The Republican Party has assembled the right team of speakers for its national convention. The party is poised to bring home its ideology with a prime-time lineup that includes politicians who are influential both inside and outside the party line, such as U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If Schwarzenegger can inject his speech with an actor's charm and charisma and McCain can make his a message of moderate conservatism, it could help bring Republicans disenchanted with the Bush administration back into the fold.
The mistakes the Democrats made at their convention should be exploited aggressively by the Republicans.
The GOP should avoid talking solely to those already devoted to the party. This will put them a step ahead of the Democrats and the "for fans only" message they trumpeted in their convention.
If the Republicans' message can dispel, at least in part, the image of the party as a rich, white industrialists' club, the Republicans will be better off for it. President Bush's choice to speak on a stage in the middle of the crowd at Madison Square Garden, rather than in the front of the room, is a good move, as it suggests a certain intimacy and accessibility of the president to the public.
The message should be positive and realistic. The American public deserves a clear, comprehensive plan of how the Republicans plan to regain the respect of and repair alliances with foreign countries. We need an intelligent, feasible resolution to the insurgent anarchy in Iraq. They need to make sure America knows that not all Republicans are as demented and evil as Michael Moore claims.
If convention speakers analyze and issue clear and appropriate messages regarding difficult topics such as the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and souring foreign relations with allies, it's possible the voting populace will be much more forgiving to the Bush-Cheney campaign.
The last thing that the Republican Party should do is idly sit by and pretend nothing is wrong with either their image, the country or the world. If they do remain passive, Democrats will pull ahead - nobody likes those who claim to be without fault.
Neither presidential candidate has given much in the way of planning, and if the Republicans can deliver, Kerry might be left temporarily in the lurch.
Kerry's Vietnam War record has nothing to do with what Bush will do in his second term, and if the Republicans can call a cease fire on the mutual campaign mud slinging for one night, they will look better in the eyes of the voting public. A lot of cheap shots have been taken by both sides, and most Americans are getting sick of it.
If speech themes - which include courage, compassion and opportunity - are successfully played upon by the speakers, Republicans have a better chance of reaching out to the undecided voter.
Right now, America needs more than just party ideologies - they need plans of action and solutions.
