The adage is that all good politics is theater, but on Thursday night the Grand Old Party will amend that. It will be that all good politics is theater-in-the-round.
Almost the minute Vice President Dick Cheney exited the stage at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday evening, nearly two dozen workers were to launch into an 8- to 10-hour project to build the stage from which President Bush will accept his nomination for a second term.
The stage, with carpet carrying the presidential seal, will be an island in a sea of delegates. And, if rumors hold true, the structure actually may rotate so the president doesn’t have to turn while speaking. His lectern is said to be of an Art Deco design.
The idea behind it all: Show the president standing amid his constituents, strong and independent, sure enough of his politics to walk into the center of a crowd of Americans to defend them. The pundits have taken to calling it an Oprah-inspired delivery. It’s never been done before, but as with all theater, the reviews will be forthcoming.
Television coverage
President Bush’s speech will be featured in prime time as the Republican National Convention concludes Thursday night.
Live coverage of the convention will be available beginning at 9 p.m. on ABC, CBS and NBC. On cable news channels, coverage of events will be interspersed with regular programs. On Chicago’s PBS station, WTTW-Channel 11, coverage will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. C-SPAN will offer gavel-to-gavel coverage.
