Written by: Beck

Bush is taking the podium. Prepare for a swarm of updates. Hopefully I can type fast enough.

Update: The speech is expected to run 40-45 minutes.

"I am honored by your support, and I accept your nomination for President of the United States." It's official.

Update: Opening paragraph is about how 4 years ago, none of us could have seen what was coming. "We learned of passengers on a plane whose courage frightened their killers."

"We have seen a shaken economy rise to its feet." Good metaphor there.

"We have seen our soldiers... acts of valor that would make the men of Normandy proud."

"We will build a safer world and a more hopeful America, and nothing will hold us back," this after a lot about how we can see a better future.

In other news, Bush's delivery seems to be on. He's definitely at the top of his game.

"I am fortunate to have a superb Vice President." Smart move there--it'd be fatal to try to downplay the importance of Cheney just because of how unpopular he is.

Update: He's moved on to thanking Laura. Presumably we're in for some touchy-feely family stuff now.

Update: Describing his daughters, his voice half-way cracked when he described them as "intelligent." Coincidence I'm sure. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, right?

Update: Lots of applause lines, but they're not lasting too long, and Bush isn't getting held up in his delivery by them.

"A presidential election is a contest for the future. Tonight I will tell you where I stand, what I believe, and where I will lead the country in the next four years." Well, yeah, that's kind of why we're watching this.

"I believe that every student must learn and every school must teach."

Update: "I believe we have a moral responsibility to honor our seniors." This followed by prescription drug coverage.

"So we unleashed that energy [of our small businessmen, entrepreneurs, and farmers] with the greatest tax relief in a generation."

"The most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the American people. If America shows weakness or uncertainty in this decade, the future will shift towards tragedy. This will not happen on my watch." Biggest applause line of the night.

Update: First use of "Compassionate Conservativism:" "I believe the country should provide people with opportunity to succeed, not tell them how to run their lives."

"The story of America is the story of expanding liberty." "Our nation's founding commitment is still our greatest commitment... to expand the frontiers of freedom."

Update: Bush argues that this time of demographic change (people working multiple jobs and careers in their lives, two-thirds of mothers working) provides an opportunity for positive benefits for everyone so long as people are left free to pursue their own choices & dreams. He further ammends that, however, to suggest that in this new economy, the government needs to provide a bigger safety net.

Security of a growing economy: "We compete in a global economy... more goods... more competition... America must be the best place in the world to do business." He will achieve that by reducing government spending, something I missed, and making the tax relief permenant.

"To create jobs, I will make the country less dependant on foreign sources of energy." This is a chimera, but that's an argument for another time. Also, the Democrats are more guilty of worshipping at that alter than Republicans by a WIDE margin.

"We must protect our small business owners from the epidemic of frivolous lawsuits."

Bush has already said more concrete plans for his administration in his first 15 minutes than Kerry did in his entire speech. Trust me, I wrote about 4 pages on Kerry's speech.

Now he's discussing revising the tax code. Making it simpler and more pro-growth. If he achieves that... it would be enormous. He wants to lead a charge for a reformed and simplified tax code. I don't think it's possible though. There are too many vested interests in each little nook, cranny, loop-hole, and special rule of the tax code, and they all have very good lobbyists.

He also wants to increase funding for community colleges and job training programs. He's starting to sound like a freaking Democrat.

Update: Opportunity is harder in some communities than others.

He has a plan to create "opportunity zones." Which involves tax relief, training, and incentives to create new business.

I just figured something out. Kerry accidentally gave the Republican speech, and Bush is giving the Democratic speech. Hell, Bush just took a pot shot at "big companies." Did someone slip some of Jeff Goldstein's little red pills into my beverage?

Now he's going on against personal health savings account. THIS is a very good idea. Any time you can provide the structure for personal savings driven not by government fiat but market fundamentals, you create a more efficient and pro-growth system.

Next promise: every community to have a health center.