RNC, Day 2: Something Positive
Today was a much more fun day than yesterday, for several reasons. I didn't arrive at the convention until later, I dressed down a bit, and I took everything less seriously.
Highlights of the day: A guy on the subway looked at me curiously, then gave me a sign of four fingers and then made the 'keep it quiet' gesture. I figured it was some perverted thing until I got to the protests in Union Square and heard people chanting "Two More Months!" Then I realized I had received the Secret New York Republican Signal from someone who saw my press pass and thought I was a delegate: "Four more years, keep it quiet."
There were some great protests in Union Square. There's nothing more fun than a socialist and anarchist protest being interrupted by nascent capitalists setting up anti-Bush merchandise shops. Apparently some people got arrested, but I think I missed that due to the lure of the dog run and the four-story Barnes and Noble.
The convention itself: The music continues to be awful. Where do they get these people? Couldn't they get James Brown or something? Schwarzenegger's speech was good, but it seemed to me that the best parts - differences within the party, American freedom - didn't get as much applause as the movie catchphrases. And listening to the Republicans cheer Nixon was slightly surreal.
A theme I've noticed through the convention is that the Republicans are trying to make a positive out of what I consider Bush's biggest negative: his refusal to change his mind or admit he's made a mistake. They use words like strong, resolute, uncompromising where I would use words like pig-headed and stubborn.
I saw Newt Gingrich and Pat Buchanan in the radio area, which continues to be the nicest place. Sadly, I didn't recognize either one of them at first sight. God, it's been a long time since the '90s.
The more heartening sight of the day came as I was in Penn Station, leaving the city. While looking through a store window, I heard three NYC cops discussing foreign policy. One of them was opining that the greatest crime of the Bush administration was focusing on Saddam rather than Bin Laden or North Korea, who he considered the greatest threat. It was a pretty cool discussion. It made me hopeful.
Today: Cheney!
Highlights of the day: A guy on the subway looked at me curiously, then gave me a sign of four fingers and then made the 'keep it quiet' gesture. I figured it was some perverted thing until I got to the protests in Union Square and heard people chanting "Two More Months!" Then I realized I had received the Secret New York Republican Signal from someone who saw my press pass and thought I was a delegate: "Four more years, keep it quiet."
There were some great protests in Union Square. There's nothing more fun than a socialist and anarchist protest being interrupted by nascent capitalists setting up anti-Bush merchandise shops. Apparently some people got arrested, but I think I missed that due to the lure of the dog run and the four-story Barnes and Noble.
The convention itself: The music continues to be awful. Where do they get these people? Couldn't they get James Brown or something? Schwarzenegger's speech was good, but it seemed to me that the best parts - differences within the party, American freedom - didn't get as much applause as the movie catchphrases. And listening to the Republicans cheer Nixon was slightly surreal.
A theme I've noticed through the convention is that the Republicans are trying to make a positive out of what I consider Bush's biggest negative: his refusal to change his mind or admit he's made a mistake. They use words like strong, resolute, uncompromising where I would use words like pig-headed and stubborn.
I saw Newt Gingrich and Pat Buchanan in the radio area, which continues to be the nicest place. Sadly, I didn't recognize either one of them at first sight. God, it's been a long time since the '90s.
The more heartening sight of the day came as I was in Penn Station, leaving the city. While looking through a store window, I heard three NYC cops discussing foreign policy. One of them was opining that the greatest crime of the Bush administration was focusing on Saddam rather than Bin Laden or North Korea, who he considered the greatest threat. It was a pretty cool discussion. It made me hopeful.
Today: Cheney!