"I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party." With that, Joe Lieberman tonight bore down on what is the central message of this Republican National Convention -- it's not about national security, or tax cuts, or social conservatism. And it's certainly not the message of solidarity with working Americans that the Democrats advanced last week in Denver. Rather, the theme is patriotism, honor, and personal sacrifice. It is amorphous, without many policy specifics. It is about private philanthropy and charity, not health care reform or better schools or a revitalized diplomacy. The message has the benefit of being simple to grasp, vague enough to feed one's own notions into. But it has the disadvantage of failing to speak directly to really any of the fundamental challenges facing the nation in a time of war, climate crisis, and looming recession. The spectacle of Lieberman -- a generally pro-choice, pro-labor, pro-social programs lifelong Democrat -- speaking here tonight is, frankly, surreal and a bit sad. And you get the sense, from his awkward little laughs and rehearsed smiles, that Lieberman himself feels how strange this moment is. --Dana Goldstein
