I’m listening to former senator Fred Thompson’s speech right now, and as you would expect from a professional actor, it sounds pretty good. But here’s the thing. Along with the rest of the Republicans, he’s trying to make this election about “character,” with Sen. McCain’s P.O.W. experience as the ultimate benchmark of any question of character.

What the Republicans don’t seem to understand is that with both of these candidates, the question of character is moot. For loyal Democrats, Sen. Obama’s choice to become a community organizer and his dedication to public service shows the strength of his character. For most Americans, Sen. McCain’s P.O.W. experience and reputation as a maverick suffice to speak for McCain’s character. Anyone who was going to use character as the bellwether of their vote has already made their decision.

For undecideds, there’s a damn good chance that most of them are cynical about all politics, and hence, impervious to arguments of character. The Republicans are gonna need to come up with something else.

And now he’s moved into his anti-Democrat section of the speech, and as usual, it’s a load of anti-liberal claptrap, with a smattering of trickle-down economics, which…you know…has worked so well for America so far.

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And now I’m listening to Sen. Leiberman, and he’s basically making an argument about McCain’s willingness and ability to work on a bi-partisan basis. Eight years ago, maybe even four years ago, hell, just this past Spring, I would have been open to this argument (and it’s why I said out of all the Republican candidates in the primary, McCain was the only one I’d be able to live with in the White House), but after caving to the right wing of his party on his V.P. nominee, he lost any credibility he still had as a maverick.

After making his pro-McCain argument, Leiberman’s moved to an anti-Obama one, using Sen. Obama’s lack of experience as his main thrust, but again, the Republicans just put the vastly-inexperienced Gov. Palin an elderly man’s heartbeat away from the White House, so how does that argument hold water anymore?

The other argument — the one he’s making directly to the Democrats watching at home — is that “you can trust John McCain to tell you where he stands,” but didn’t we just have a president who was like that?

Of course, this is to be uncritical and say that right or wrong, President Bush was straight with the American people — but even if that were true (which is sure as hell is not!), but even if that were true, doesn’t Sen. Leiberman understand that the people don’t want someone who “will be straight with them.” We want someone who will make intelligent decisions, ones that do the most good for most Americans.

It’s not “Country first,” as all the Republicans keep chanting.

It’s Countrymen First.

[And women and transsexuals too, of course]