Conventions

Now that both the Democratic and Republican conventions are done with, I'm feeling a bit of fear at what November may bring. What I found most interesting between the two were the tone and content of the conventions, with tone being the more critical issue and a probable prediction of things to come.

I generally found the Democrats to be civil and respectful, especially when they were talking about John McCain. The Republicans, however, were totally uninhibited and were constantly on the attack, ridiculing Obama at every turn. Giuliani's speech is a good example. This kind of rhetoric is totally unnecessary in my opinion and turns me off the Republicans even though I think McCain's a good guy. And seriously, most of the arguments they level against Obama are just distractions and FUD.

My other issue, content, is obvious when you compare Obama's speech vs. McCain's speech. While McCain is pulling his grandfather war hero routine, Obama is actually providing some details on what he actually plans to accomplish, instead of what he has already done.

A simple test: just try counting how many sentences in each speech starts with "I will".

So why am I afraid? Because the Republican spin and FUD machine is going to go into overdrive now, and if there's one thing they're good at, it's spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt. Don't provide any details, appeal to your patriotism, scare you into feeling insecure, and promise you safety. That's how they won in 2004, and it looks like that's how they're planning on winning this year as well.

But this is just my opinion. Come November, make sure you vote, and vote informed. Don't just listen to the rhetoric and the ads on tv. Want to know where the candidates stand on the environment? Or something else?