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Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com.
Friday, September 03, 2004
The Republican National Convention
It's over now, and what a week it was. I think RNC2004 will go down as one of the best national political conventions of our time. Professional, lively, powerful messaging, fun-looking: the show at Madison Square Garden had it all. A number of lessons can be taken away from this and applied to Canadian politics:
1. Professionalism is everything. If you run a good show, it just looks so much better. Just spend the money! Canadian political conventions are still rather rinky-dink, and could use some help from the consultant types who put together this event.
2. Controversial speeches are fun, effective, and make for great TV. Sen. Zell Miller's speech was panned by the media's bien-pensants, but I think it was remarkably well-done. (Indeed, having the mainstream pundits bash the speech as overly "negative" or "angry" was probably part of the Republican game plan.) Miller strayed from the boilerplate and passionately ripped into John Kerry. Thus, it made big news and generated tons of buzz. Why can't anyone muster the courage to do that here? It just doesn't seem to be in our political blood.
3. Don't equivocate or back down from decisions perceived to be unpopular. Canadian politicians, especially of the Conservative variety, should heed the Republican example on the war in Iraq. Even I was surprised a bit at the vociferous and robust defense of the drive to war and decision to invade. Even now, after the war's plummeted popularity, Bush and his surrogates are publicly sticking by that decision. That is real leadership. Here, too many politicians buckle at the moment a policy appears to be losing favour with the public. Mike Harris realized the error in that strategy, and he was rewarded. Others should too, but for some reason don't.
4. Present a vision. Bush's speech outlining his ideas for a second term presented not just a laundry list of disconnected policies, he put forward a real vision with underlying principles guiding that plan: Winning the war on terrorism, more freedom abroad and at more freedom home. Evoking such Big Ideas can help win elections; they are certainly more effective than piecemeal platform documents with little cohesiveness or overaching themes. Big, bold ideas work; tinkering here and there with the status quo is boring.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 1:46 PM
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