Saturday, September 6, 2008

Zingers, one liners and catchphrases - GOP Convention edition

This is a continuation of my compilation of one-liners I made during the Primary season - Presidential debates: zingers, one liners and catchphrases.

The Party conventions have concluded and with it many hours of speeches delivered. The setting allowed key players in each party to advance their party's agenda and policies. For many however, it was a chance to be entertained by applause lines, the throwing of ideological red meat and zingers directed to the opposition party. In wrestling, this is called 'Cutting a promo'.

I will be highlighting each party's best applause lines and zingers starting with the Republicans.

To begin, here is a demonstration of how a statesman-like promo is conducted in wrestling - Future Hall-of-fame wrestler Shawn Michaels calls out the legendary Hulk Hogan.

VIDEO: HBK promo on WWE Raw

Now onto the Republicans:
Former Senator Fred Thompson
To deal with these challenges the Democrats present a history making nominee for president.

History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President. Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress. History making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history.
Read Fred Thompson's full convention transcript from the official site

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
Barack Obama's excellent adventure to Europe took his campaign for change to hundreds of thousands of people who don't even vote or pay taxes here.

It's not what he took there that concerns me. It's what he brought back. Lots of ideas from Europe he'd like to see imported here.
Read Mike Huckabee's full convention transcript from NPR

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney
And I have -- I have one more recommendation for energy conservation: Let's keep Al Gore's private jet on the ground.
Read the full Mitt Romney transcript from CNN

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
1) I'm sorry -- I'm sorry that Barack Obama feels that her hometown isn't cosmopolitan enough
I'm sorry, Barack, that it's not flashy enough. Maybe they cling to religion there.

2) When speaking to a pro-Israeli group, Obama favored an undivided Jerusalem, like I favor and like John McCain favored. Well, he favored an undivided Jerusalem -- don't get too excited -- for one day, until he changed his mind.
Well, I'll tell you, if I were Joe Biden, I'd want to get that V.P. thing in writing.
Read Rudy Giuliani's full convention transcript from CNN

Alaska Governor and would-be Vice President, Sarah Palin
1) And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.

2) This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan?

3) In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
Read Sarah Palin's full convention transcript from the official site

As always with these things, it's all in the delivery.
Watch the GOP Convention speeches from their official site.
For mine, Rudy Giuliani wins the award for most theatrical delivery. Seemingly channeling Glenn Beck in his playful elecution. Sarah Palin wins the award for having the best lines and generating crowd excitement.

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