Recycling

After watching the convention this week, I have changed my opinion of Republicans. I used to think of them as profligate spenders who grew government and threw away money. But I see how wrong I have been. Tonight, I realize these Republicans are the staunchest recyclers I have ever seen.

Why, they recycled just about everything at their convention. They pulled out those 9/11 pictures (for what I’m not sure, but why waste good footage, right?). Was this supposed to remind us of the terrorists and how McCain will keep us safe? Sure enough, he told us he knows “how to win a war.” That is amazing. I don’t think even General Eisenhower ever claimed such a thing. But I’m sure I heard it. He said it a few times.

We heard the story of Sarah Palin. Again. And yet they seem to keep leaving out those specifics about her record. I don’t know whether being told she’s a soccer mom, PTA member, gun owner, and given a list of other activities makes her makes her credible up there.

And how many times are we going to have to listen to poor John McCain’s stint as a prisoner of war. He’s become like old Pappy who’ll tell you all about his war experiences at every conceivable opportunity. And even when not opportune. We’ve been told McCain’s a modest man and doesn’t like to talk about Vietnam. Not so you could tell. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s told us about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He’s made that the centerpiece of his life. Recycling the past continually.

And then, McCain recycled material in his speech from a number of candidates from the past. Interestingly enough, some of them Democrats. There was no fresh information, no revelations. No specific policies or details. It’s all about the past. Recycling.

He’s a Republican who’s tried to disassociate himself with the failures of the past eight years, and as a prominent Republican Senator during those years, I would say that’s a failed bit at recycling the past. What was most successful for him was establishing, again, again, and again that he’s a war hero. The only problem I can see with this is that he seems to feel we should make him president because he earned it by being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Since when is the presidency a prize for war service?