The tired rut that is the GOP in 2008 has announced its slate of speakers for its convention in Minneapolis. (<link>) Opening night will feature the stellar and riveting line-up of Sen. Joe Lieberman, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vice President Dick Cheney (no, really), First Lady Laura Bush, and President George W. Bush. Laura Bush appears poised to steal the show.

But it’s the keynote the following night that’s most dumbfounding. It’ll be delivered by none other than America’s (self-appointed) mayor himself, Rudy Giuliani. Some of you may recall that at one point he was a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. In that bloated campaign, after months of proclaiming himself the front-runner well before any votes were cast, he not only failed to win a primary, but actually failed to earn a single delegate. After his very satisfying early withdrawal, I posted (<link>) that his fruitless campaign marked a merciful end to the exploitation of 9/11 as a central strategy in presidential politics. But it appears not. Sen. McCain and the GOP brain trust apparently have decided to go back to that well. After all, everyone knows that Rudy G. is incapable of talking about anything else. And Rudy-One-Note can only speak about 9/11 in such as way as to use it as a bludgeon to self-righteously pummel his political opponents and to try to stoke fear for political gain. Despite the utter failure of that approach in Giuliani’s campaign, McCain and the GOP seem to think that a dose of divisiveness and fear-mongering is just the tone they need to set for their keynote address. Is this really the best they could come up with?

So you've seen the text of his address?

Cool.

Mayor Rudy is a well-known commodity. Without his speaking a word, his selection as keynote speaker sends a clear message.

"Is this really the best they could come up with?"

In a word, yes.

Question: Leiberman is an Ind. They're considering him for the VP slot, but I've read conflicting facts about wether or not he can be on the ticket unless he's an R, according to GOP rules. Read anything definitive on this?

This is pretty much completely off topic except it is about Rudi.

About a month ago or so, I was at a local book store and they had a table dedicated to election 2008 punditry. One book (I have since forgotten the title and the author) claimed that the only way the Republicans were going to beat Hillary Clinton was to nominate Guilliani.

It was a good for a laugh on multiple levels. It has likely since ended up on the discount bin or in the dumpster.

thewolf05827:

So you've seen the text of his address?

Cool.

My guess is that it'll go something like this:

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Subject-verb-9/11.

Steve-R:

Mayor Rudy is a well-known commodity. Without his speaking a word, his selection as keynote speaker sends a clear message.

That the GOP still intends to shamelessly exploit the deaths of 3000 Americans to win an election.

"Without his speaking a word, his selection as keynote speaker sends a clear message."

Uh-huh. And Bush said Saddam was behind 9/11.

Rave on.

You started it Wolf.

Outstanding!

Odd coincidence: for some reason I can't recall, I found myself laughing over Reefer Madness only this weekend.

Sorry, no raving here. And of course I don’t know what Giuliani will talk about in his keynote; I’m only taking a wild guess. But why do you suppose the GOP selected him, and what do you suppose he’d want to talk about? Sure he’ll talk about McCain, but the keynote always has larger themes, for the party more so than the candidate. And what theme is Giuliani most equipped to talk about?

But any way you look at it, it’s a bizarre and bone-headed choice for the GOP. This is a man without a constituency in the party. His presidential campaign didn’t just fail, it went down in flames. He’s either reviled or ignored, both within and outside the GOP. What can Giuliani possibly add to their prospects? OK, maybe have him speak at some point, not prime time. But the keynote?

"of course I don’t know what Giuliani will talk about in his keynote"

Yep.

In your snarkiness you avoided my questions: Why do you suppose the GOP selected him, and what do you suppose he’d want to talk about? I’ll add one more, do you think Giuliani is a good choice for the keynote?

Rudy Guiliani: Americans have a patriotic duty to spend!! Right now, America seems to be full of treasonous traitors who are not fulfilling their patriotic duty to spend. They are subversives who are trying to destroy the great American economy that George W. Bush has brought you. They are not patriots. They actually opposed the Patriot Act!! That proves they are not patriots. If they were patriots, they would be out there spending, like all true patriots do. These traitors are trying to destroy the American economy, which depends on patriotic spending, just to help the treasonous Democrats win the election. Don't let them do it, patriotic Americans!! Get out there and spend, just like good patriots do! If we don't have enough patriotic Americans, who are out there spending every day, there will certainly be another 9/11. Then the terrorists will win, which is what the traitorous Democrats want. They are not patriots. Only Republicans are patriots. Only Republicans want to stop the next 9/11.

LeRoy: I expect it may go something like that. Rudy may, of course, be a bit more eloquent than I have given him credit for.

"Why do you suppose the GOP selected him, and what do you suppose he’d want to talk about? I’ll add one more, do you think Giuliani is a good choice for the keynote?"

I try not to pretend to know things I don't.