We’ll all watch to see if the broadcast and cable networks will pay kinder attention to the Republican convention than they did to the Democratic convention. You may recall that Fox News and “the networks of NBC” barely acknowledged the Dems’ speakers, preferring to spend time with their own staff pundits’ insult-filled blather.

We’ll also see if and how the Bushies will try to sell themelves to what used to be known as the “mainstream audience.”

This gang of cynical manipulators has worked hard to divide America, then to seek approval from only two castes—billionaires and fundamentalists. How will they re-interpret their hatred and bigotries into a “uniting” positive image?

I know we’ll get a few things:

1) Suburban “country” singers.2) Insult comedians.

3) Arnold Schwarzenegger.

4) John McCain.

5) Slick infomercial segments about the sanctity of (hetero) marriage, the nuclear family, and stem cells.

6) Sappy, insincere promises to help senior citizens.

7) 9/11 references up the wazoo.

8) Flags everywhere.

9) Jesus references everywhere.

10) A Bush speech that’s well-rehearsed, free of flubs, and utterly content-free.

11) Spin-meisters and pundits uniformly lauding Bush’s adequate, content-free speech as one of the great orations in world history.

12) Immediate resumption of the most vile attack ads as soon as the convention’s over (if they’re even paused during it).

Remember: There is no level of sleaze to which the Republicans will not stoop. If they win (or re-steal) this election, I don’t know if there will even be a Presidential election in 2008. There could be some trumped up “terrorist crisis” used as an excuse to indefinitely suspend the Constitution and instill martial law. That’s how serious this is, folks.