Delegates and national viewers gathered around Madison SquareGarden and their television sets to hear the long-awaited openingspeeches at the Republican National Convention, which beganyesterday in Manhattan.  Featuring guest speakers RudyGiuliani, John McCain, and President Bush himself, the conventiontook some expected and unexpected turns.

“I am here asking for the vote.  I want to show youhow I can make this a more hopeful America,” said Bush as theaudience members shouted “Four More Years” inresponse.

Both Giuliani and McCain painted pictures of Bush as a man ofstrong virtue with a decisive nature.  The former New Yorkgovernor even went as far as comparing Bush to Ronald Reagan andWinston Churchill.

“There are many qualities that make a great leader, buthaving strong beliefs, being able to stick with them throughpopular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristicof a great leader” said Giuliani.

Unlike his fellow Republican speaker, McCain refrained fromdiscussing Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry’s recentcampaign blunders and instead focused on why he thinks Bush, hispolitical adversary, should be considered for reelection.

Evoking a strong response from the audience and journalistMichael Moore, he urged voters to ignore the tactics of “adisingenuous filmmaker who would have us believe that Saddam’s Iraqwas an oasis of peace when in fact it was a place of indescribablecruelty.”

The War in Iraq and the attacks on the World Trade Centers werethe main topics of discussion.

Stay tuned for speeches from California Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger and First Lady Laura Bush.