My Reactions to Night 2

As I get a chance I'll post my Twitter comments over here for the blog. Here we go:

• And we're back! Awaiting the address from Bush while watching Dick Morris eviscerate Alan Colmes. Bush should be along shortly.
• Actor John Voight just gave a better attack on Obama than many Republicans I've heard. He shut Alan Colmes up (which is always good).
• Actor John Voight just gave a better attack on Obama than many Republicans I've heard. He shut Alan Colmes up (which is always good).
• Medal of Honor winner Michael Mansoor being honored with a film narrated by Gary Sinese. He was a local Orange County kid - a hero.
• Okay - Laura Bush is doing a live intro - resplendent in red against the huge HDTV screen with flags waving. Very cool.
• Laura makes a direct appeal to women - touting "impressive women in my husband's administration". Take that Barack.
• Laura reminds the crowd of Bush achievements, including Sam Alito and John Roberts of the Supremes. We don't hear enough about those guys.
• Important point "President Bush has kept the American people safe". Dems have a hard time arguing with that. No attacks since 9/11.
• Bush speaking from White House - probably can't hear the crowd roar since he steps on the applause at the start.
• He looks better than he usually does when he's not speaking to a live audience. Expression is more natural than some addresses I've seen.
• "If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will."
• "He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees - believe me, I know! Got a laugh from the audience.
• Bush makes a pitch for Sarah Palin - huge roar from the crowd. They don't sound too worried about the media reports.
• Bush did very well - better than he usually does without a live audience. Strong endorsement that won't hurt. All positive.
• Next big speech will be Joe Lieberman. The hall reaction should be interesting. Now a film on Reagan - that'll tear 'em all up.
• Correction - it's Fred Thompson. This should be good.
• "What a breath of fresh air Sarah Palin is" Fred goes right after the media - blasting them for their attacks on Palin. Pure red meat.
• "Give me a tough Alaskan governor...over the Beltway business as usual crowd any day of the week.
• She's the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to field dress a moose!" (well, maybe Teddy Roosevelt)
• Fred moves into the story and endorsement of John McCain. Mentions sons who have finished tours in Iraq, one going back on Christmas Day.
• red's on it - funny intro of McCain's 96-year old mom. "If she was captured by the Vietnamese, they would have surrendered"
• Now telling the story of the carrier Forrestal fire - haven't heard that much during the campaign. McCain was in the middle of it.
• McCain could have returned to U.S. with his damaged ship but volunteered with another ship that needed pilots. 3 months later a captive.
• Fred is doing a dramatic job of telling McCain captivity story. He's an actor, but it's all true. "John McCain knows about hope".
• "He was beaten for not meeting with so-called peace delegations....when asked for names, gave the names of the Green Bay Packers"
• "His bones may have been broken, but his spirit never was. Being a POW doesn't qualify one to be a president, but it does reveal character.
• "Questions we'll never have to ask - Who is this man and can we trust him with the presidency?" Big ovation.
• "At a point in time when the war was going badly and the public lost confidence John stood up and called for more troops..now we're winning.
• I didn't hear anything about "winning" during the Dem convention.
• McCain doesn't get respect "because of a teleprompter speech designed to impress our critics abroad" Shot across the bow at Obama.
• Obama "history making candidate....history making in that he's the most liberal and most inexperienced nominee ever to run for president"
• Obama matches up with "least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history" Crowd loved that one.
• Fred's hitting Congress and Dems on taxes and protectionism. Fred's got the ridicule knob turned to "11". Great red meat stuff.
• "We need a president who doesn't think the protection of the unborn or new born is above his pay grade." The hall loved that one.
• "John McCain can't raise his arms above his shoulders. He can't salute the flag of the country for which he sacrificed so much." Powerful.
• Fred knocks it out. Makes me nostalic for that time a year ago when Fred was going to be a candidate. He could have been great.
• I'm hearing from a commenter that the three broadcast networks skipped Thompson's speech. That's criminal.
• Joe Lieberman up now - Fred's gonna be a tough act to follow. Joe's pretty low key (not to mention the most liberal guy in the house.)
• Joe is making a pitch for bipartisanship. Personally, that doesn't enthuse me. It usually means Republicans agreeing with Dems.
• "What's a Democrat like me doing in a Republican Convention like this? I'm here to support John McCain...country matters more than party."
• "What you can expect from John McCain is precisely what he's done this week - put our country first."
• Lieberman keeps referring to himself as a "Democrat". That's got to be driving the Obama campaign nuts, not to mention the wacky left.
• Obama is a "gifted young man".."eloquence is no substitute for a record. Obama has not reached across party lines to do anything signiicant"
• Joe is praising the work Clinton did with Republicans on welfare reform, free trade and a balanced budget. Tough crowd for that line.
• Joe is offering his endorsement of Sarah Palin. "The real ticket for change this year is the McCain-Palin ticket."
• Joe hits Obama for voting to cut off funds for troops on the battlefield. First boos of the night. "Troops coming home in honor!"
• "McCain will be a president our allies will trust and our enemies will fear, and that's the kind of president we need in this world". Yep.
• Joe makes a pitch directly to Dems and independents who have never voted for a Republican. "McCain no ordinary candidate".
• "This year vote for the person who's best for our country and not for the party you belong to". Somebody tell the Ron Paul people.
• Joe wraps up. Decent speech and not as fiery or well delivered as Fred Thompson's. Standing "O", something he won't get from Dems.

Whew! We'll do it all again for the big speeches tomorrow night.