And on to politics...

The thing that interests me the most about the two conventions is the reaction of the people. There was virtually no bump after the DNC, and I wouldn't be surprised if the same happened after the RNC. Reason? The major networks aren't covering either all that closely, and the undecided voter would rather do almost anything else than watch. If the Republicans get a bounce from this it's because of the name speakers in prime time. Try as they might, the Dems simply don't have names like McCain, Guiliani, and Arnold, and the ratings probably show this. This is funny as these three are more moderate than Bush, but the most popular party members will get to speak every time.

I didn't see Arnold's speech, but it sounds like what you'd expect from all of your descriptions. The banality of a political speech, plus the banality of a Hollywood star... baaaaaaad combination. And I like Arnold!

I thought Cheney's speach last night was one of the more boring prime-time speeches I've seen. Maybe that's why he's been in hiding. Thankfully speaking a lot is often not in his job description. Did you see Zell Miller? I wonder if a firey presentation like that will have any effect on the undecided. It certainly fired up the base, and I'm sure friends were calling friends telling them to pay more attention. But again, who was watching? Most likely political junkies only, and most of those have already made up their mind.

In my mind, Bush's speech matters tonight, of course, but the debates are the most important. These events are usually remembered, as the average person can name several moments from speechs in the past. You get a convenient comparison, and they're near the end of the race. It's like the NBA. Sometimes the game is decided early, but usually it's not worth paying attention to until the last five minutes. Presidential races are interesting when you view them as almost as a sporting event.