RON RADOSH: The RNC Convention Speech You May Have Missed, and Why it is So Important for Americans to Hear.
The speech that should have been seen by most TV viewers of the RNC 2012 convention — but which most of the viewers at home did not see — was the little noticed yet important testimony of Jane Edmonds, Mitt Romney’s Secretary of the Workforce when he was Governor of Massachusetts. Coming before Clint Eastwood, Marco Rubio and Romney himself, it is not surprising that it was missed. But if you flipped channels, most networks — regrettably, even including Fox News — decided instead to give its viewers the wisdom of its panel of pundits.
Edmonds, viewers at home would have found, is an African-American woman, who proudly called herself a “liberal Democrat.” In a strong and firm voice, Edmonds told the delegates and those who did watch her speech, that the Romney she got to know well when he was Governor was a supporter of women, appointing them to high positions in his administration. Moreover, she noted that Romney was a bold, strong administrator, who worked hard on behalf of the people he represented.
“The late Stephen Covey,” Edmonds said, “writes about 2 kinds of people: one type is all about themselves and their success. The other type works as hard as they can — and certainly succeeds, but their success is motivated by doing good for others. That’s how I see Governor Romney. He is authentic.”
Her very presence as a supporter of Romney for President indicated that even a self-proclaimed liberal who is also an African-American and a woman can unashamedly and publicly give her support to Romney’s campaign, undercuts the Democratic narrative in one fell swoop. It is not surprising that a network like MSNBC would choose not to broadcast her short moment in the program, but that most including Fox News did the same is inexcusable.
I saw her speech, and I agree.
UPDATE: Here it is.
MORE: Reader Kelli Sorrells says MSNBC did cover Edmonds’ speech: “As much as I despise MSNBC I can’t believe I have to write to defend them. I watched them on Thursday night for the entertainment factor as I always do on big political nights to witness the silliness live. They did show the Edmonds speech. I remember because Maddow immediately dismissed her speech stating something along the lines of “I don’t know what that was for other than Romney hired people in his administration. How that relates to being president, I’m not sure.” Thats my recollection and not a direct quote.” Perhaps they didn’t realize she was black until it was too late. . . .