Drill, Baby…Drill!

In my book, former mayor Rudy Giuliani registered the creepiest keynote convention speech ever last night. But it wasn’t just because of his gleeful, almost giggly mockery of Obama. It was also because of the delegates in the hall, weirdly chanting “USA…USA,” “Drill, Baby, Drill,” and “Zero…Zero,” interchangably.

Those three chants really sum up the Republican party this year. Self-aggrandization, environmental and energy complacency, and spitefulness against unity.

Ok. I might sound like a “bitter” Democrat who hates America, especially with my commentary about the “USA” chant. But think about it. One might chant “USA” at a sporting competition against another country, but when there’s no competition, what’s the point? Oh, I forgot, Democrats hate America.

It seems as if there is a Republican mentality that the louder you shout “USA”, and the bolder you wear the stars and stripes, the more patriotic you are.

My high school in Texas had the motto “Pride Makes the Difference.” The problem was the motto was used as a weapon rather than a virtue, with emphasis on the ‘difference’ part. The attitude was highly competitive, and utterly divisive. Divisions between Haves and Have-nots were enormous. There was a substantial depression rate, and, in fact, there was a spate of suicides due to individuals that couldn’t make the cut. I was frequently sequestered when I exercised my own brand of pride. I was an artist and a free thinker. Much of the time it didn’t go over so well. “Pride making the difference” was more about superiority, and bowling the other guy, or school, over.

That’s good and fine in high school, after all competition is in the hormones at that age. But chanting “USA, USA” as a weapon against other patriotic Americans, as a show of who is more deserving of this country, is downright silly and tasteless.

Finally, the “Zero, Zero” chant is just plain dumb. Sure, in context it addresses Obama’s lack of experience, but it has far too little value to warrant a chant. It’s one of those things that makes one turn a head to one side like a floppy-eared dog and go ” huh?” The equivalent would be Democrats chanting “Mixed Up, Mixed Up,” in reference to McCain’s frequent mix ups over the Sunni’s and the Shia’s. That would be dumb.