Conventions!: Serving One Nation by Securing a Prosperous Future You Can Believe In

The Politico fills us in on daily themes for both parties' conventions. Enjoy the exercise in compare-and-contrast below:

MONDAY

Democrats: One Nation

Republicans: Service

TUESDAY

Democrats: Renewing America's Promise

Republicans: Reform

WEDNESDAY

Democrats: Securing America's Future

Republicans: Prosperity

THURSDAY

Democrats: Change You Can Believe In

Republicans: Peace

***

UPDATE: In the the spirit of the poly- versus monosyllabic showdown above, I offer you Matt Welch's in-depth analysis of the candidates in the 2000 election by way of their answers to questions about baseball. Sample exchange:

"What do you think of domed stadiums?"

"Gore: 'The design and construction of domed stadiums - in Seattle (the Kingdome was the first free-standing current dome ever built), Houston (the Astrodome was the first stadium to use astroturf) and Minnesota (the Metrodome is the only stadium in the USA whose roof is suspended without beams or rods - it's supported by air pressure), for example - have been feats of architectural and engineering excellence. But the real measure of any stadium, domed or otherwise, is how much fun you have inside.'

"Bush: 'I like to go to baseball games outside.'"

Comments

[sage]

Friday:

Democrats: Power to Unions
Republicans: Faggot Stomping

[Andy Craig]

"Peace"? Really.

Aside from that though, it is amusing how closely the agendas correlate.

[Warren]

Andy,

I don't know. Even before I asphyxiated on Peace, I started chocking on Reform. Reform what exactly? And why start now?

[The Extispicator]

I give this one to the Republicans. One word themes are better than phrases.

My four-day themes (if I could have a convention):

Minimalism
Reduction
MYOB
Cancelled ... 'nuff said in days 1-3

[Andy Craig]

Warren-

My bet is that's the day McCain tries to salvage his former (totally BS) reputation as a reforming outsider.

[sixstring]

MONDAY

Democrats: One Nation

I guess John Edwards had nothing to do with the daily themes.

[Andy Craig]

As an aside, any one think "change we can believe in" is going to bite Obama in the ass once he's actually President? He's setting a higher standard for himself, and by association his party, and I don't think either are going to be able to come any where close to meeting it. Or will he be another Teflon President, a la Reagan and Clinton?

/Vote Libertarian!

[Episiarch]

"balloons you can believe in"

If that were the convention theme, and it included the kind of "balloons" that it should, the conventions would be a lot more interesting and popular.

[Andrew]

I'm assuming that a printing error caused the "War Is..." prefix to the Day 4 RNC Convention theme to be omitted.

[Lars M?hlum]

Wait. What?

You guys are gonna have another election? And what is this I hear about two parties?
I thought Barack Obama just won the Republocratic nomination for president, but Hillary McCain would not give up yet (though the media really don't want to cover this case, all power to The Party)?

[Marcvs]

FRIDAY

Democrats: Performing Lobotomies With a Spoon

Republicans: Preparing for the Apocalypse

[anarch]

Andy Craig (or anyone) - What victorious candidates do we know who were damaged by failing to fulfill a campaign promise? (Sincere question.)

[Occam\'s toothbrush]

I give this one to the Republicans. One word themes are better than phrases.

...especially if your base has difficulties reading to begin with.

**Former Republican

[Jonathan Hohensee]

FRIDAY

Democrats: Dream of America

Republicans: The Power of the American Spirt

Libertarians: How to borrow your mom's van so you can go to the Pok?mon tourney

[Nigel Watt]

FRIDAY

Democrats: Maintaining a Veneer of Non-Corruption
Republicans: Corruption is Patriotic!

[undecided voter]

Where is RainbowPuppyIsland . . How do I vote if I can't find RainbowPuppyIsland?

[SIV]

Andy Craig,

The election isn't until November. there is a %50 chance the only thing biting Obama in the ass is going to be the Clinton Machine screaming "We told you so!".

One word themes win hands down. I'm suprised the Dems didn't fit "America's Working Families" in there somewhere.

If anyone ever has a legit transcript of Bob Barr saying "working families" before November please let me know so I can not vote.

[Jamie Kelly]

Sunday
Democrats: We Got a Negro
Republican: They Got a Negro

[thoreau]

Republicans talking about peace?

WTF?

[svf]

MONDAY
Democrats: One National Socialism
Republicans: Selective Service

TUESDAY
Democrats: Renewing Breaking America's Promise
Republicans: Reformwriting the Constitution

WEDNESDAY
Democrats: SecurMortgaging America's Future
Republicans: ProspeShitty

THURSDAY
Democrats: ChangeIdentity Politics You Can Believe In
Republicans: PeaceBomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran

* fixed *

[J sub D]

Oh boy, a chance to use my word of the day.

The Democrats are obviously more loquacious* than the Republicans.

*Loquacious
PRONUNCIATION:
(lo-KWAY-shuhs)

MEANING:
adjective: Talkative; wordy.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin loqui (to speak). The word loquacious has a negative sense, but a positive word to come out of the same Latin root is eloquent.

