I recently went to a John Edwards rally. I enjoyed it. Big crowd. Some good lines from Edwards, who showed energy and intelligence. But I also felt some of it was too scripted, that the audience, including me, felt unsatisfied by some of the fuzzy rhetoric. I was overall happy, but not as much as I should, or could, have been. We seemed to all be dying for Edwards to rip into those paper tigers, Bush and Cheney, but instead got a lot of the same stock phrases. I realize that many speeches must be given and one cannot come up with new stuff every single day, I suppose.
But considering the number and magnitude of the Bush-Cheney errors, how hard could it be? Excuse the pun, but shouldn't it be relatively easy to hit home runs against Bush league? I for one want to feel mobilized by my candidate. Not hear platitudes or slogans. I want heart, specifics, and a take-it-to-them attitude. I want to win. And if my captain wants to win, too, then he has to do more than make his team feel happy about themselves, he has to get them to sacrifice, which takes more than catch phrases and stump speeches. Doesn't it take inspiration? Churchill was pretty good at this, yes? And didn't he say "Short words are best and old words are best of all"?
I've been hearing a lot about Kerry's lack of punch in his speeches lately (see Josh Marshall the last couple days). So, that being said, here's a speech I'd like to hear--of short if not necessarily old words. What's yours?
"To My Friends In the Back"
You know, during an election you have to do a lot of talking. And sometimes you can't help but repeat yourself a little bit. But tonight I want to say something a little different. And I want to talk to someone else, too.
I want to talk to the people over there in back. The people with the Bush-Cheney signs. I want to talk to you, also, for two reasons: One, because we're all Americans. And two, because you're wrong, my friends, and I'm going to tell you why.
You don't like government controlling your lives? Well, neither do I. I'm an American, too. But right now, under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, it's the corporations who are telling you what to do. Under Bush and Cheney, big business special interests are more of a threat than government, my friends. From day one, the Bush administration has been all about handy big favors to big business, while putting the screws to the people. Do you know any billionaires, my friends in the back? Bush and Cheney know a whole bunch, are real good friends with `em. Even invite them to the White House and ask their advice on things like how clean our air should be.
Did you all know that one of the first things Bush and Cheney did when they got to Washington in January 2001 was to make it harder for people, like you in the back, to declare bankruptcy? Did you know that? And why'd they do that, you might ask? I'll tell you why. It's because their campaign got a whole pile of money from a big credit card company, that's why. They know who butters their toast. Yeah, you and me know it's hard paying that twenty-nine percent interest, and bankruptcy is about the last way to save yourself today. But not anymore. The fat cats didn't like that. They told Bush and Cheney to jump and they asked, "How high?"
That's what's happening today. That's what Bush and Cheney are doing. They're letting big money run our lives. And I'll tell you what, I don't care whether it's the King of England or some CEO with a tax shelter in Bermuda--nobody is going to tell the American people what to do. We need companies--even big ones--but not enough for them to run our lives. Nothing is worth more than freedom.
Nope, my friends in the back, this isn't your father's Republican Party. That's why need to vote for us. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Republican Party use to stand for small national debt and minding our own business in the world? Well, this isn't Bush and Cheney. If you in the back think Bush and Cheney are Republicans, you're wrong, and I want you to vote for us. You need to vote for us. If you're a guy who owns a garage, you need to vote for us. If you own a daycare center or a trucking business, you need to vote for us. If you punch a time clock, you need to vote for us.
We know that America, at its core, is about fairness. Everybody deserves that same shot at things, at opportunity. But today, everyday people, from workers to owners, knows that the Bush and Cheney's system is not fair, that big business is getting all the breaks, while we're left with no health insurance, twenty-nine percent interest credit cards, and jobs shipped off to China.
America is "We the People" still. Bush and Cheney are the candidates for the special interests, those busy making golden parachutes out of our tax dollars. We are the candidates for the people--you my friends over in the back, and those down here in front of me. Workers, small business, big business--Everyone.