The Republican convention will actually be interesting. So far, the Bush campaign has been utterly helpless to articulate a vision for his second term. But they have some of the lowest, sneakiest liars in the world on their team, they've started to comprehend the disaster of the stealthily successful Democratic convention, and they'll have been working night and day to plot a new strategy for the convention. Will they make a sally from the Slime and Defend trenches, or stay hunkered down and pray for a Major News Event?
It's a fascinating question: how WOULD you try to get Bush re-elected? He can't run on "stay the course" because of four years of misery, and as everyone's already pointed out, an incumbent running on change is a bad joke. What are they going to chant at the rallies? "Throw the bastards in?"
Another problem is that Bush's relentless doublespeak has left him unable to address the concerns of swing voters. You can't fix things if they're better than ever. How will Bush improve the economy? Well, hell, he hardly needs to -- it's shooting through the roof right now! How will Bush get us out of Iraq? Why, they're a sovereign nation now! Mission accomplished! How's Bush going to heal the political wounds of the nation, the sickness and bitterness and partisan rancor? (Cue maniacal laughter.)
I think the Republicans will just keep chanting their magical cantrips, while quietly begging Musharraf to turn over a few more of his pocket bombers. Changing course at this point would be tantamount to admitting that the cantrips don't work. Look at "turn the corner." Bush abandoned "turn the corner" after a few days because he can't admit that turning is a valid concept. He can't even admit that corners exist. As soon as he raises the very notion of the President responding to outside events, instead of magically imposing his will on the world through the sheer Jedi force of his Christian convictions, Bush's creepy "charismatic cult leader" trip collapses like a house of cards built on a foundation of poker chips.