The GOP Convention: So Far, So Good

Hurricane Isaac did not manage to annihilate the GOP convention, much to the apparent disgust of some elegant, well-educated, and tolerant liberals.

I thought Mia Love was an amazing revelation, and I very much hope she wins her race in Utah. I was struck by how many of those on podium, e.g., Love, Ann Romney, Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, Rick Santorum, are the children of recent immigrants. So much for the mainstream media/Dem narrative about Republicans being anti-immigrant and being the party of the Mayflower. I was also struck by how many terrific women politicians the GOP boasts having--another fail for the narrative about "war on women." In addition, the GOP women have a sense of humor, grace, and  modesty lacking in the hard-edged, humorless, egomaniacal, and almost robotic women politicians on the Democratic side, e.g., Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Nancy Pelosi.

On the two main speeches.  I think Ann Romney knocked the ball out of the park. She had a very tough job to do, to wit, refute the developing storyline about her and the Governor as bloodless, soulless rich royals with no understanding of the common guy and gal. She came across as sympathetic, smart, hard-working, human, and as a person who has endured considerable personal struggle--multiple sclerosis and cancer-- with grace, humor, and faith. She did it without veering into self-pity or becoming cliche-riden and maudlin.  She is a very good speaker, and likely would have been a formidable politician in her own right.   There is a lot of material in that speech which can used in ads over the next two months.

Chris Christie, also the descendent of immigrants as he proudly noted, did an unusual thing for a politician, especially for one with his reputation as a street-fighting man. He made an excellent philosophical speech. He was by turns brash, funny, touching, and above all truthful. He is a terrific speaker; I had never heard him deliver a complete set speech before, and was very impressed.  He underlined that this campaign is about big issues, and he stressed that the GOP is on the side of the little guy. His line  "They believe in teachers' unions. We believe in teachers,"could easily be a slogan for the campaign. He stressed that the campaign is about conflicting views of the nature and future of America. His speech was perfectly in line with Romney's selection of Ryan as a running mate:  this is a campaign about fundamental issues. How often does that happen? Politicians who do not pander and do run on important issues. Amazing.

The humor, the optimism about the future, the view of America as a special country. The Dems have their work cut out for them. Let's see if Sandra Fluke, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, et al, can match that. Right . . . .