While Glenn was playing poker (which makes a nice presidential metaphor, by the way), and Steve was testing the very limits of his liver, I had to drop my car off late last night at the dealer for its regular service, so I ended up listening to President Bush's speech in the car (and in my wife's car on the drive back). I had to leave my den (and its TV) just after the film narrated by Fred Thompson ended and President Bush emerged from those magic panel twin flags on the stage to give his speech.

Does this ever happen to the New York Times? ("All The News That Fit To Print, Except When Our Car Is In The Shop".)

What did I think of the speech? Brilliant introduction and set-up via the movie (and yes, I did immediately think the bit about throwing out the first pitch was a way to tweak Senator Kerry's poor performance in Boston in late July).

The more-or-less small government more-or-less libertarian in me could have done without the laundry list of domestic plans for the second term. As Cliff May wrote in "The Corner", "Can't we just leave one child behind?"

But I'm assuming this stuff must play well with viewers.

I don't know if President Bush was more engaged during the second half of the speech, when he started talking about the War on Terror, or if it was simply the inherent drama in these statements, but it was much more interesting stuff.

The New York Times in 1946 was brilliant--I said to my wife in the car that the Blogosphere is going to go crazy over that.

The humor worked perfectly, and was a great way to bring it to an end. As Steve wrote:

For all its faults, for all its overtly- and overly-religious tones, this small-l libertarian prefers George Bush’s America to John Kerry’s. I don’t care for NASCAR. I’m not much for country music, Sundays at church, blue-eyed soul, or faith-based initiatives.

But Bush made me feel welcome all the same. No, wait – let me amend that statement, too. Bush made me feel like his place is somewhere I’d like to spend some time and get to know the locals. You know -- down a few beers, chat up the natives and learn their quaint customs.

I don’t feel as welcome, as at home, in the America Kerry painted for us tonight.

"The America Kerry painted for us tonight"??

OK, so what in the Wide Wide World of Sports is up with Senator Kerry giving a midnight rally afterwards?

The whiff of Bill Clinton's administration still hangs heavy over the Democrats: when did the party of FDR, dapper double-breasted ex-haberdasher Harry Truman and JFK become so tacky?

First campaigning during the convention, when historically, both sides gave their opposition the week to make their case. Second, a speech on the same day as the President's acceptance speech? This did not sit well with the all-over-the-political-spectrum readers of Steve Green's site.

And Godwin's Law is preventing me from saying what I really think about the idea of a midnight political rally.

It ain't over 'til it's over (which is Yogi's law), but my first thought is, goodnight Terry, drive safely.

Update: Regarding the midnight speech, Hugh Hewitt writes:

I discussed the options available to Kerry on yesterday's program with John Podhoretz and Terry Eastland --very smart guys who have been around presidents and campaigns for dozens of years. We all agreed that Kerry would never embrace the "Michael Moore option" of running on anger and paranoia because it is a recipe for electoral disaster. But that's what Kerry grabbed on to last night, in a speech that may go down in American history as the worst ever delivered by a nominee. It is reason enough, I think, to reject debates with this fellow, whose apparent problems and insecurities about the past are every day becoming more apparent. Wild accusations that every responsible memebr of his party's leaqdership know to be false must be sending shock waves through that group this morning. Can you imagine Joe Lieberman reading Kerry's remarks? Or even Bill Clinton? Kerry's lost it, and that he did so on a night when George Bush reminded America why our enemies fear his leadership.

* * * Even a bad jobs report this morning wouldn't have changed the fundamentals of this election, but a rebounding number and the continued solid expansion of the economy has put Kerry in a box. Kerry could have chosen to lose with dignity, running a Bob Dole race. Instead he has decided on a march through the fever swamps. It will be an ugly 60 days as a result, but perhaps on the other end, the Democratic Party will get the jolt it needs to exile the Moore nuts from its midst. The GOP is in a commanding position, but the country needs two responsible parties, and right now, the Democrats have become unhinged. When Kerry colklapse and takes Daschle, Murray, Boxer annd others with him, perhaps the message will get through that the country will not tolerate this nuttiness in a time of war.