The slogan is packed with evocation but devoid of content. It's the sort of thing that happens when ad men get their teeth into something. And it is a harbinger. The Party of Lincoln has resolved this week to mount a Smarm Offensive, and it has enlisted every man, woman and child interested in advancing the vision and candidacy of George W. Bush. On any given evening, delegates entering the arena find on their seats hand-painted slabs of poster board.
Partisans also receive bright tin confetti and streamers to hurl into the air, on cue.
There is an exuberant defensiveness to this years quadrennial Republican conclave. One looks almost in vain for such people to appear on stage. Surprisingly, the white males don't seem to mind much. They are more desperate for victory than dignity. So when Colin Powell hit them with a bastinado over their traditional opposition to affirmative action, they stood and applauded rapturously.