Twin Cities Skunk Hole

About a third of delegates to the RNC this year are millionaires. Most are at least far more affluent than the average American. I bet the same is true of the delegates to last weeks DNC in Denver. The real difference is the solidarity among the staunchest and most active supporters of the RNC.

The Republicans at the core of the Party today are strong, determined and unashamed. The Global War on Terror is falling apart, exposed as a sham. The American economy is crumbling, with huge trade imbalances continuing even though we are the largest debtor nation in the history of the World. American society is changing rapidly and radically away from the Wonder bread and baloney sandwich era, with church on Sunday and a social structure where people knew their places. Still, they have no regrets. They do not blame their leaders. They do not blame themselves. They made the decisions they thought they should. They tried as hard as they could. They spared no expense. Sometimes things just don't work out.

When you're beat, winning isn't important anymore. You want to keep your head up. Stay in the game. Learn from your mistakes and start over again. No point in a victory celebration though. That would be the same as advertising defeat. There have been victories enough in the past and plenty of celebrations. There will be more in the future. Now is not the time.

The festivities at the RNC have been cancelled this year. The attendance will be sparse. The candidates don't matter. It will be the most important convention in a generation. They will see who is with them. They will reaffirm what they are all about. They can begin to plan for the future and correct past mistakes. Identifying the scapegoats for sacrifice, organizing the thugs in a beer hall, printing fliers and building bombs in a basement after midnight, you've got to start at the beginning. The first steps are the most important.