Love and Change in Tampa
Yesterday was something of a love fest at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Ann Romney ascended the stage wanting to “talk about love” and her life with Mitt Romney — not the founder of Bain Capital but the “tall, kind of charming young man” who brought her home from a dance 47 years ago and who still has the power to make her laugh.
Chris Christie told a rapt audience that conservatives had become “paralyzed by our desire to be loved,” pointing out that today’s leaders have often “decided it is more important to be popular, to do what is easy and say ‘yes,’ rather than to say no when ‘no’ is what’s required.”
And then there was the rising star Mia Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, who is running for Congress and who recounted her parents’ journey from poverty and squalor in Haiti to America, a land of opportunity. It’s not clear that Ms. Love’s endorsement of Mitt Romney and the traditional American values he espouses will do much to move the statistical needle of African-American support for Romney from near zero, but if any speech could, she delivered it.
The speeches yesterday provided plenty of rousing, feel-good moments. But to my mind the most important event of the day was something whose effect was sobering if not devastating. I mean the private screening of Stephen Bannon’s new movie The Hope and the Change. Bannon has assembled an eloquent and moving collage of 40 Democrats and independents from different backgrounds all across the country. All voted for Barack Obama in 2008. All give voice to their frustration, disillusionment, and sense of betrayal at the hands of a man who came promising “hope an change” but delivered a fiscally incontinent governmental leviathan that has impoverished America.
A fiscally incontinent governmental leviathan that has impoverished America. Thank you, Roger, for that succinct summary of the current infelicity and malaise. Here’s hoping this election turns out to resemble 1980.
It’s not clear that Ms. Love’s endorsement of Mitt Romney and the traditional American values he espouses will do much to move the statistical needle of African-American support for Romney from near zero, but if any speech could, she delivered it.
The GOP isn’t known as the party of diversity, and check out NBC’s Chuck Todd:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/08/28/chuck_todd_gop_putting_minorities_in_front_at_convention_to_appear_diverse.html
Like it or not Mia Love et al appear as pandering.
Condi Rice appearing is NOT pandering. She has cred. If only she were the VP pick. But Mia Love? PANDERING.
The GOP needs to stop doing this stuff.
The GOP put up some articulate spokespersons who had some ideas to express. But because of their skin color or ethnicity, MSNBC excluded them from the broadcast of the Convention. And your ABC heroes sneered about pandering, without giving any attention to those ideas – deciding only on skin color and ethnicity.
If you like that kind of racism, sorry, you should get some help.
Accused by who, exactly? As a conservative, I know the movement is full of different kinds of people, from all kinds of backgrounds. The Left is the most damned race/gender/insert-victim-group-du-jour-here obsessed group there is. Never have so many been so taken up with so much that matters so little. Ask me why I or any adult with a modicum of critical thinking skills and a triple digit IQ care what they think?
How exactly is Mia Love’s appearance pandering? She hasn’t had the academic, political or policy experience of Professor Rice, but she is early in her potential political career having been a city council woman, now a mayor, and is in her first run for Federal office. She is a very appropriate speaker early in the first night of a political party’s convention.
So, if we deny Love the stage because she’s black we discriminate against her and confirm the deeply unfair, historically backwards stereotype of the Racist Republicans. If we do let her speak we’re pandering, and confirming the deeply unfair, historically backwards stereotype of the Racist Republicans.
Under the rules you propose the game is rigged and unwinnable. I’m glad the RNC is smart enough not to play it this year.
How is putting an up and coming candidate trying to unseat a 6 term opponent pandering? Project much?
I am uneasy and more about the politicization of love. Chris Christie’s theme of respect as necessary, love as “maybe later” strikes me as more compatible with the limited-government theme of the GOP.
“…what conventions are meant to achieve: it has brought the various Republican factions together and energized the troops.”
That’s not what conventions were for. Conventions were supposed to choose a nominee and settle on a party platform. That’s what conventions used to be like as late as 1980.
But in 2012, now that those issues have been settled long before this convention, this entire convention is going to be a snoozefest. Even the delegates look bored. Other than us political junkies, no one else is going to watch it. At least now that we’ve got YouTube, good moments from the speakers’ various speeches can be saved for folks to access that way.
I watch the convention for cues — who is up and coming, and who is likely to be tapped for the administration.
A couple of comments. Last night, as I returned from a long trip, I listened to the speeches of Ann Romney and Chris Christie and was impressed with both. But reality sinks in. Both speeches were possibly heard and served as motivational moments for much less than five-percent of the American public. The balance will hear either nothing or purposeful distortions from the media. Speeches and a dollar at McDonald’s will get you a cup of coffee. The other side gives speeches that the average bozo absorbs. But “our side” can’t begin to compete with free health care, tax the rich guy, free condoms, abortions 24/7, free college, more food stamps, extended unemployment benefits, greater SSI eligibility, troops out of whatever country, tax the oil companies, and on and on with speeches about personal responsibility and a love of the “American way” since the American way to most people implies the land of the free ride. If the speech writers don’t soon come up with attention getting direct attacks on the personal damage done to the average American by this administration’s policies and offer equally attention getting solutions then we may well experience the horror of a re-elected Obama. Good grief, couldn’t we at least hear someone from our side go to the microphone and bellow “we’ve got more energy in the ground than the entire middle-east and in five years America will not import, with the exception of Canada, another drop of oil from anyone” and then go on to explain how we will accomplish exactly that and what it will do for the working stiffs pocketbook and the entire economy. Make that the message of the convention and the campaign and even the most asleep among us will hear it. Enough of the “I’m a mom, too” and “my parents were dirt-poor” stuff. Quit trying to be loved or even respected. If Romney goes that route, and I fear he will, it’s over.
