RPV Convention Live Video Stream, Snarky Commentary

What are your "new ideas," Bill Bolling? You mean saying "no" to everything? Sadly, that's not a "new idea" for your party; you guys did it to both Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and we'll never forget it. You guys also turned down $125 million in OUR OWN TAX DOLLARS in federal stimulus funds to help Virginia's unemployed. We won't forget that "new idea" either.

I doubt Bono is happy having his music played at a Republican convention...

Ryan Nobles tweets: "8 people to introduce @BobMcDonnell. It kind of reminds me of that SNL skit at the wedding where everyone tries to give a toast." How true. :)

The scariest words in the English language? "...and your next governor, Bob McDonnell." Be afraid. Be very afraid. And make sure it doesn't come to pass.

"He is ready"...to drive Virginia back into the ditch Jim Gilmore left it in. No thank you.

Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Around the Bend" pipes in Bob McDonnell. Is the line, "Leave the sinkin' ship behind" ironic or appropriate in this context? :)

Shocker: Bob McDonnell accepts nomination as Republican gubernatorial nominee. I'll tell ya, I didn't see THAT one coming! :)

McDonnell refers to the party of Lincoln and Reagan? Hmmmm...something tells me those guys wouldn't agree on much.

McDonnell says unemployment is at a multi-year high here in Virginia. So why did he reject federal money to help Virginia's unemployed?

Oxymoron alert: "Innovative, workable conservative solutions." And those would be? [sound of crickets chirping]

Republican cliche alert: "I looked from the soil of freedom...into the heart of darkness."

"After that landslide victory..." Uh, guys, I think that was a joke you were supposed to laugh at. :)

Oh yes, please protect my (heterosexual) marriage against TEH GAYS!!!

Here we go again with Palin's "drill baby drill!" McDonnell really believes we have a lot of oil offshore, except that it's all based on garbage "analysis" by a climate change denier who can't get any of his facts or extrapolations correct.

"Conservation is a conservative value." Nice words, but it would be even nicer if they weren't just hot air, Bob.

"We will widen I-66 inside the Beltway." There goes the Arlington vote. :)

Yes, there WILL be a clear choice for Virginians this November.

Love how Bob stole Terry's "big ideas" line and also the Democrats' "party of no" mantra used against Republicans. Verrrry clever. ;)

Just substitute the word "Republican" for "Democratic" (and "no" for "yes") and this part of the speech kinda/sorta makes sense.

Biggest cheer so far - along with "drill baby drill" - comes for the line about defending Americans, "born and unborn." Another big cheer for guns.

How many times can McDonnell mention suburbia and Fairfax County?

Oh great, Sean Hannity coming up next. Should I take a hot shower now or after his speech?

Hahahaha, Hannity says Eric Cantor's doing a great job in DC against Nancy Pelosi. That's why his approval ratings are far lower than Pelosi's and why his "listening tour" has been widely ridiculed. What. Ever.

Hannity bashes "Princess Pelosi" again. Why are so many leading Republicans misogynistic?

OK, here we go with the crazy "socialism" talk and faux-concern for "hard working Americans." Suuuuuure, we believe you Sean.

More government bashing by the party that doesn't believe in government. So...why would we elect them to run the government? Hmmmmm.

Please, keep bashing Barack Obama and see how that works out for you, guys! :)

Cheap shot after cheap shot, demagoguery and more demagoguery by Hannity...and the crowd loves it! That says it all about the RPV.

Now, like clockwork, cue the Reagan Worship, even though Reagan raised taxes, presided over huge budget deficits and rapid government spending increases, and a scandal (Iran-Contra) which led to a number of his administration officials going to jail.

Oh my god, not the New Deal or the Great Society, what horrors! :)

Wait a minute, Hannity's advocating that we live "free of government?" He's an anarchist, in other words?

Here we go with the supposed "liberal media", also known as the corporate/conservative noise machine.

You stand against evil? So, you're against torture then?

The Republicans can be the party of fiscal responsibility after they just spent 8 years proving, "no we can't!"

Hannity makes it clear he sees Terry McAuliffe as the Democratic nominee. The crowd agrees. Go Terry! :)

Uh Sean? Even T. Boone Pickens knows we can't "drill our way out of it."

Linking immigration to nuclear terrorism - subtle!!!

Bashing public education...yep, that's the Republicans 4U.

Big cheer for Sonia Sotomayor bashing. Oh well, there goes the Hispanic vote! :)

Republicans: We don't take away your fears, we stoke them! LOL

Feeling inspired and uplifted yet? No? What, do you hate America or something? Ha.

Bolling: I've always stood against Warner and Kaine. Mazel tov!

Bolling: Throwing out the usual social conservative red meat for his "base." Tax credits for home schooling, leading the fight to save marriage, etc. Zzzzzzzzz.

Muldoon: Anti-establishment rant time (and LOTS of Bolling bashing). Enjoy! :)

Wow, Muldoon makes Bolling look semi-sane and semi-reasonable. Please, please Republicans, nominate this guy!!! :) (unfortunately, not much applause for Muldoon)

A global warming denier who believes in rolling back 1-gun-a-month and the smoking ban? What more could conservatives ask for? Go Muldoon!!! :)

AG candidates. Brownlee enters to the "Gunsmoke" theme. Shocker - more conservative red meat, pretty much the usual...how far right can you go? For instance: "We will abolish the triggerman rule!" Oh joy.

Muldoon: Must have a prosecutor because...well, because I'm a prosecutor! LOL

Muldoon claims he can compete everywhere in Virginia. Yet another mention of Fairfax County.

Is it my imagination, or is every one of these candidates crazier than the last one?

Cooch gets huge applause. I think this is the Republican nominee for AG. "I don't see any socialists here." Well, alrighty then! :)

The same old conservative red meat, but much bigger cheering for Cooch than for Muldoon. "We are in the minority...because Republicans abandoned their core principles."

Cooch = Mr. Death Penalty, Mr. Anti-"Illegal Immigration," Mr. "Right to Life," Mr. NRA.

Based on the reaction from the crowd, I'll be shocked if Cooch doesn't win in a landslide.

Dave Foster enters to...near dead silence from the crowd (crank up the music by progressive Democrat Bruce Springsteen).

Foster's big claim to fame was getting elected in liberalliberalLIBERAL Arlington. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"Yes we will" - drive the state into the ditch again like Gilmore did? Zzzzzzzzzzz.

The freak show continues as Jeff Frederick protege Bill Stanley (running for RPV chair) comes onstage.

I don't hear anyone cheering Bill Stanley as he trots out a long litany of anti-liberal straw men and cliches.

Bearing Drift tweets: "Stanley's not firing anyone up, a lot of milling about and bathroom running. Polite applause."

Stanley: I love you, the grassroots activists, I'll fight for you (tepid applause).

Pat Mullins comes on stage. Not much applause for him either, but the crowd likes the Ollie North and George Allen mention. Ugh.

Yet another mention of Fairfax County. Crowd seems to be in a stupor.

Mullins listing endorsements, crowd almost silent. Will expand "new media" and work through conservative bloggers. We'll see how that goes.

"If we sound like Democrats, we won't win." "I'm excited I'm not a Democrat." Crowd likes this.

Bashes media, Tim Kaine ("part time governor," blah blah blah). "Shame on you, Tim Kaine, give up one of those part-time jobs."

Bashes Terry McAuliffe for hiring union workers.

Mispronounces Perriello, but the gist is that they're "comin' after" Democratic Congressmen next year. Woo-hoo! :)

"It's time to quit beating up on ourselves, it's time to move forward."