I intended to write on something else today. This post was going to be about a very disturbing revation about ObamaCare that I read at Maggie’s Notebook. If you haven’t read it, you really should.
Thoughts on the RNC Opening Day
Because of where I have lived for the last twenty years, it has been a while since I have watched a political convention in America. Now, because of my trusty computer and the internet, I was able to watch the live streaming of the opening day of the RNC that Fox News provided. I had seen a list of those who were to speak last night and my first impression was not positive. But, after listening to all them, I must say that whoever organized and chose the speakers did a knock-out job.
The theme for the night was built around Obama’s famous line “You didn’t build that…”. it’s a great rallying point; but I must say that the way the Republicans used it was a bit dishonest and it wasn’t necessary to do so. The words the President spoke refered to roads and bridges and infrastructure that everyone is able to use and was not referring to the businesses that people have built through their own blood, sweat, and tears. This distortion of the President¡s words was not necessary and I expect the Democrats will use this distortion to hammer the Romney and the Republicans. The President and his mentor on this subject, Elizabeth Warren, are wrong about who built the infrastructure. Local, state and federal governments build infrastructure with tax dollars that come from only one source, businesses. Without jobs, even government jobs, individuals have no ability to pay taxes. Businesses are the source of jobs and, therefore, all taxes that are paid in this country. But, the Republicans have made their bed and now they will have to lay in it. Let’s get back to the speeches.
I thought most of the speakers did a very good job. I was impressed with the new comer, Mia Love. The Governor of Nevada, Sandoval was great. Here is a man who started life at the bottom and became a federal judge for life; but he stepped down from the bench to run for Governor of the state that has suffered the most from the Great Recession. He came across as genuine, in my opinion. Another that I liked was Ted Cruz, the Tea Party favorite in Texas who came in second in the Senate primary race to the establishment choice. There was a run-off election and Cruz won going away. His story about his father escaping from Cuba with just one hundred dollars sown in his underwear was dramatic. He slipped into Spanish saying “¡El no tenia nada! Pero si´ tenia corazon.” (He had nothing! But, he did have heart.) That was a moving story, I thought. I was a bit worried about Rick Santorum. We knew he would address social issues and he did. I thought he did it with class.
The two main speakers of the night were to be Ann Romney and Chris Christie.
Listening to the first part of Mrs. Romney’s speech, I was shaking my head and thinking this is going to be terrible. I understand that it was her job to make it clear that Republicans are not anti-women. Maybe that part of her speech played better to women than it did to me. I’ll be interested in hearing you women out there on what your thoughts were. Having said that, when Mrs. Romney moved on to talking about her husband; what kind of man he is and what kind of President he will be, I thought she did an outstanding job.
Then came the keynote speaker, Chris Christie. With Christie, what you see is what you get. He is anything but pretentious. After Romney surprised the world by selecting Paul Ryan as his running mate, it should have been clear to everyone that Romney was making this election about a choice between two very different visions for America’s future. If there was any doubt left, Chris Christie put those doubts to rest last night. This election will not be a referendum on Obama’s performance over the last four years. Christie said over and over again that it is time to treat Americans like adults and tell them the truth. He said that hard choices will have to be made and they won’t be painless. A Fox News headline today was TOUGH LOVE: Christie Rallies GOP With Call for `Era of Truth-Telling` That, my friends, is what I believe America needs in spades; “Tough Love” and the truth.
There should be no doubt after the opening day of the RNC that this election is not between Obama and Obama Light. This is an election between two visions for America that are 180 degrees apart. I for one am willing to roll the dice and see what America is made of today.
Well, that’s what I’m thinking. What are your thoughts?
Asylum Watch 
I think his statement was, ” if you have a business, you did not build that” That is not about infastructure.
Hi, Graydon. Thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts. I believe, and when I heard the President’s original speech, the word “that” refers back to his previous sentence about roads and bridges. This is the exact same language used by Elizabeth Warren a month or so earlier, which was all over the news. That’s my opinion, anyway.
We don’t have to distort Herr Obama’s words. Der Fuhrer’s words as he said them will be enough to convict him come November.
That’s the attitude, MI. Obama is fail and will fail.
Conservatives seem to have come away with a fairly positive view, as you have.
I rarely watch political theater or commentary, and I didn’t last night, but I do enjoy hearing what my friends in Right Blogistan have so say, and you haven’t disappointed me.
Thanks for the recap!
Conventions are mostly about firing up the base. But it is also about trying to reach those few who are truly undecided.
I didn’t see all the speakers last night but I was impressed with those I did see. I agree with you about Ann, she started off a little slow but came on strong and delivered a great speech. I think she just needed to warm up a little bit as she is probably not used to this. She had to counter the Democrats faux Republican war on women and she did so adequately. Chistie was very good also, although a little toned down and I think this was probably done at the request of Mitt Romney.