[BDB]

"Peace"? Are you serious?

[BDB]

BTW, if the balloons fail to drop properly and on time after McCain's speech, he loses the election badly.

Happened to McGovern, Mondale, Dukakis, and Dole at their conventions. Some kind of curse, I guess.

[Republican Themes]

Monday: Grunt

Tuesday: Fear

Wednesday: Bomb

Thursday: 9/11

[Democratic Themes]

Monday: Class Warfare

Tuesday: Tax Hikes

Wednesday: Identity Politics

Thursday: HOPE!

[Bingo]

I take it the party favors are comprised entirely of antacid.

[MattXIV]

Between service and peace the Republicans did manage to come up with the only themes specific enough to be worthy of fear (I don't trust anybody taking about serving unless they've got a drink menu with them.) or confusion (is the subtitle "And how to avoid it"?). I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

[Brandybuck]

Democrats: Wordy euphemisms for social engineering
Republicans: One word ironies

[Invisible Finger]

They could just put down "groupthink" for each session and be done with it.

[troy]

I think the republicans meant to say...

Peace, through war.

[Ska]

In keeping with the Republican idea of Peace, did anyone else laugh at GWB's response to Costa's question about the Russia/Georgia conflict?

It was just interesting to me that here we are, you know trying to promote peace and harmony, and we're witnessing a conflict take place.

It's not like the US is involved in any ourselves, the great, peaceful nation we are.

[Bingo]

Monday:
How to balance a checkbook

Tuesday:
Stop whining

Wednesday:
Taking responsibility for your actions

Thursday:
Mind your own fucking business

Friday:
Tequila shots and wet tshirt contest

Politicians and voters are equally welcome.

[First Little Pig]

At least the Dems agenda can be easily converted into a single slogan (or perhaps a subliminal message):

"One nation, renewing America's promise, securing America's future (with) change you can believe in."

[Andy Craig]

anarch-

Read my lips, no new taxes.

[PR]

Gore's making shit up again. The Astrodome was first by a decade.

[joe]

Strategery.

Lockbox.

[Warren]

The Astrodome was first by a decade.

[Warren]

The Pantheon was first by a couple of millennia.

[PR]

first what? domed stadium?

[eCurmudgeon]

Monday: Grunt

Tuesday: Fear

Wednesday: Bomb

Thursday: 9/11

Monday: War
Tuesday: Famine
Wednesday: Pestilence
Thursday: Death

The question of which party I leave to the reader...

[John C. Randolph]

Al Gore always was a long-winded SOB.

-jcr

[Lillian Hellman\'s Revenge]

I would love this :
The Violent Femmes "Dance Motherfucker, Dance!" is used as the theme song at the Dems convention - after the final words of his accceptance speech, the song is struck and Obama starts to jig wildly on stage and the 50,000 plus starry-eyed onlookers follow suit.
Meanwhile, Wolf Blitzer looks on and can only muster this response - "Amazing. Amazing."

[mick]

The Republicans once again demonstrate why they are the party of ownage with pithy one word themes vs clunky phraseologies obviously made in commitee.

[John C. Randolph]

Monday: Jealousy
Tuesday: Envy
Wednesday: Greed
Thursday: Pride
Friday: Sloth

-jcr

[sebs]

america elected the gritty one liner dude instead of the too-nerdy, over eager intellectual. how did that work out?

morans get the government they deserve.

[lower case j]

Saturday evening:

The Reverend Mike Huckabee will heal the sinful John Edwards by making him bob for apples at the bottom on an inflatable swimming pool furnish by the Karbunckle brothers of Peoria Illinois.

[moran]

yes we do

[George HW Bush]

anarch,

What victorious candidates do we know who were damaged by failing to fulfill a campaign promise?

Read my lips....

[zergrusher]

Interesting how the republicans have adopted Paul's rhetoric of Peace and Prosperity...and interesting how parties have ignored any topic connected to "Freedom."

[Guy Montag]

the Rs would get more traction if they had Piece day.

[Elemenope]

Oh boy, a chance to use my word of the day.

The Democrats are obviously more loquacious* than the Republicans.

"Yeah. Zoe's terse. I can be terse. Once, in flight school, I was even laconic!"

[Andrew]

Gore's making shit up again. The Astrodome was first by a decade.

Plus the Metrodome isn't the only domed stadium supported by air pressure. The Carrier Dome in Syracuse is the same way.

[ed]

Democrats: We will negate your liberties.
Republicans: Negate your liberties we will.

[mr simple]

Way to prove your point by misspelling moron.

Remember: Al Gore didn't invent the internet, but he did make up global warming.

[Jon H]

Is Larry Craig doing the 'service' keynote speech?

[Jon H]

Also: I bet that the highlight of GOP nomination night will be a big SUV drop.

Hell, why not? There's plenty of unsold inventory to unload, and the GOP are so stupid the massive head injuries won't be a problem.

[Nike Air Presto nike-sports]

Time to get our hearts and minds right, and make today the best day ever, because it will never come again!