Readers in agreement and dissent raised

interesting points about the speaker lineup at the GOP convention. The

Rockefeller label is admittedly not a perfect fit for the roster. It

fits Gov. Pataki (who by the way is not just welcoming delegates on

Monday night. He’s speaking on the President’s Thursday night) neatly,

but Giuliani generally on only social issues. On the other hand,

Senator McCain is generally pro-life, but I won’t hold my breath waiting

for him to mention the issue in his speech. Sure he’s extremely

quotable and personable, but his popularity with the media has been at

the expense of his party. His strong national security positions make

the views of a majority of Democrats extremely dangerous in his view.

Let’s see if he criticizes liberal Democrats in his speech.

Along with Giuliani, McCain has been a stalwart on Iraq, but

readers won’t forget campaign finance reform and his opposition to tax

cuts. The fact remains that the only reliable Bush Republican will be

Zell Miller. One correspondent reminds us that we can count on the

media to point out that these chosen speakers disagree with the nominee

on some fundamental issue, e.g. all of them oppose the federal marriage

amendment.

I get the politics of the lineup, but that doesn’t mean that

conservatives who appreciate there will be good speeches by McCain and

Giuliani shouldn’t expect to see others who don’t alienate large parts

of the Republican base added to the primetime roster.

Some readers responded as though I wanted to clone Cotton Mather to

deliver a fire and brimstone denunciation. Senator Sam Brownback is

just back from Sudan with an urgent plea for action to prevent the death

of tens of thousands of black Muslims. He and other conservatives have

led the campaign against sex trafficking. Conservative Christians are

now the most dedicated international human rights crusaders. Republicans

ought to be talking it. Shouldn’t “compassionate conservative” mean

more than new programs and big spending?

Resignation was expressed. e.g. “the party is over” owing to big

spending by the GOP. Another reader is voting Republican because “it’s

not like I have a better home anywhere else.” About the Democrats? “I

don’t trust them to kill our enemies in sufficient numbers. . . these

days that’s about all that’s keeping me on the plantation.” Finally,

“I’m working the presidential campaign out here in [undisclosed] and

when I saw the lineup I was disgusted. The base is disgruntled enough

right now and this isn’t going to help any.”