Elizabeth Dole ran a brief, remarkably tense presidential campaign, dropped out, and almost immediately sank beneath the political waves. She resurfaced in Philadelphia with a much-prized slot in the prime-time schedule. The prize was fitting, if only because so much of the convention descended, stylistically at least, from Mrs. Dole's fateful speech in San Diego four years ago, when she wandered Oprah-like through the audience, extolling the virtues of her husband, Bob.
Her first appearance for convention week came Monday, at a tea held in her honor at the Four Seasons. Sponsored in part by the Lifetime cable television network, the event featured a video montage designed to highlight Mrs. Dole's "courage" -- her "tremendous courage," her "physical courage" -- in the pursuit of . . . well, exactly what wasn't clear, though one speaker pointed out that Mrs. Dole helped raise the national drinking age to 21.
Still, there were a lot of interesting visuals. There was a tribute from former FDA commissioner David Kessler (who called her "heroic"), a fawning clip from Rosie O'Donnell (who declared her "courage" nothing short of "thrilling"), and, best of all, silent footage of Mrs. Dole with the late Princess Diana, a princess with a purpose if there ever was one. "Princess Di," explained Cathy Keating, wife of Oklahoma governor Frank, "will always be remembered as the queen of our hearts, just as Elizabeth Dole will be remembered as the queen of our hearts of the American Red Cross."
Make that, the courageous queen of our hearts of the American Red Cross. And now another honor: Mother of the 2000 GOP Convention.