From time to time, political conventions can be consequential. And for Republicans, 2008 might be such a year.

It turns out that the angst over Barack Obama can only keep Republicans competitive. John McCain's compelling story? It can only persuade independents to take a look. What then?

Well, in the end, it's idealism that excites the American voter.

Washington insiders have been hammering away at a "re-branding" of the Republican Party. More often than not, they propose abandoning any stray fiscally conservative principles that may have survived the purges of the Bush administration and congressional Republicans.

This re-branding was news to Sarah Palin, who delivered perhaps the most exhilarating Republican speech in the past 25 years. Yet as good as Palin was, the person who best employed idealism at the Republican National Convention was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

My belief, conveyed in a number of columns, was that Huckabee's nomination would be catastrophic for every living creature on the face of the Earth — and probably other planets, as well.

So I was surprised that instead of eulogizing personal freedom and capitalism, as was done in Denver, Huckabee praised these ideals as the pillars of Republican philosophy. He offered a tangible distinction (rhetorically, at least) between his party and those who derive power from victimhood and dependency.

"I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich," Huckabee said. "I'm a Republican because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me." Huckabee went on to quote Abraham Lincoln, who never said: "A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have."

This maxim (delivered by Gerald Ford rather than the acutely romantic Honest Abe) would be a brilliant Republican slogan this year, certainly an improvement over "Country First" — which conjures up, for me, nightmares of a local commissar demanding I dig wells for the common good.

And by focusing on big themes rather than matching the Democrats' a-chicken-in-every-pot-unless-you-happen-to-be-mildly-successful, Republicans, with the help of Palin, have awakened the base.

Now Republicans also would do themselves a great favor by resisting the urge to place an Obama-style messianic halo atop Palin's head. Appealing personal narratives and great speeches do not always make great leaders. In fact, the sureness of a politician disappointing you can be placed at nearly an absolute certainty.

Consider Sen. Joe Lieberman's appeal to independents and disaffected Democrats. Lieberman gave conservatives a refresher course on McCain the "maverick." The maverick's the guy who mugged the First Amendment with campaign finance reform, voted against tax cuts, and sponsored immigration reform that induced violent conniptions from sea to shining sea.

Delegates forgave him because for the average voter, political victory is in and of itself no reason to get too keyed up. Partisanship is driven by factors bigger than policy or personality.

And now Republicans can vote for something they believe in rather than against someone they disdain. That's a significant change brought on by this convention.

Will it work out in the long run? Considering the mood of the country, Republicans are still long shots. But at least now this race is about something bigger.

David Harsanyi is a columnist at The Denver Post and the author of "Nanny State." Visit his Web site at www.DavidHarsanyi.com. To find out more about David Harsanyi and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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