…and then go on to explain how we will accomplish exactly that and what it will do for the working stiffs pocketbook and the entire economy.
All any candidate needs to do is say that energy = wealth so here’s the plan, and that’s all it would take.
Artur Davis and Mia Love both hit home runs last night. Yet if you got all your news from NBC and the rest of the Lamestream Media you wouldn’t have a clue they even spoke.
The LSM must be racist!
Spot on. I tuned into C-Span and had a great (straightforward) experience.
CNN did air Artur Davis — although a couple minutes into the speech. They skipped Nikki Haley. Last night they skipped Pam Bondi (AG from Florida talking about Obamacare), Ron Portman (talking about jobs), late into Condi Rice’s speech, skipped Luis Fortuna from Puerto Rico, Pawlenty and Susana Martinez from New Mexico. It was really pitiful watching Wolf Blitzer and some woman try to just keep talking — it should have been obvious to anyone that the lame commentary and the plethora of commercials was just avoidance of showing certain speakers. Why does anyone call that news?
Yooper, I am with you 100%. But Romney is also going to have to rip Obama a new one in a massive advertising blitz. He is going to get accused of it no matter what. So just do It.
That’s what the pacs are for. Romney needs to maintain a Reaganesque “above it all” demeanor. So far, he seems to be doing exactly that.
Don’t be deceived Mr.Kimball; it’s a sickening spetacle. This is more RINO consultant -mandated poltroonery and an unprincipled refusal to rebut Democrat smears.It’s 2008 all over again, with Ryan instead of Palin serving to sucker conservatives and their money.I foresee a neutered Ryan,and “kick-me-again RINO, ROMNEY serving as punching bags for Obama and Biden,in the debates,a la Dole – Kemp.Let’s send our money to the tea party,and let Romney scrape funds from the RINO elite, as he scrapes and bows to Obama,even as Obama accuses him of tax cheating and murder.How can we trust Romney to end Obamacare, when he won’t even trash Obama for his vicious smears?
But wouldn’t you say the Romney campaign needs to just straight-up refute the Obama campaign’s lies without going ballistic over it? Don’t you think they are baiting Republicans into blowing up? It was one of the narratives media floated last time with McCain (the unhinged McCain). Not that I care — I like some heated arguments myself. But I do expect my leaders to stay focused and not get derailed on every asinine rumor. I didn’t want Romney as the candidate, but I will tell you that I’m satisfied with how the campaign has navigated the churning (turd-filled) waters of the media. I despised how McCain handled it in 08, and was deeply unhappy with him as our choice, though I did vote for him.
Stephen Bannon’s new movie The Hope and the Change
I watched the excerpt you link.
Looking to our federal government for the kinds of things Obama implicitly (and explicitly) promised, looking to government to pick up the slack in one’s personal life, is the beginning of the problem.
I’m not disappointed in Obama. He has performed exactly down to my expectations, vapid, airy BS.
He knows nothing about business, except how to ruin it in pursuit of his ignorant personal ideology.
I’m not sure people understand the pressure black conservatives/republicans are put under. Just look at the Wikipedia info they put on Mia Love’s page, I’m sure blacks tell each other that Republicans do that stuff. Well, go on a black Democrats page and you won’t see it, because Republicans don’t do it. In fact, how many times have they been caught doctoring their own pages and trying to blame conservatives?
They really need to be exposed!!!
After watching Love’s speech, my husband and I watched her donations on her website soar. She started with a goal of $50K, now she has more than $109K, and that just bumped up $3K in the last 30 minutes. On her website it says she asks herself 3 questions whenever evaluating an issue: Is is sustainable, it is affordable and is it her problem. This is refreshing. Most women politicians come out strong with softer issues of family and social programs. But she seems to be tackling the thornier issues of taxes and entitlements. One of her pledges is to cut property tax. Utah’s looking good to me.
Published on Aug 29, 2012 by Pajamasmedia Notwithstanding the Obama camp’s belief in the GOP war on women, Republican women took center stage during the Tampa convention. This did not prevent MSNBC from refusing to air the speeches of prominent GOP women. MSNBC even refused to air the speech of Puerto Rico’s First Lady Lucé Fortuna. Hear why on this PJ News Break with Scott Ott.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEkt9GzoEZM&feature=g-all-u
I’m not sure people understand the pressure black conservatives/republicans are put under. Just look at the Wikipedia info they put on Mia Love’s page, I’m sure blacks tell each other that Republicans do that stuff. Well, go on a black Democrats page and you won’t see it, because Republicans don’t do it. In fact, how many times have they been caught doctoring their own pages and trying to blame conservatives?
http://www.facebook.com/50PlusRomance
I’m not sure people understand the pressure black conservatives/republicans are put under. Just look at the Wikipedia info they put on Mia Love’s page, I’m sure blacks tell each other that Republicans do that stuff. Well, go on a black Democrats page and you won’t see it, because Republicans don’t do it. In fact, how many times have they been caught doctoring their own pages and trying to blame conservatives?