The United States takes the next big step toward elections in November with the convening this week of the Republican National Convention in New York City. The GOP convention promises to be a spectacular: Republicans have always demonstrated an innate understanding of the pomp and pageantry required of such events. Still, this year's conclave needs to be much more than a glorified television show: Now, more than ever, President George W. Bush needs to tell his country -- and the world -- what he intends to do if he is elected to a second term in office. While we do not vote in the U.S. elections, Japanese, like billions of others around the world, will be profoundly affected by the results of the vote.

There is no real suspense at this year's GOP convention. The renomination of Mr. Bush is a foregone conclusion, as it was throughout the primary season. At times during the campaign, there were calls for a new running mate for Mr. Bush -- Vice President Dick Cheney was considered a political liability by some Republicans -- but there was little chance the president, for whom loyalty is one of the most important virtues, would jettison someone who has served him so well.

Instead of drama, the GOP will showcase Mr. Bush's record as a war president and a strong leader in difficult times. The very decision to hold the convention in New York City, a Democratic stronghold, was intended to revive the image of Mr. Bush's standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center after Sept. 11, 2001, when the nation's spirits were at their lowest and his popularity rose to its peak.