by Evie Stone

His national approval ratings may be low, but President George W. Bush is still plenty popular with GOP convention-goers, who unleashed a big cheer when he appeared on the jumbotron for a video presentation to the delegates. The arena lit up with camera flashes as delegates and guests took photos of the onscreen POTUS.

The President opened with a quick homage to the victims of Hurricane Gustav. He then presented some John McCain bio, including the story of McCain turning down early release from the Hanoi Hilton because his fellow-POWs would not be released as well. And Bush told the crowd that in his judgment, McCain is ready to be President:

I know the hard choices that fall solely to a President. John McCain's life has prepared him to make those choices. He is ready to lead this nation.

 

The President nodded to his sometimes-rocky relationship with his 2000 primary rival:

He's not afraid to tell you when he disagrees. Believe me — I know.

And he invoked the defining moment of his own presidency, the first day of the War on Terror.

We live in a dangerous world. And we need a President who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain.

Talk of 9/11 dominated the speeches at the 2004 Republican convention that re-nominated Bush, but McCain's forces haven't referenced the attacks much in St. Paul. While national security and the war on terror are strong suits for the Republican party, 9/11 itself is so heavily associated with President Bush that too much mention of that day would almost seem backward-looking at a time that McCain wants to portray himself as his own man.