Obligatory RNC analysis
Aug. 30th, 2004 11:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rmGranted, they aren't my party, but is it all just not quite getting you revved up?
McCain, who is generally an excellent speaker, I just didn't find exciting at all. I also found the content of his speech to be at odds with many of the views he's expressed that make me like and support him. All in all, I thought his speech did him no favours with either party, and didn't do much for the image of the Republicans in general.
Giuliani's speech was more interesting in general, mostly as a case study of Giuliani who is a fascinating and problematic political figure on both the local and national stage.
Basic speechcraft first: too long, too rambling, too many vague enemies, too many comparisons that were often weak. Blame the French! blame the Germans! Blame the Russians! Terrorism started in 1972...? digression, digression digression -- it needed another day with an editor.
Also: significant strategic flaw -- boo'ing sounds bad. It sounds negative, it sounds depressing. Don't set up zingers that let the audience boo the enemy, it just makes your side sound weak and petty. Zing the enemy, say something positive about your guy and then pause for applause, not boos. Bad tactic.
That said, Giuliani tells a good story, and when he was talking about the construction workers, he was great. The only flaw was that Giuliani has sort of made it his mission to recount his September 11th experience as much as possible (and as well he should -- as much as he enraged me often in his tenure as mayor he was absolutely the man we needed for the job in those days) and as such, embellishments in the story are very obvious to those of us who have lived here, with Giuliani all this time. So that was a bit frustrating.
RNC Production values: kinda suck. Those moving stars are giving me a headache. All those handpainted signs were clearly handpainted by the same person -- you want folksy, WORK HARDER.
On the subject of 9/11:
September 11th is something that happened to all of New York City, to all of America, and I think we've clearly seen as time has passed all of the world. It didn't just happen to Republicans, and the challenges were not merely met by Republicans and how dare they suggest they were the only ones who prayed and lit candles and donated blood, money and time. How dare they. And how dare they pretend, that this day was the only day to have ever happened here, as if New York City was merely a useful Brigadoon in some weird hawkish fantasy.
Finally, on a mostly personal semantical note -- I loathe the constant use of the word "hero" -- we have become a nation that says it over and over until it becomes meaningless. Acts of courage are often astounding because they are committed by ordinary people who when in the wrong place at the wrong time, choose to be right person in the right place, at the right time. They are people like you and I who maybe knew they could do such things, but mostly, probably had no idea. And when we set them apart, not for their deeds, but for an assumed nature that made their deeds possible, I believe we devalue their extraordinariness and minimize the example their courage sets.
New York is my home. It is not a strange object, a hostile land, a convenient metaphor or a sitting target. It is not a den of sin or a vacation theme park. Treat it with kidness, not pity. And with respect, not fear. Otherwise, you don't deserve her welcome.
McCain, who is generally an excellent speaker, I just didn't find exciting at all. I also found the content of his speech to be at odds with many of the views he's expressed that make me like and support him. All in all, I thought his speech did him no favours with either party, and didn't do much for the image of the Republicans in general.
Giuliani's speech was more interesting in general, mostly as a case study of Giuliani who is a fascinating and problematic political figure on both the local and national stage.
Basic speechcraft first: too long, too rambling, too many vague enemies, too many comparisons that were often weak. Blame the French! blame the Germans! Blame the Russians! Terrorism started in 1972...? digression, digression digression -- it needed another day with an editor.
Also: significant strategic flaw -- boo'ing sounds bad. It sounds negative, it sounds depressing. Don't set up zingers that let the audience boo the enemy, it just makes your side sound weak and petty. Zing the enemy, say something positive about your guy and then pause for applause, not boos. Bad tactic.
That said, Giuliani tells a good story, and when he was talking about the construction workers, he was great. The only flaw was that Giuliani has sort of made it his mission to recount his September 11th experience as much as possible (and as well he should -- as much as he enraged me often in his tenure as mayor he was absolutely the man we needed for the job in those days) and as such, embellishments in the story are very obvious to those of us who have lived here, with Giuliani all this time. So that was a bit frustrating.
RNC Production values: kinda suck. Those moving stars are giving me a headache. All those handpainted signs were clearly handpainted by the same person -- you want folksy, WORK HARDER.
On the subject of 9/11:
September 11th is something that happened to all of New York City, to all of America, and I think we've clearly seen as time has passed all of the world. It didn't just happen to Republicans, and the challenges were not merely met by Republicans and how dare they suggest they were the only ones who prayed and lit candles and donated blood, money and time. How dare they. And how dare they pretend, that this day was the only day to have ever happened here, as if New York City was merely a useful Brigadoon in some weird hawkish fantasy.
Finally, on a mostly personal semantical note -- I loathe the constant use of the word "hero" -- we have become a nation that says it over and over until it becomes meaningless. Acts of courage are often astounding because they are committed by ordinary people who when in the wrong place at the wrong time, choose to be right person in the right place, at the right time. They are people like you and I who maybe knew they could do such things, but mostly, probably had no idea. And when we set them apart, not for their deeds, but for an assumed nature that made their deeds possible, I believe we devalue their extraordinariness and minimize the example their courage sets.
New York is my home. It is not a strange object, a hostile land, a convenient metaphor or a sitting target. It is not a den of sin or a vacation theme park. Treat it with kidness, not pity. And with respect, not fear. Otherwise, you don't deserve her welcome.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-30 09:00 pm (UTC)My take on the convention: Long, negative attacks against Kerry paired with emotionally-charged political rhetoric devoid of any real content.
I happen to like Giuliani and thought he did a fine job as mayor before 9/11, but his speech wasn't as uplifting and inspiring as it could have been.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-30 09:05 pm (UTC)Glad I am not there at the moment, I suspect the red mist would descend and I would find myself arrested. So how are the protestors getting on with arranging their big gathering, are the Republicans still putting pressure on the NYC authorities to violate the first ammendment?
no subject
Date: 2004-08-31 12:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2004-08-31 06:11 am (UTC)I think I might have foamed at the mouth for a bit.
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From:from one new yorker to another
Date: 2004-08-31 11:31 am (UTC)ditto.
and on behalf of all new yorkers (even the ones on other coasts, like myself) i thank you for reminding everyone that new york is a home and not a theme park. rock on.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-31 01:35 pm (UTC)I wonder...your reference to 'how dare they suggest they were the only ones who prayed and lit candles and...' I hadn't seen that in the transcript, and I wondered if it came from the delivery somehow? Or some other comments made by others?
Of course such a claim is ludicrous, and that's being easy on whomever made it.
I did prefer Giuliani's speech over McCains, but I don't think either of them are going to remembered by history as great speeches. The sentiment in Giuliani's speech though, how we behaved like Americans, not Republicans, Democrats, Liberals or Conservatives, is a great one...I just wish it could be played up a bit more without being horridly sappy and I just can't come up with a way for that to happen!
I am looking forward to Zell Miller's speech, however. I might even attempt to watch that one.
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