I’m so goddamn tired of all the negativity right now I could scream. Refuting all these lies about John Kerry’s service has been so draining, I feel like the whole purpose of these attacks is to make the left too tired to fight back. It doesn’t help that John Kerry’s rope-a-dope campaigning style makes it feel like we’re defending a guy too weak to defend himself. With all the frustrating minutiae of these attacks distracting the campaigns from real issues, it’s been tempting to turn off the TV, stop reading the newspaper, request an absentee ballot, and hope there’s good news waiting for us on the morning of Nov. 3rd.

But it looks like we’re on the other side of it now. The power of the Swift Boat Vets attacks is fading and the public is increasingly seeing this as a dirty tricks campaign on behalf of Bush. With GOP convention starting on Monday, I hope there is truth in the reports that Bush will be unveiling an actual agenda next week :

After a tumultuous first term in the White House, US President George W. Bush will unveil his policy priorities for an eventual second term at next week’s Republican National Convention.

“He’ll talk about the clear differences that voters face,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. “It’ll very much be a forward-looking speech talking about his agenda for America that builds upon his record of results.”

Bush is scheduled to speak on September 2, the last day of the convention to be held in New York starting on Monday, and formally accept the party’s nomination to run against Democratic party hopeful Senator John Kerry.
. . .
The president’s acceptance speech is expected to be a careful balancing act that will include defense of his record as well as new promises.

Unfortunately, having sat through a number of Bush speeches over the last few years, I really doubt there will be much substance in his acceptance speech. Nevertheless, I’m starting to get worried.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, Bush shouldn’t be taken for granted. While I think he’s an intellectual lightweight and a huge failure, the American public by and large doesn’t share my opinion. The reaction to his speech is all that matters, not the substance (or lack thereof) contained within it. While it’s easy to look at quotes by Kerry about Bush’s debating powress as a form of reverse psychology, we should remember that Bush wouldn’t be where he is today if he didn’t have a knack for exceeding expectations.

So I’ll be watching the upcoming convention with trepidation. On one hand, I keep reminding myself that this is the third time I’ve had this feeling this year. As with the other two times, we were told that Bush planned to unveil a big plan that will make him irresistible to undecided voters. Luckily for us, his plans to rid professional sports of drugs and send men back to the moon were as well received as a fart joke during a funeral.

On the other hand, there’s always the chance that he has a huge surprise that could shift the foundations of this election. Replacing Cheney with McCain? Dismantling the IRS? Bin Laden in handcuffs? Any big news could seriously harm the Dems. Considering that the polls have shifted back in Bush’s direction, a mid-sized post-convention bounce could be enough to put Kerry on the defensive for the next two months. In an election like this one, the only person who should have to defend himself is the incumbent. Let’s just hope he isn’t able to “straight talk” his way through the debates.