Giuliani and Romney - the twilight zone

[Photo of Rudy Guiliani, eastern elitist and family values poster boy]

Steven Benen, writing for the Washington Monthly, says "The GOP Loathes Itself."

By George, I think he's right.

Benen notes how the Republicans at convention keep crying about how "Washington is not working." That's fascinating as Republicans have been in charge of just about every nook and cranny in Washington for almost eight years!

But it was the speeches by Giuliani and Romney that made Mr. Benen wonder if he was "stuck in a "Twilight Zone" episode."

For example, Giuliani, "The multi-millionaire former mayor of New York railed against 'cosmopolitans." Giuliani wanted us to believe that being mayor of Wasilla, Alaska is equivalent to being mayor of New York! Giuliani thinks that two terms as mayor of a two-horse town in the middle of nowhere qualifies someone to become president of the United States.

And then Mitt Romney, "The multi-millionaire, Harvard-trained, former governor of Massachusetts railed against 'eastern elites.'" Romney further denigrated his own background by stressing that it was time for the sun to rise in the west -- a metaphorical gibe -- rather than in the east where those elitists have been busy ruining our country!

Benen notes that "Just 48 hours after the party's nominee insisted the convention would be less partisan, we're bombarded with the most ugly and nasty partisanship of any party gathering in years. ...

"Seriously, what's the message of the week in St. Paul? That Republican governing works? No. That Republicans have a legitimate policy agenda? No. That the next four years should be different from the last eight? No. It's simple: 'Your house may be on fire, but don't trust that man standing outside with a hose, because he doesn't share your values.'"

Benen then compares this convention with the one in 1992 which had the "Republicans pretending that they haven't been in charge, and blaming Democrats for the Republican failures in the most divisive, pathological way possible."

That's about right!