State News Editor Tyler Nickerson and Photo Editor Grey Satterfield will provide a daily rundown and analysis of highlights from the events surrounding the Republican National Convention in Florida Aug. 27-30. Follow the updates here.
Aug. 30: Tampa, Florida--Time will tell whether Mitt Romney succeeded Thursday in fashioning himself someone fit to lead this country, but he sure tried.
The Romney-Ryan campaign’s foremost focus has been jobs, the national debt, the deficit and Obamacare. It’s why he chose Paul Ryan as his running mate and why the crux of nearly every speech and campaign ad bashes President Barack Obama’s record and leadership on these issues and promotes a Romney-Ryan economic plan that repeals Obamacare and severely cuts government involvement in the economy.
But going into the Republican National Convention, Mitt Romney’s kryptonite was himself. What he has in experience, history and business savvy, he lacks in likeability and trust, at least according to polling. Fifty four percent say Obama is the more likable between the two in a recent Gallup poll. Thirty-one percent said Romney was more likable. But, the same poll found that 52 percent believe Romney is better equipped to handle the economy, compared to 43 percent who picked Obama.
This week’s convention was meant to sell a Mitt Romney that the American people would want to buy. The numerous guest speakers were carefully chosen to testify to his faith as a leader of his church, integrity as a member of his community, leadership as a governor and steward of the Olympics and savvy as a businessman.
That effort crescendoed Thursday night when he took the stage after hours of meticulously engineered buildup and anticipation, from short poignant videos to speakers who knew Mitt before he became a household name.
Among them, a former Staples business partner, a former Deptartment of Workforce Development Secretary from his days as Governor of Massachusetts, and friends from his church and community who offered moving tales that spoke to Mitt Romney the man, not the politician or business mogul.
“That’s how I see Gov Romney,” said his former WFD Secretary Jane Edmonds. “He is authentic.”
A friend from his church in Boston called Romney “a deeply good man.”
But looking past all the effort, did it work?
During his speech, Romney hit on all the big topics. He began a bit uncomfortable and awkward, and was not helped by two screaming protestors who interrupted his flow.
But he then started talking about his family, even choking up at the mention of his parents; a showing of emotion that surely brought pumped fists and high fives between campaign officials.
He made an appeal that his incredible financial success is not something that should be looked down upon, but celebrated.
“Is it any wonder that someone who attacks success has led the worst recovery in our nation since the great depression?” Romney posited.
Then a laundry list of campaign promises and Obama bashing followed, often leaving the crowd standing up and chanting “USA!”
“President Obama promised to slow the rise of the ocean and to heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family,” Romney said to roaring approval.
While the excitement and anticipation was palpable inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum during Romney’s speech, the night’s earlier speakers, notably Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and, the surprise of the night, legendary actor Clint Eastwood, drew similarly loud reactions and ovations.
Rubio played perfect set-up man for Romney. The young, rising political star spoke a little about his own American journey, without taking too much attention away from the man of the night. His speech was well written and well-timed, and resulted in loud, admirable applause from the stadium full of GOP leaders.
Clint Eastwood was, well, Clint Eastwood. The aging actor set a chair up next to the podium and “interviewed” an invisible Obama, challenging him on his record. He was the only speaker all week- that I noticed- who did not use a teleprompter. The speech was full of awkward tension, nearly inaudible rambling and moments when you thought he would say something horrible that would derail the night for Republicans. But somehow it worked for the GOP faithful.
“What do you want me to tell Romney?” he jokingly asked Obama. “He can’t do that to himself. Your getting as bad as Biden.” And later, “I’m sorry, I can’t do that to myself either.”
The crowd loved it.
National conventions, both Democratic and Republican, are largely symbolic events and serve no real purpose beyond generating buzz for a candidate and entertaining the Party’s elite. There is typically a “bump” in polls after them, but the bump rarely has a long-term effect on the race. And less and less Americans actually watch them, according to research.
Looking back, the week ended without a noticeable glitch. But did it produce the kind of game changing, election swinging reaction GOP officials are hoping for from the small percentage of American voters who still have not made up their minds about who they will vote for in November? How good of a job did Mitt Romney do at schmoozing the American people? Will the Democratic National Convention, which convenes next week, erase any gains Republicans may have made?
Those questions will be answered Nov. 6. That’s it for the 2012 Republican National Convention.
Aug. 29: Tampa, Florida--In the biggest speech of his young life, vice presidential nominee and Janesville, Wis., born U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan addressed a packed audience in Tampa, Florida Wednesday at the Republican National Convention and millions around the world at home watching on television.
The last in a series of speakers for the night, Ryan delivered an occasionally emotional but overall tight and direct appeal to the American people. He shed a tear at the mention of his mother and role model, kept his composure when a protestor momentarily interrupted him and powerfully asserted, “we can do this” as the crowd of GOP delegates excitedly rallied behind him.
No matter your political leanings, the energy and historic implications of Wednesday night went beyond Paul Ryan being the first vice presidential nominee from Wisconsin.
Delegates and attendees relived the speech in bouts of ecstasy-induced bursts as they left the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
“Hes perfect!” one delegate said. “And his family is perfect! I can’t wait to see him debate Joe Biden.”
