Obviously, like every other speech at this convention (save Zell Miller’s effort, which was a throwback to the political speeches of two generations ago), Bush started out slow, and got better as the speech went on. 

It’s hard to fully explain a long-range domestic plan in 28 minutes...knowing this, I buried my Vodkapundit-like impatience for the foreign policy part of the speech.  I knew it would come, and I knew it would be the better part of the speech (Bush has his calling in the War on Terror, and it shows), but he had to address the domestic issues.  They really had not been addressed in the Convention by any of the front-line speakers, so if fell to the President to do so. 

He did well.  Other than the inherent difficulties in mixing his obvious federalist streak and moderate governance, he explained his ideas, plans, and positions well.  It comes across rather plainly that Bush isn’t a libertarian, much to the chagrin of the Far Right, but he is undoubtedly more conservative than John Kerry. 

It’s also clear that the domestic agenda that Bush has is not substantially different than the one he wished to implement in 2000....health care savings accounts, allowing people to invest part of their Social Security taxes into a retirement acount of their choosing, education reform, and lowering the tax burden.  He has his ideas about how things should work, and how things can be, and it is clear that the War On Terror disrupted much of what he wanted to do.  Those people that are critical of Bush’s economic policies tend to ignore that little fact.  The financial hit we took as a result of 9-11 changed a lot of things, and caused the budgetary crisis we are in right now (the numbers noted int he aforementioned article are comperable to the deficits of this year and 2003...combined).  He passed No Child Left Behind, and two rounds of tax cuts.  That’s about it, save for the FMA.  I’m not counting the Patriot Act ot Dept. of Homeland Security, because they would not have existed except for 9-11.

Bush spent a bit less than half (by my unempirical measure) of his speech on domestic issues not related to the War.  Then, he moved on.

It is crystal clear that the President views the War on Terror as our calling...our mission to promote liberty and free the oppressed, and that this is the mission he was put into the Presidency for.  Therefore, the speech got better, and really started to flow.  He spoke more from the heart than from the teleprompter, and his emotional reprisal of his meeting with parents of dead soldiers probably elicited tears from every state in the Union.  He does feel this calling, deep within his soul. 

One of the things that people don’t like in Bush is his bluntness and directness.  Call it a lack of nuance, if you wish, but the fact is that Bush is absolutely perfect as a war president.  Americans don’t want sugar coating anymore....we got a cigarful of it in the 90’s (as did others), and we figured out that there was no further use for it after 9-11.  Bush, the Peace President, would not be as effective...he is a guy, to be truthful, that needs a crisis in order to shine.  Bill Clinton did not do well when crises rose, and neither did Carter, but Bush Sr. did, and so did Reagan.  Bush found himself on 9-11, and his true spirit and force of character burst forth.  It showed last night.  All things considered, Kerry would be the wrong guy to be in at this time in history.  That also showed. 

That feeling that eminates from Bush is the salve on his current term.  I am a conservative, and, if Joe Lieberman were running in Kerry’s stead, and if there were no WoT, I would strongly consider voting for him.  Bush isn’t as far to the right as I am, but, my God, all the domestic policies that all the candidates have voiced would be worthless without the American people feeling secure in their leader’s ability to defend their country.  Bush has worked hard, and long, to make America secure.  That puts him over any other candidate, and I know that many millions of Americans will vote for him according to that fact. 

So....I score his first 20 minutes as a B-, the next 20 as a B, and the end as a A+.  He did very well, delivering above what he had to do.  Good job, Mr. President. 

Comment freely.  Time for me to get to work.