The Republican Convention appears to have some empty seats viewable on camera to viewers. This could indicate that people are not enthused about this year's political campaign. Political fatigue and the Hurricane Gustav could be the underlining reasons.
Since 2000, I have actively followed politics enough to notice that there are only a few speakers this week that seem to get the crowd going. This is important to show undecided voters, if they should become involved. Last week, the Democrats made strong statements and fiery words that were designed to speak to the audience. For instance, Hillary Clinton said a catchy phrase "No way, no how, no McCain." The Democrats made fun of some of McCain's positions, like following Bin Laden to the gates of Hell. Barack Obama said, "He won't even follow him to the cave he lives in," to show that McCain was not serious about the issue.
In my opinion, I have not heard too many statements that are quite as memorable yet. Perhaps, they wanted to wait until later in the convention to start real memorable attacks. Mitt Romney is the first prominent speaker with experience that speaks on the economy. However, he misstated about Washington D.C. being "liberal." That is hardly possible with a Republican President and six years of a Republican Congress during the Bush Administration. However, that is not a big deal, but the fact they are concentrating on their base is a big deal. It allows everyone to look at what the values are. Mike Huckabee spoke after Romney and made it a lighter evening. He made jokes. He made some more specific attacks against Obama's experience, only time will indicate if it works. Yesterday, the speakers did very little to get their base excited. People in the audience looked like they were forced to be there in some cases. Even John McCain's adopted daughter looked bored. Today, they seemed to improve.
In order for Republicans to win they must get to the issues that America wants to hear about. They must indicate clearly why McCain is the best choice because the War in Iraq, and the economy have not been his strong points in the minds of most Americans. Most identify with the fact that Iraq was a mistake and should not have been waged to begin with. Many more have heard that McCain claims limited knowledge about the economy; therefore, it makes a lot of people feel nervous. His VP pick was impromptu, and he does not have a personal relationship with. He is going to have to introduce her as he gets to know her simultaneously. The empty chairs could be a problem for on the fence voters that see lack luster with this party. The brand is currently fragile and the old talking points will need to be re-written more. The crowd looked older than the Democrats overall, so they must be careful with not appearing outdated supporting an older candidate. This could turn off younger voters. The protesters for the most part are young people, so they are likely to be the new voters that Obama has gained approval. McCain made a move to get a younger look with Sarah Palin, but must go further to seal a new important voting block. Hopefully, everything will turn out for the best interest of country. They need to fill those empty seats and then some to compare with Obama's Stadium Convention. Otherwise, people are going to feel that Republicans are small time.