Ann Romney really did do a great job. I think her speech will be remembered for some time.
Yes, Ann Romney did a good job. I was impressed with all of her speech, even with the part about the women of America.
But, she is a bad person because she owns horses, right? 🙂
I was worried that Chris ‘Jerzey Strong’ Christie was gonna be too Garden State for the rest of America. If my Twitter feed is any indication, I was wrong. Heartland conservatives were pretty stoked by Christie’s speech.
yeah, Cgristie rang all of the right bells, IMO.
Obama and his speech writers know exactly what they are doing. “You didn’t build that” was coached in the terms of infrastructure but it was delivered in the tone of class warfare. The more flustered Obama gets–and he has been quite frustrated in recent months–the more he lets his real thoughts and feelings show. He has contempt for non-union private industry that doesn’t share his view of the world–as everyone should be grateful for the opportunity to serve Big Government. What they didn’t count on was the Republicans making hay with his statement.
Ann Romney is no Ann Coulter or Sarah Palin but she doesn’t need to be. We don’t need a controversial first lady. She did an admirable job. Not ground-breaking but she did what she needed to do.
It was definitely class warfare and the Repunlicans are right to make hay from it. You could see the anger on Obama’s face when he made those ignorant comments. Now he can eat his words.
As a student of history, I don’t give a whit about speeches, but look at action. All the actions at this convention, from the roll call votes to the shutting out of duly elected delegates, to changing rules on the spot, scream one word and that word is SHAM.
But that’s a relief because now I know where those like me stand in the power structure’s mind–a piece of dispensable garbage to be TSA harassed (plenty of that right outside the walls of this convention)
The band plays on…
It is a moot point regarding who built what or what he meant. All we receive is from the government. What we have, is what we are allowed. Period.
Dang! I keep forgetting that. 🙂
Ann Romney accomplished much more than to make a “wonderful speech”. She came through as genuine as a person and genuine as an American; and that will rub-off into Romney, specially with women.
That was exactly what the speech writer set out to do and it was 100% successful. We will see it in the polls that stood before her speech at 69-40 favorability ratings for Michelle Obama-Ann Romney. I will predict those to rise to equal levels before November.
She came across very genuine, I agree.
Due to circumstances here at home, I was unable to watch on Tuesday night. However, first thing the next morning, I pulled up the video of Ann Romney’s speech.
What a lady! So elegant and so in love with her husband!
Ann Romney is a breath of fresh air.
Could it be that “It’s morning in America again”?
“Could it be that “It’s morning in America again”?”
What a pleasant thought.
Republican Mother,
To a certain extent, all political conventions are shams.
Part of the two-party system, I’m sure — but not exclusive to the two-party system, either.
Uh, they KIDNAPPED the one guy on the rules committee Morton Blackwell who was opposed to the rule change that will forever cut out grassroots participation. He was on a bus and the driver would not let him off, circling the convention center three times.
The voice vote on that rule change was scripted on the teleprompter, video was taken. The ayes clearly did not have, it but it was passed anyway.
The Ron Paul delegates followed the rules, but their petitions to put his name in nomination were not accepted based on an on-the-spot rule change. This is what I mean by sham. It was not going to change Mitt Romney’s status in the end, but the pettiness is evident of the lawlessness involved. here.
I’m very happy that Ann Romney made a nice speech. That’s all that matters when our government is bulk-buying hollowpoint bullets, isn’t it?
Okay, I admit my ignorance about Morton Blackwell and the other matters you mentioned.
But it is my understanding that similar underhandedness has gone on many times in the past. Not that I’m making an excuse, you understand.
These conventions are scripted performances.
Your understanding is incorrect. Reagan broke through the scripting in ’76, which set him up for a win in ’80. Goldwater broke through the scripting in ’64, putting a damper on Nelson Rockefeller. Oh, and by the way, George Romney refused to endorse nominee Goldwater because his blood wasn’t blue enough. Warren G. Harding broke through on the sixth round of nomination back in the day, after getting a paltry amount of votes on the first round.
I find it astounding that people critique and praise the telepromter-reading abilities of these people as though it matters a hill of beans. The underhandedness in this convention is way over the top of any others in recent memory. Michael Steele has admitted that it “is the height of rudeness and stupidity” on how the Ron Paul delegates were treated.
Wow! I must have been in never-never-land. The convention is over, and I am just now commenting on your blog of the first day. My strategy was to go to CSPAN where all the speeches are telecast, and there is no talking head to tell me what I just heard, or to keep me from hearing what is being said.
I don’t know if you can get CSPAN where you are, but it was a God send for me this week.
All I can get here is CNN en Español. No help. So I am greatful that Fox News was live streaming the RBC.
Republican Mother,
Reagan did not break through by himself. Google search John Carbaugh or John E. Carbaugh, the Karl Rove of that day.
There have always been “big boys” pulling the strings behind the scenes.