Highlights From the RNC Day Three and Overall Impressions

It's over and we have our official Republican Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees.

Last night's finale was one for the record books. Senator Marco Rubio joined Clint Eastwood and Mitt Romney in a crescendo that will resound well past November 6th.



Here's Mitt's acceptance speech.




But, for this blog, the highlight of the evening was the "surprise" speaker, Clint Eastwood.




Overall, I thought this convention was much better than the '08 convention. The strength and character of Mitt Romney serves as a contrast to the weakness and defensiveness of the McCain campaign, so much so that there isn't really much to compare. By contrast, this convention had more in common with the 1980 convention and Ronald Reagan than any other I remember.

Of course, in '08, Republicans were playing catch up with the Obama camp. Eight solid years of media bush-bashing which started immediately after the 2000 election did exactly what it was supposed to do: convince a bare majority of Americans to vote for a candidate with a razor-thin resume, precious little experience and a rather dubious past that included associations with the seedy underbelly of the anti-American marxist underground and those who think America should abandon her exceptionalism and become just another country.

Nowhere was this more evident than where Mitt noted that Obama had pledged to halt the rise of the oceans and to "heal the planet," with the most precious of lip-bites  (at the 31:10 mark above). He made sure to point out that Obama considered himself a "citizen of the world," while he offered himself as an American President whose responsibility was to the nation and her people first.

There were no gauzy platitudes, no vague promises of hope or change except to reinforce and revitalize the Founding Principles of freedom and self-determination.

Another thing I noticed was the focus on the issues in this convention. There was no avoidance of things like Medicare and the military. We were treated as adults capable of making informed and intelligent decisions.

Humility was also on display. Romney's history was told by folks who knew him personally. Many whom he had helped portrayed him as a caring man aware of their struggles. His Christian values of compassion shone through recounts of charity and sacrifice to others that were not common knowledge before last night. It's clear that Mitt is a somewhat private fellow, ill-at-ease with blowing his own horn. Some detractors call him stiff, but so what? I saw a genuine man at peace with himself and his faith and a man whose temperament befits the office of President far more than the current occupant.

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall inside the White House to witness the Obama's reaction to all this. The bar has been set high, and judging from the list of speakers at the Democrat Convention, the Obama campaign views this race as a limbo contest.

How low can you go?

While Mitt wasn't my first choice for president, he has risen to the occasion. He offers a stark contrast to Obama. Ace has already declared this election over except for the voting.

I agree.

However, we have work to do to make sure that Obama is a one-term president. Confidence helps, but we still have to make sure we all do as much as we can to elect Mitt and Paul. I shouldn't have to tell you how important this election is. We have to pull ourselves back from the leftward lurch of Obamaism. So talk to your friends, especially those who mistakenly voted for an empty suit four years ago. Volunteer if you can. Walk your precinct or make phone calls.

Our future is at stake.

(Note: This will probably be my only post today. I'm helping a good friend move, so I'll probably collapse into the couch with a Guinness later on and veg out in front of the TV with BackwardsGirl. Unless, of course, Something Really Important happens.)