I actually had to head out for a run – I actually walked the whole 3.5 miles as I twisted a muscle in my back yesterday morning – early so that I could manage to be showered and planted in front of the television for the RNC.

The video productions were unbelievable.  Robert Duvall’s narration of a call to service was beautiful.  It truly could have been played at any convention.  It did not have to be a “republican” item.

I was also impressed that there was a contest held to see who would lead the convention in the Pledge of Allegiance on this night.  The 15 year old Roseville, Minnesota girl’s essay was set to a montage of photos fading in and out.  Victoria Blackstone did a wonderful job in leading the Pledge and a fantastic job in her essay that won the Stars and Stripes Essay Contest.

The entertainment is not what most would call mainstream, unless you like Christian rock.  Rachel Lampa sang two touching Christian songs.  I happen to enjoy Christian music, along with other types, and enjoyed her performance. 

My biggest complaint is again television coverage.  Some of the 24 hour cable news networks felt it was more important to show and not talk over both of Lampa’s songs.  Then, they immediately talked over the video piece on the McCain’s adoption of a child from a Bangladesh orphanage – more than willing to admit this may not be where the orphanage is as no one covered this part of the evening.  If I were trying to prioritize which is newsworthy, I would talk over the singing and play/televise/show the video which deals with the candidate.

The convention did a wonderful job of pointing out those in attendance that have served our country.  These people were former POWs, Medal of Honor recipients, former President George HW Bush. 

Laura Bush introduced the satellite feed speech of her husband, President George W Bush.  She played the role of cheerleader.  She whipped the crowd up into a frenzy as she gave an overview of the administration’s accomplishments.

If you have ever read my blog before, you will realize I am not a big fan of GW Bush’s public speaking abilities.  I truly believe, while not necessarily agreeing with everything he said, that this may have been his best presentation of a speech in eight years.  The one line that will probably be replayed again and again is his line that if the Hanoi Hilton – I am amazed the Hilton family hasn’t sued someone for that term – didn’t break John McCain’s loyalty to country, the angry left won’t.

After Bush’s short address, his wife came back to the podium to basically give us an overview of Cindy McCain.  She went over the humanitarian efforts of the possible first lady over the last eight months, ending with imagine what a someone like that can do in four years.

For a convention that has been on and off as the wind literally blows, last night was orchestrated beyond belief.  Speech after speech flowed into video into another speaker.  Once the “highlights” of the night began, there was little time for commentary until Senator Joe Lieberman left the podium.  I am sure this drove at least one network nuts as they couldn’t comment after each individual person.

Fred Thompson, Hollywood actor and former Tennessee senator, started his speech which was entitled “The Courage and Service of John McCain.”  There were parts of McCain’s life’s story that made me cringe.  I have vivid memories of Vietnam, of the divisiveness of that conflict, and of the real physical and mental injuries endured by those who served there.  I am not a big Vietnam war movie fan, avoiding most of them.  Thompson could have been pitching a script to a blockbuster at one point in his speech and I was tempted to turn the television off.

Prior to the discussion of McCain’s military service, Thompson did a quick overview of the ticket.  He blasted those who are upset that Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, has not ever made the Washington talk show and cocktail circuits.  Probably his best line about the ticket was that when Sarah Palin and John McCain get to Washington, they are not going to care about how much those alligators are going to get aggitated, they are gonna drain that swamp.

Three things that Thompson said, after discussing John McCain’s service to his country, that stuck with me were first, that being a POW does not qualify anyone to be President of the United States.  It does show a person’s character and that DOES qualify some to be president.  Thompson also made sure that all listening know that there are two questions that will never need to be asked of John McCain:

• “Who is this man?”
• “Can we trust this man with the presidency?”

Next came the GOP’s own version of history.  Senator Joe Lieberman, Independent from Connecticut who was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate, spoke to the convention.  This speech was more than worth waiting up for, not because of content but because of history.

Lieberman started his speech, which was entitled “The Original Maverick McCain,” by paraphrasing our country’s first president.  George Washington, I believe it was on leaving office at the end of his term, said that spirit of party is the greatest threat to our democracy.  Lieberman stated bluntly that country is more important than party and that is why he stood before the GOP convention.

Lieberman went over McCain’s record as a reformer in Washington.  He also wholeheartedly endorsed Sarah Palin – which really got the pundits talking afterwards.  It was not until later that it was discovered that Lieberman had spoken at length with Palin about her credentials and about what running for vice president is like.

Some of the most likely to be repeated Lieberman lines are:

• “If John McCain is just another partisan Republican, I am Michael Moore’s favorite Democrat.”
• “What America needs now is not more party unity but more national unity.”

Lieberman concluded with this final endorsement of his friend John McCain.  He will be a president our allies will trust and our enemies will fear.