An observation on the Convention that I haven't heard before - it scares me.
Neither Here Nor There
Issue 109

A Brief Reaction to The Republican National Convention

Over the course of the past four days, Republican after Republican after Democrat (thank you, Zell Miller) has taken to the podium at Madison Square Garden to make sure this nation remembers that we were attacked on the morning of September 11th, 2001. They have reminded us, again and again, because in their eyes, since that awful day, President Bush has demonstrated the conviction, the determination and the fortitude to take the fight to the doorstep of our enemy, no matter the country where that doorstep might be found. America, they say, needs President Bush because he will not waver in the fight on terror and he will not rest until our country is free from the threat of attack.

Something struck me as I watched the Convention coverage on TV this week. In the days following September 11th, the President and his administration bombarded us with information implicating Osama bin Laden. This man, it was said, financed the attacks, was deeply involved in the logistical planning and nothing short of his capture or, even better, his death, would be an acceptable result of the manhunt upon which our armed forces were about to embark. "Dead or alive" was the refrain from the Oval Office. Afghanistan was invaded. Around-the-clock coverage of the decimation of Tora Bora flooded into our homes via satellite. Not a day went by without a possible bin Laden sighting or the capture of a high ranking associate, someone who would no doubt bring us that much closer to finding the monster behind it all.

Then things started to change.

Bin Laden was slowly phased out as the core issue, as a necessary goal, instead we were now hunting "terrorists." In time, we came to be told that it didn't really matter whether bin Laden was alive or dead, since we had done so much damage to the infrastructure of his murderous group. And this week, in New York, just a few miles from the hole in the ground that was the World Trade Center, not once did I hear the name bin Laden mentioned by a Convention speaker. Instead, the successes that are Afghanistan and Iraq were repeatedly referenced, evidence and justification for the assertion that George W. Bush has made this country safer and stronger than it was when he first took office. Saddam Hussein's name was front and center, his incarceration and impending trial a victory not only for the liberated peoples of Iraq but also for American liberty and safety. John Kerry's name was also on everyone's lips, and band-aids with Purple Heart decals were a hot fashion accessory, Kerr
y's war wounds having become an object of ridicule in Republican circles, ironic considering the combat records of the men leading the mocking. Nebulous plans for Social Security reform, expansion in the areas of private business and home ownership, and an increase in education funding were touted with little to no actual explanation of policy and/or funding. And blanket calls for inclusion and compassion rounded out the rhetoric, while simultaneously a platform of exclusion, bigotry and fear-mongering was endorsed.

Yet with all of this talk, with hours of speeches, his name was never mentioned. His deeds dominated this event and were the driving force behind its choice of location, but his name was never mentioned. His cohorts, the group he founded and funded, have since pulled off devastating attacks in Bali, Turkey, Spain and numerous other nations, but his name was never mentioned. He is still out there somewhere, and that's why his name was never mentioned. America's hunt for Osama bin Laden has disappeared from the realm of Republican discourse.

I sat in front of my television last night, watching our President and thinking, knowing I had to write something but not knowing what I would say. Then I thought about who else might be watching. In a safe house, in a mountain compound, in a supporter's city apartment, somewhere, anywhere, I pictured bin Laden, watching our President speak, while he wondered just what it will take to get his name back on the agenda.

More later
Sullivan