Ave Atque Vale, Republicans

In Latin, it means hail and farewell! (From Catullus' Funeral Oration). The Republican Convention has now ended after three days of proceedings. Speaking objectively, I can't fathom what would have been accomplished with the originally-scheduled fourth day of any value besides Donald Trump's cancelled speech. I don't mean to mock, it's just that, if you are interested and follow current events regularly, the entire Convention left a lot to be desired.

As a Democrat, this outcome is a good thing, as it increases the chances for an Obama victory in November. However, I really want to make a broader point here. It's true I'm a liberal Democrat, but my interests as an American transcend my loyalty to any political party. On this basis, the Republican Convention was a sad disappointment. I would much prefer two outstanding candidates, who have real plans and contrasting visions, so that a real choice is presented to the electorate. Under those circumstances, I might actually prefer a Republican candidate and vote accordingly. In this case, however, there is not only no viable alternative, but instead a feeling from the Republicans of hypocrisy, untruths, and phony solutions. I think they have been totally captured by big donors, big business, and special interests, and have ceased responding to the legitimate needs of the majority of our citizens.

The only thing you can count on from Republicans these days are programs that foster the needs and interests of big business and the religious right. Seen from that perspective, their programs are coherent and make perfect sense. My outrage stems from their phony assertions that they're doing it to benefit the majority of Americans and get the country moving again. More importantly, their non-sensical programs are a recipe for disaster; it is so obvious that I continue to be amazed that most people don't see it and that the polls to date predict a close election.

Democracy is based on the proposition that more than 50% of the people are right more than 50% of the time. I hope the upcoming Democratic Convention will demonstrate a sharp contrast to what we have just witnessed, and that a solid majority of the American people will come to their senses in time. I had the same feeling of "dishonesty" about the McCain-Palin ticket in the last election, and a gut feeling they would ultimately lose. For the sake of our great country, I can only hope that my instincts are right once again about Romney-Ryan.