent in his comments and doubtless revert to the intractable positions they have taken for the last 46 months. I'm glad it's Romney who's running and not Christie.