Nearly a year ago, we learned that the GOP had scheduled the latest national party nominating convention in U.S. history. Looking at the calendar, the motivation wasn’t complicated.
For the first time ever, the Republicans scheduled the RNC to conclude in September so that Bush could engage in the most crass political exploitation imaginable — tying his campaign to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
As the New York Times reported last April, the date was selected so “the the event would flow into the commemorations of the third anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.”
The back-to-back events would complete the framework for a general election campaign that is being built around national security and Mr. Bush’s role in combating terrorism. Not incidentally, they said they hoped it would deprive the Democratic nominee of critical news coverage during the opening weeks of the general election campaign. The strategy, described by Republicans close to the White House, is intended to highlight what Mr. Bush’s advisers want to be the main issue of his campaign, national security.
Even by the GOP’s already poor standards, this exploitation is low.
The day after the report was published, Times columnist Maureen Dowd called the RNC schedule an example of “appalling political opportunism.” She added:
Perhaps President Bush should just skip the pretense of [Madison Square] Garden and give his acceptance speech at ground zero.
Unfortunately, the Republicans seem to think Dowd had a great idea. No, I’m afraid I’m not kidding.
The Hill newspaper reported this week that the Bush-Cheney campaign is planning an unprecedented “extravaganza” that may ultimately lead to, as Dowd once joked, the president delivering his acceptance speech at ground zero.
“And now, direct from Ground Zero, heeeeeeere’s the president!”
Well, that’s not exactly how President Bush is likely to be introduced when he gives his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Sept. 3, but it might be something equally dramatic and theatrical.
According to sources privy to convention planners’ discussions, the 2004 GOP conclave at New York’s Madison Square Garden will be unlike any previous quadrennial gathering of either party. In fact, not all of the main events will be held at the Garden, sources involved in planning the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 convention said.
“The entire format and actual physical setup could be radically different,” one GOP insider commented. “They might not even have a podium, or maybe a rotating podium or even a stage that comes up from underground. It would be like a theater in the round, with off-site events that are part of the convention.”
The source, a veteran official of past GOP conventions, said the 50,000 delegates, dignitaries and guests would watch off-site events on giant TV screens. “Now, we’ll go to the deck of the USS Intrepid as the U.S. Marine Corps Band plays the national anthem,” he said, pretending that he was playing the part of the convention chairman.
“Or, and this is a real possibility, we could see President Bush giving his acceptance speech at Ground Zero,” he added. “It’s clearly a venue they’re considering.”
Truly nauseating. It’s gotten to the point when sarcastic jokes about what insane thing the White House might do next are no longer funny — Karl Rove & Co. have no qualms about embracing such lunacy as legitimate theater. The president is single-handedly killing political satire by participating in stunts that even his critics don’t believe he’d stoop to.
I guess this is Bush’s only way to exceed expectations.