The GOP Convention: Home of the Revisionist Historians

September 1 2004
Counterbias.com
Scott C. Smith

        One of my favorite George W. Bush quotes is from June 14, 2003.  Mr. Bush, in a speech to New Jersey businessmen, defended his handling of the war in Iraq:  “Now there are some who would like to rewrite history – revisionist historians is what I like to call them…Saddam Hussein was a threat to America and the Free World in '91, in '98 in 2003. He continually ignored the demands of the Free World, so the United States and friends and allies acted,” the Associated Press reported.

        I never quite understood what a revisionist historian was.  The only thing that comes to my mind are the holocaust deniers, but I doubt that’s what Bush had in mind.

        Monday marked the start of the GOP convention in New York City at Madison Square Garden.  It was a great day for revisionist historians, as speakers presented an interesting account of Bush’s record as president.

        Two popular revisionist historians giving speeches were Senator John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.  Both lauded the leadership of George W. Bush in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.  In fact, the events of that day were mentioned frequently.  A cynic might think that the GOP choose New York City in order to invoke the attacks of Sept. 11 – over and over and over again.  Other cynics might be of the mind that the use of family members of people killed in those attacks to give speeches in praise of Bush is a form of political exploitation of that horrible day. 

        The revisionist historians, for instance, seem to have forgotten about Osama Bin Laden, and the convention speakers did not invoke his name.  In case anyone has forgotten, Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks.  He remains at large.  We were successful in killing Uday and Qusay Hussein, Saddam Hussein’s sons, although I’ve never understood their role in the attacks of Sept. 11.

        John McCain spoke of the war in Iraq in his speech, but seemed to have forgotten the reason we went to war, which was to disarm Saddam Hussein of his stockpiles of weapons.  The revisionist historians have applied their magic, and now the reason we went to war was to liberate Iraq from a brutal dictator.

        McCain also criticized Michael Moore, who was in the audience (Moore is covering the convention for USA Today) calling him a “disingenuous filmmaker” who “would have us believe that Saddam’s Iraq was an oasis of peace,” a reference to the movie McCain apparently had not seen, Fahrenheit 9/11.  The scene McCain is referring to was not a scene to portray Iraq as an “oasis of peace” but rather to show that the Iraqi people are not all that different from us, as they engaged in the same kind of activities we all have engaged in, such as participating in a sport or getting a haircut.  To his credit, Moore took the booing in good cheer, although for a while there I was afraid the crowd would simply attack him.

        In a convention filled with speakers talking about John Kerry’s “flip-flops,” it was interesting to hear John McCain speak of the war in Iraq and his support of that war.  The John McCain of 2003 wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about the war.  In an April 26, 2003 piece, McCain told the Associated Press that North Korea was more of a threat than Iraq.  “We’re in a very serious situation.  You could argue, in some ways, more serious than it was in Iraq” due to North Korea’s atomic weapons. 

        McCain did not mention North Korea in his speech, so I guess we can rule that country out as a threat.  Which is something of a relief.

        Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani followed McCain, and yes, again, the September 11 attacks were mentioned.  A lot.  As well as George W. Bush’s leadership.  So now I know that George W. Bush is a strong leader.  Which makes me wonder what other qualities the man possesses.  If the attacks of Sept. 11 had never happened, what would Bush have been praised for?  I’m not sure.  But happen they did, so Bush’s leadership was brought up by everyone in attendance, it seemed.  Speaking (again) of Sept. 11, Giuliani said, “…it was here in 2001, in the same lower Manhattan, that President George W. Bush stood amid the fallen towers of the World Trade Center, and he said to the barbaric terrorists who attacked us, ‘They will hear from us.’”  Except for Osama Bin Laden.

        Bush was also praised for coming to New York City in the days following the attacks.  Which is what a president is supposed to do.  I think also a president would put down his copy of My Pet Goat and leave a Florida classroom after being informed of the attack against America.  I have not read My Pet Goat; perhaps it is one of those books that you cannot put down until you finish it.    

        I’m looking forward to the other revisionist historian speakers at the convention this week.  I’m sure they’ll find a way to blame the economy on Bill Clinton, and we’ll get to hear more fairy tales.  Perhaps a reading of My Pet Goat.  Oh, and Mr. Bush, a little advice: keep the twins from public speaking.  Please.