I thought President Bush’s speech was a home run.

He articulated a clear foreign policy vision: the key to being safe from terrorists is to spread freedom to the parts of the world whose conditions create terrorists. The theory is based on the view that repressive societies breed terrorists—not America—which is precisely why it’s such an anathema to the left.

Perhaps that’s why leftists—the nominal defenders of liberty—are aghast at our freeing two countries: if President Bush is right, and Middle Eastern repression is responsible for creating terrorists, then his plan might work. And if freedom in the Middle East stems the outward flow of terrorists from the region, then it is proof that America isn’t at fault for “creating” those terrorists.

Since the sum total of leftist theory seems to be that all world problems are created by America, history proving President Bush right would be just as damaging to the left as President Reagan’s victories were. Of course, during the time that Reagan tried to implement his policies, many more people were skeptical of him than today, which is why the left seethed at the recent tributes paid to President Reagan.

When it comes to foreign policy, I think President Bush is as big and as bold a thinker, and that his optimism will be borne out over the long haul.

If that’s the case, then President Bush may some day have a sendoff as grand as Reagan’s.

One underreported aspect of the speech was the sheer emotion of it. Even the video right before President Bush’s speech was moving, but there were times when you could see tears forming in the eyes of the delegates. President Bush looked a little misty at one point, too.

Aside from the foreign policy vision he outlined, I think the real power of the speech was its emotional aspect. That’s why I think viewers connected with it—and with President Bush. And if that’s one of the major reasons why the speech worked, it’s interesting that nobody seems to be reporting that angle.

After this week, I was left with a pretty strong sense that President Bush will win, and I don’t think it will be close. Then again, one of the prime purposes of predictions seems to be to make a fool of the person making them.