What Republicans See in Bush

I had an opportunity tonight to listen in on a conversation between two Republicans about Bush and Kerry. I was having dinner with a friend from college and one of his friends, and the topic turned - mercifully briefly - to the president's speech at the convention.

Neither of these people is a hardcore rabid Republican, but they're both going to vote for him... again. They liked his speech, largely because it wasn't a calculated political speech; it was just him talking. (My take: the guy can't do speeches, so having Bush ramble was a calculated political attempt to play to his strength.) They also agreed with each other that Bush clearly believes what he's saying, and isn't swayed by public opinion polls. (My take: he's made up his mind, isn't interested in other's opinions, and is largely incapable of correcting himself when he's wrong.)

The common theme here is that they see strength in things I consider weaknesses. That's not to say that I would call a sticks-to-his-principles liberal a bad leader, but if I approved of him it would be in spite of his single-mindedness, not because of it. Likewise with a folksy Democrat: his ability to sit and shoot the shit would be admirable only if I could count on him to stand at a podium and demonstrate mastery of his job responsibilities.

So maybe the election really is about "values". On one side you have people who value Bush's made-up mind and folksiness, and on the other you have people who value Kerry's ability to change his mind and to articulate ideas. I think I'll stick with the latter side.