|
I couldn't watch the speeches. I read through most of them ahead of time, and just plain couldn't watch. Many years ago, before the ascent of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, when Comedy Central's tag line was "When news breaks, we fix it" the network used to show political speeches with captioning across the bottom saying things like "he's lying". Something like that would have helped. So herewith, some of my comments, in blue, that I think should have run across the screen: Ann Romney: Tonight I want to talk to you about love. Ann, does that include interracial couples, gay people, and poor people? Sometimes I think that late at night, if we were all silent for just a few moments and listened carefully, we could hear a great collective sigh from the moms and dads across America who made it through another day, and know that they'll make it through another one tomorrow. But in that end of the day moment, they just aren't sure how. Do single people count? What about the elderly? It's the moms who always have to work a little harder, to make everything right. How insulting: do childless women suffer less? When they are at their jobs covering for moms and dads who leave for dance recitals and award ceremonies and other daytime school events? You know the fastest route to the local emergency room and which doctors actually answer the phone when you call at night. Really? Men don't do this? It's only "moms"? I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a "storybook marriage." Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once. And those storybooks never seemed to have chapters called MS or Breast Cancer. I'm sorry for the MS and the cancer, but normally people face those things without live-in help in all 5 houses that you move between. But let me say this to every American who is thinking about who should be our next President: No one will work harder. ...to improve his position at the expense of everyone else. No one will care more. ...about making money off the sweat, toil, and pensions of others. No one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live! Mitt will be the first to tell you that he is the most fortunate man in the world. He had two loving parents who gave him strong values and taught him the value of work. Along with an inheritance of a million dollars that he didn't keep because by then it was just pocket change to him. Has it made those who started the company successful beyond their dreams?Yes, it has. Tell that to everyone at AmPad and the other companies he raided. He did it in Massachusetts, where he guided a state from economic crisis to unemployment of just 4.7%. During a time of expansion where all unemployment rates were low, plus he got MA to 48th out of 50 in job creation. You can trust Mitt. ...to do WHAT? And which Mitt?
Overall, as a woman I have never been so insulted by a speech by another woman, and that includes the Phyllis Schafly speech we protested against in college. Ann's speech was wooden, and didn't in any way sound as if it came from HER. All I really heard was "I love Mitt and you should too. He's a good husband." When Spunky made her convention speech, it was appalling in many ways, but you had the sense that was really who she was, and that was really what she was committed to doing. Here, I had the sense that Ann was going to get through the week, and then go back to the country club. Chris Christie: A New Jersey Republican delivering the keynote address to our national convention, from a state with 700,000 more Democrats than Republicans. And 9.7% unemployment, thanks Chris. I was her son as I listened to "Darkness on the Edge of Town" with my high school friends on the Jersey Shore. He love Springsteen concerts, but when he wanted to meet The Boss, Bruce said no. He wanted no association, even briefly. I believe we have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved. "What would Jesus do?" I say, together, let's make a much different choice. Tonight, we are speaking up for ourselves and stepping up. Uh, Chris, does that include canceling more infrastructure projects that would have cost little, improved transportation, and employed lots of people? We are not afraid. We are taking our country back to the 1860's. We are the United States of America. Look around the room, Chris, all the white, rich faces. Where's the REST of America? They said it was impossible to cut taxes in a state where taxes were raised 115 times in eight years. That it was impossible to balance a budget at the same time, with an $11 billion deficit. Three years later, we have three balanced budgets with lower taxes. Also, failing schools, crumbling infrastructure, increased poverty, and a decimated safety net. Instead, the people of New Jersey stepped up and shared in the sacrifice. It doesn't look like you missed a meal. Unlike many of your state's citizens. Let's be clear with the American people tonight. Here's what we believe as Republicans and what they believe as Democrats. The rest of this section is all lies. It doesn't matter how we got here. There is enough blame to go around. Very true, but you're picking the wrong villains.
What matters now is what we do. Leadership delivers. Thank you President Obama for Lily Ledbetter, the ACA, saving Detroit, killing Bin Laden, ending don't ask, don't tell, and a host of others!
Leadership counts. President Obama, I've got your back. Leadership matters. FOUR MORE YEARS! We have this leader for America. Barack Hussein Obama. Tonight, we stand up for Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States. Remember, Christie turned down the veep slot because he would have had to give up being governor, and he didn't want to be unemployed on 7 November.
|
.jpg)