According to Reuters, the “Obama speech stage resembles ancient Greek temple”. Rick Moran thinks Denver is the homecoming of the generation of ’68 as adults.

If they win, we will enter an era where the majority will attempt to remake America into something more like a European social democracy. In fact, they brag about where many of their ideas come from – the failed economic models in France and Germany. Regulation of business and industry will be reintroduced. Social programs like national health insurance, top down mandated education reform, and the alphabet soup of programs for the poor will be expanded to include “the middle class” thus making more Americans more dependent on government than ever before.

I don’t mind losing if the Democrats proudly run on that kind of platform with full disclosure of how they intend to turn America into a semi-socialist state. But they don’t have the guts to do it because they know they would lose. Hence, they will continue to hide behind Obama’s soaring rhetoric that promises such a bright future but is a little hazy on the details.

The juxtaposition of those two images — the Greek Temple and a group coming to make an end of the Old Republic — naturally conjured Julius Caesar. Rome tottered on the foundations of its old myths. In Mark Antony’s famous speech he speaks of the cave of Romulus and Remus:

You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown

But the old symbols were being invoked to create a new world; useful only to dupe the crowds. The Lupercalia “had been literally degraded since the first century, when in 44 BC the consul Mark Antony did not scruple to run with the Luperci; now the upper classes left the festivities to the rabble.” Even though the conspirators had slain the tyrant the old world could not be restored. Mike Moran recalls George McGovern’s rueful remark after Chicago, the exact moment when something had perished. “I opened the door to the Democratic party and 20 million people walked out.” Maybe the significance of Denver is that what begun in 1968 has finally been achieved in 2008. Ayers is now inside the tent. But where will all the 20 million go? I realize that John McCain may know in his bones that he can’t be the candidate of the Republican Party as conservatives would like it because the Democratic party as we know it has already died, and he must hasten to pick up the pieces.