Ryan spoke a lot about his family, his now well-known and deeply analyzed economic plan for the country, healthcare and frequently about what he called the failed leadership and policies of President Barack Obama.
“College graduates should not have to live their 20’s in their childhood bedroom looking at their faded Obama pictures and wondering when they can get out and get going with life,” Ryan said.
Romney’s campaign has often focused on being the “anti-Obama” who, in their words, delivers real leadership, not just talk. Ryan focused on this idea throughout his speech.
Addressing sensitive social contract issues, he admitted that Obama’s frequently used quote, “the truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend themselves,” has a ring of truth to it.
But he quickly turned the idea on its head, saying, “but sometimes, they need reminding that our rights come from nature and God and not our government.”
In an intriguing point, he said a Romney-Ryan administration would make a “clean break from the Obama years, and frankly the years before this president.”
The comment, clearly referring to the 8 years of former President George W. Bush before Obama took office, was part of a somewhat awkward context during this convention. While Bush, a Republican, was president just four years ago, there has been little, almost no, attention paid to him. He is not speaking at the convention. While there was a short five to 10 minute video that was played early on Wednesday that recognized his and his father’s presidencies, it did not receive any noteworthy reaction.
Perhaps it’s a sign the party is changing in some fundamental ways. Perhaps the GOP is aiming to protect this new Republican ticket from being associated with a president that left a bad taste in the mouths of Americans at the end of his presidency, leaving office with a 61 percent disapproval rating.
Regardless, it seems Republicans could be branding themselves into a new party, something different than what they have been over the past decade. And it seems hard to deny the fresh, youthful energy that Ryan has infused into a party that desperately needs such an image.
While his speech was cancelled because of then-Tropical Storm Isaac, a video tribute was played for former presidential nominee Ron Paul Wednesday night. But his son Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ken., addressed the crowd and was cheered on by a relatively small but vocal group of diehard supporters.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Newt Gingrich and other political heavyweights also spoke Wednesday.
For the second day in a row, protest presence was small and undisruptive, perhaps dissuaded by sporadic and intense rainfall.
A researcher from the University of Tampa studying the use of social media amongst the protesters in Tampa told us he too was surprised by the few protesters he has encountered.
That's it for day two. Check back tomorrow for highlights from the final day.
Aug. 28: Tampa, Florida--After being delayed for a day because of Hurricane Isaac, good weather and high spirits kicked off the 2012 Republican National Convention in style Tuesday.
Keynote speaker New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Mitt Romney’s wife Ann and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, among many others, addressed the thousands of delegates, family, friends and press gathered at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Walker, who spoke before Christie and Romney, received the largest applause upon taking the stage up to that point. He spoke about his record, saying bold choices like he and many of his fellow Republican governors have made to address budget concerns are what is needed at the national level.
He said the country must "choose between going backwards to the days of double-digit tax increases, billion-dollar budget deficits and record job losses or moving forward with reforms that lowered the tax burden, balanced the budget and helped small businesses create more jobs."
Later on, Ann Romney stayed away from politics and policies, instead giving an emotional, family-focused speech. A common theme throughout her talk was the loving, lasting relationship between Mitt and herself. The speech was clearly meant to appeal to women, a crucial voting bloc Republicans need to win over if they want to win the election. They see Ann as the person to do that.
In his usual swashbuckling style, Christie, who spoke last, hit on the historic and generational importance of making, in his words, bold moves to address the most serious problems America faces: the out of control government spending, the increasing national deficit, an underachieving economy and social programs that demand reform.
As expected, these same topics were hit on over and over throughout the night. It is part of the Republican strategy to make the economy and the deficit the sole focus of the campaign, and make the party’s more contentious social platform fade into the background. But some notable and significant socially conservative speakers, including ex-presidential candidate Rick Santorum, did address issues like gay marriage and abortion, often using religious rhetoric to do so.
Before the convention began there was a lot of talk about planned protests, but the majority of protests were actually inter-party, albeit fringe members.
The Ron Paul contingent, propelled by a devoted and loud youth following, have made quite the splash so far. His supporters feel he deserves more respect than he has received. He does have some delegates at the convention, but not enough to make any significant impact.
But there were protesters from outside the party who also made their presence known.
Twenty-year-old Cody Misiak, who makes under $9 per hour working at a grocery chain, was part of a group of around 20 people from around Wisconsin who travelled to Tampa to protest for a rise in the minimum wage and for “economic fairness.”
He is a member of the liberal group Wisconsin Jobs Now. Their message: We can’t survive on the minimum wage. When asked whether he thinks they got their message across, Misiak said definitely.
"We accomplished our goal. We kept pressure on them," he said.
His fellow protesters, and he, both from Wisconsin and around the country, did not have any negative encounters from police or Republican delegates. Neither my photographer Grey Satterfield nor I have seen any clashes yet.
But perhaps the most intriguing part of the night came immediately after Christie was done with his speech. While the general public watching at home likely missed out, the band 3 Doors Down performed a new song live for the first time. Yup. 3 Doors Down performed their new song live in front of the Republican National Convention.
That's it for day one from the RNC. Check back tomorrow for continuing updates.
