If it comes as any sort of surprise to any reader that Bush accepted the Republican nomination for president stop reading now - the rest of this will make no sense to you at all. I know it’s nice to dream, but you gotta know where to draw the line.

The speech was a good speech, nothing that is going to go down in the annals of history, or be taught in schools - but it was pretty good. Personally I think that Kerry delivered his acceptance speech with more passion, and his smiles were more real (not completely real mind you, just more real) than Bush’s little smirk that he passes off as a smile - but Bush did have that ‘ole twinkle in the eye’ thing on the go pretty heavily. He may have over done it though, towards the end I caught myself wondering if he practiced misting up just a bit to get that effect… others had to have had the same thought.

No real surprises. More money going into the American social network — a good thing btw — and more money going into tax relief….. just no mention of how any of that was going to be accomplished. News flash folks, the accumulated U.S. national debts currently stands at, by their own figures, $7,365,716,545,609.45. That is a lot of money. Add to that, according to an earlier CBS report, a new all time record trade deficit for 2003 of $489.4 billion dollars which beat out the old all time high of $418 billion dollars for 2002 - and according to a recent MSNBC article the June 2004 trade deficit was $55.8 billion in one month.

I wonder how much longer Bush, and the American people, believe that the world will continue extending them credit? There’s no rocket science involved here, think of it like a business - over-all sales are down, over-all debt is up, monthly debt is up, what is the bank gonna do if you try and hit them up for more money?

There will come a time, unless something very, very, significant happens to change things, when the world is going to start losing confidence in American ability to service it’s foreign debt, let alone actually do something about paying it down. What is going to happen then? What Bush wants to do with the American social network is laudable, but how can he do all that and continue to pump $1.5 billion dollars a week (the last figure I heard - admittedly from a Dem. supporter) into his war in the Middle East?

While we’re on that subject of Iraq, Bush, while taking a swipe at Kerry, gave honourable mention to the 30 odd countries in his broad coalition in Iraq, he mentioned countries like Great Britain, Poland, Australia, and Japan, that have actually contributed something to the effort… but neglected to mention countries that contributed little more than “atta boy George, you go get em, we’re behind ya all the way’s” - who actually pretty well make up the majority of the so called coalition of the willing.

Quotes that had me questioning my decision to watch the event at all

If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy.

Dear Mr. George W. I’m a war president Bush, the world does not revolve around the United States of America. If your country fell into anarchy and chaos tomorrow the rest of us really would adjust and muddle along somehow, I note that you did not mention arrogance in those flaws you talked about towards the end of your little talk - maybe you should have.

I know that with the right skills, American workers can compete with anyone, anywhere in the world.

No they cannot. Not as long as American laws, and American morals, allow American corporations to treat workers in third world countries and foreign economic protection zones as nothing more than disposable resources - paid wages and forced to work in conditions that Americans would never accept, or would consider illegal - it cannot be done.

Because family and work are sources of stability and dignity, I support welfare reform that strengthens family and requires work.

Please do not tell me that this is some sort of pathetic resurrection of the tired, old, ‘if welfare recipients have to work for their assistance they will have dignity and self worth’, everybody knows that theory does not fly and that it’s nothing more than a plan for cheap state labour.

I will never relent in defending America — whatever it takes.

I suppose reminding him that his last little war was not defensive, or even retaliatory, would just make his supporters angry and result in a round of good old fashioned, “We had to do it because …….”, rhetoric. Too bad, facts are facts.

We have led, many have joined, and America and the world are safer.

Ah…. American led, a few joined, and your very own pentagon tells us that the world is not a safer place.

We knew Saddam Hussein’s record of aggression and support for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing, even using, weapons of mass destruction. And we know that September 11th requires our country to think differently: We must, and we will, confront threats to America before it is too late.

Way to go, put the attacks on the WTC and Saddam Hussein in the same paragraph - what dots are we still trying to make the American people think are connected GW? That whole plan failed miserably many times before, but I suppose he’ll probably get away with sneaking it in here and few will call him on it.

Iraq was a gathering threat

A major switch from the imminent threat that possessed WMD’s, air borne drones, and vast stock piles of chemical and biological weapons, that posed a significant danger to the world in general and the United States specifically isn’t it?

When talking about the military

We will give you all the resources, all the tools, and all the support you need for victory.

Again, my opponent and I have different approaches. I proposed, and the Congress overwhelmingly passed, 87 billion dollars in funding needed by our troops doing battle in Afghanistan and Iraq. My opponent and his running mate voted against this money for bullets, and fuel, and vehicles, and body armor.

All good election rhetoric, but that’s really all it is. Whether or not Kerry did, or did not, vote for the $87 billion is not really material, the appropriation passed - did it not? The real question you have to ask yourselves is, “Did American soldiers get that body armor he mentioned from the government, or, after the bill passed, were average American citizens in small communities still taking up collections, buying body armor with private money, and sending it to the troops? Everything else is just fluff, lack-of-substance, and, a poor deflection attempt.

……because when America gives its word, America must keep its word.

If it suits your national/personal interests I’m sure you’ll give it your best shot, so far the track record in the Middle east is spotty at best.

I am proud that our country remains the hope of the oppressed, and the greatest force for good on this earth.

Good rhetoric, I’m sure he believes it, I’m sure that some Americans believe it, maybe even the majority - it is not a truism though is it?

Now we go forward — grateful for our freedom, faithful to our cause, and confident in the future of the greatest nation on earth.

Now there’s a pretty arrogant statement of opinion presented as fact. Sorry George, you may believe that America is the greatest nation on earth, and the American people may believe that America is the greatest nation on earth - but the rest of us do not necessarily share your opinion, and that’s what it is, nothing more than your opinion.

The stageleft executive summary reads as follows:

One only standard election speech….. lots of rhetoric, lots of bragging, long on promises, and very short on actual substance.

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