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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 August 2000 Issue No. 493 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 August 2000 Issue No. 493
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Political carnival
By Thomas Gorguissian
Philadelphia is the setting for the 2000 Grand Old Party (GOP) convention. "It's not the Republican convention," said convention Chairman Andrew Card. "It's Governor Bush's Republican convention. The convention should reflect his interests." Political observers agree that Republicans aim to showcase a "grand new party." The Washington Post wondered if George W Bush is now the "Icon of a New Era?" No-one, say observers, has united Republicans as Bush Jr has since Ronald Reagan led the party. David Von Drehle wrote in the Washington Post, "In Bush, the affable governor of Texas, the Republicans have a younger, friendlier, folksier spokesman than they have had in many years." The mood is high, and polls are showing that the governor of Texas is leading his rival, Vice President Al Gore by at least six per cent.
Observers are waiting to see how Bush is going to handle two imminent challenges: first, his acceptance speech tonight, the last day of the convention; and second, the expected television debates next fall. Commenting on his acceptance speech Bush told The New York Times, "This is not a divisive moment. This is a uniting moment," adding that the message he wants to convey is "that he is a different kind of Republican." Republican pundits are whistling the same tune these days -- not coincidentally, women, African-American and Hispanics feature prominently. Republicans have learned lessons from the divisive politics of the last decade.
Philadelphia, the host city, is celebrating the occasion. The last national convention held here was in 1948. This year's event has brought an estimated 15,000 journalists to the City of Brotherly Love. The total cost of this 37th GOP Convention is an estimated $63 million, of which $13 million are the federal government's contribution -- corporate America is funding much of the rest. "They want one giant party where politicians schmooze with corporate lobbyists and receive favours now in return for the politicians giving them favours later. Disgusting," Green Party candidate Ralph Nader told his supporters. "It is a political carnival."
Protesters of all kinds marched in strength on Sunday under the name "Unity 2000." Several thousand participated in a rally with disparate demands, including calls to "Stop the death penalty," "Free Tibet," "Stop corporate influence," "Stop police brutality" and more. The police, as expected, were on alert. A recent case of police brutality involving the beating of a black suspect revived the fear of possible clashes in the streets of Philly. Another gathering called the "Shadow Convention" started on Sunday to highlight issues conventioneers say the major parties are ignoring. "We're here to speak out for the more than 50 per cent of Americans who will not vote in November," commentator Ariana Huffington,
Elsewhere, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, the Republican vice presidential candidate, was interviewed on five Sunday TV shows -- at times, he faced intense questioning. Cheney defended his vote against the release of Nelson Mandela from jail, saying that the resolution would also have recognised the African National Congress, which was a communist organisation. Cheney's health and his last post as chief executive officer of Halliburton Corp, a Dallas-based oil services conglomerate, were under attack too, as many of the details of his involvement in oil politics are missing. Cheney called President Clinton "an enormous embarrassment to the country."
Condoleezza Rice, Bush's chief foreign policy adviser was spotlighted on the second day of the convention which focused on "Strength and Security with a Purpose: Safe in our Homes and in the World." Rice, widely expected to be the National Security Adviser in Bush's administration, is an expert on Soviet and Eastern European affairs. It is also suspected that General Colin Powell, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, could be the candidate for Secretary of State.
