The RNC Propaganda Machine

The Propaganda Machine in Action at the RNC

By: Toby Vest

"Miller wasn't in New York to explain the nuances of congressional voting he was there to do the dirty work of the Bush administration."

By most tenants, the first two days of last week's Republican National Convention could be considered a real bore. Monday's and Tuesday's parade of speakers were dedicated to the revival of the long dead idea of compassionate conservatism, hoping to bombard the nation with the idea of a softer side of the neo-conservative Bush Administration, but Wednesday night's speakers showed the true face of Republican politics in George W.'s America.

Wednesday's keynote speaker,Democratic turncoat Senator Zell Miller, brought out the fire and brimstone as he mercilessly attacked John Kerry and his fellow democrats for their failure to support the President's post 9/11 agenda. If you looked hard enough you could see the knife Miller held behind his back, poised to plunge into the back of Kerry and the rest of his fellow Democrats. On one occasion, Miller called Kerry "weak and wobbly" and chastised him and fellow senator Ted Kennedy as ultra liberal maniacs who would attempt to defend our nation "with spitballs." As trite as it is, the metaphor garnered a tremendous reaction from the Republican faithful at the convention.

All in all, Miller's address was quite effective in turning the delegates on the convention floor into rabid animals foaming at the mouth for more vicious and divisive rhetoric concerning Kerry and the Democrats. Miller's main focus was on Kerry's voting record on defense and military funding over the course of his senate career, claiming he voted against "B-1 Bombers, B-2 Bombers, Bradley Assault Vehicles, and Harrier Jets." While Miller's speech was ripe with emotion, delivered like a Baptist Preacher eager for your collection money, it certainly lacked in truth. Not entirely untrue but littered with lies of omission. What Miller failed to mention is the true way in which the congressional voting process takes place. Here's the best explanation I can muster.

One party proposes a $500 million military and defense spending bill. The other party considers the proposal but doesn't wish to spend that much on defense or military spending so they vote no on the bill in hopes of reaching a compromise on a smaller figure. This is a dangerous game that congressional politicians play because if said bill passes then their vote against the bill will definitely show up later in their political life to haunt them, it certainly has been Kerry's albatross this year. On the other hand, if the bill doesn't pass, the other party usually counters with a smaller bill. So basically, the no votes are the difference between a bill that provides for 400 Harrier Jets and a bill that allows for 300 Harrier Jets, which over several years truly makes no difference in the security of our nation.

But Miller wasn't in New York to explain the nuances of congressional voting, he was there to do the dirty work of the Bush administration. His quickly evaporating clout as a Democrat crossing party lines to address the Republican base, was supposed to give his remarks credibility and show a non-partisan attack on Kerry but in actuality made him look like a hopped up hatchet man brimming with political ambition. The viciousness of his attacks and the fact that the majority of his argument against Kerry was steeped in rhetoric without substance, shows the heart of the Republican campaign in 2004 and Zell Miller fits right in.

Historically, in Presidential campaigns, the Vice President is the one who delivers the attacks on the opposing candidate but after Miller's tirade Dick Cheney's Wednesday night address seemed tame in comparison. He continued to chop at Kerry's credibility on matters of national security and defense but his speech was delivered in a composed manner filled with one-liners and sarcastic quips at the Democrats and their candidate. Needless to say the convention delegates ate it up, cheering every time the VP uttered a negative syllable about Kerry. But in this election year, where the majority of citizens have already declared their loyalties to one candidate or the other, the Republican National Convention appeared to be a recitation of every calculated slogan and tag line designed by the party over the past three years. The devious undercurrent of the Wednesday night speeches was not apparent until turning on the television to watch the follow up coverage on the cable news channels.

The show's hosts and guest went immediately into commenting on the speeches and the effects they would have on Kerry and Edwards attempt to win in November, most of them negative. Given the nature of political discourse in the American media and the news in an instant Americans have come to expect, one would certainly expect commentary on the night's speeches. In fact, this type of debate should be encouraged but when rhetorical attacks become news, policy and issues become secondary and the media simply recites the party lines we have reached a dangerous point. Imagine millions of Americans watching these news channels with every negative comment by Miller and Cheney being flashed across the bottom of the television screen on the "news" ticker. This is an extremely Orwellian type of information dispersal where information is repeated numerous times until it is seen as universal truth. This is a very distinct difference between last month's Democratic National Convention and the resulting media aftermath. Sure, the democrats use slogans and catch phrases but "hope is on the way" pales in comparison to "John Kerry's biggest disagreement is with himself."

Unfortunately, you have to hand it to the Republicans. They have been using this strategy for years now. They know how to play the political game with slogans and catch phrases that creep into your subconscious hoping to euthanize your thinking. This game is play with half truths manipulated by spin doctors in the hidden corridors of the White House. Think Nixon. Watergate.Think Reagan. Iran-Contra. Think the Bushes. Iraq, 9/11, and Oil. Yet, this is the party that still has the tenacity to openly question John Kerry's war record. Any public relations outfit that can make a young American's choice to go to Vietnam and fight for his country seem like a ploy to run for President 35 years later and have people buy the idea is damn good at what they do. You almost feel sorry for the Democrats.

While many Americans may not approve of the dirty politics employed over the past week, their attack plan has seemingly been effective. One MSNBC poll showed the President at 52% while Kerry dropped to 41%. Scary figures for the Democratic Nominee but what else can he expect. Kerry has continually played the political middle ground over the last months and with only two months left he has yet to show America why he is the alternative to another four years of the Bush Regime. Most people can't even tell you why they are voting for Kerry, they just don't want Bush to be reelected. Constant rumblings can be heard about how Kerry is waiting for the debates to destroy Bush. But, if he doesn't rebound from the attacks made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the RNC speakers then he is destined to be this generation's George McGovern. Kerry has to realize that the he is not going to sway anyone who already supports the President, find his own legs to stand on and address a truly progressive political agenda or many of the swing voters he covets will find their way to the Bush Camp or simply won't show up at all. Then we will all be destined for another four years of government secrecy, manipulation, censorship, military buildups, and failed policy and it's anyone's guess as to whether American society can withstand it.

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