Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech Thursday night was less of an emphatic statement of purpose than a direct challenge to President Obama. In a low-key, neighborly way, he portrayed Obama as a disappointing leader who squandered the goodwill of the American people. In doing so, Romney served the ball cleanly into Obama’s court. Next week, Obama will have a chance to return the volley. He would do well to offer a clear, persuasive game plan for the future.
But Romney, it seemed, missed a chance to articulate a fully convincing game plan of his own. Instead, he repeated some of the piecemeal promises he’s made earlier in the campaign: expanded oil and gas drilling, a repeal of Obama’s health plan, a tougher stance on Iran’s nuclear program, and a general commitment to lower taxes and less government regulation. Some of these ideas are workable; others, such as his suggestion that eliminating Obama’s health plan would drive down premiums, seem more a step backward than forward. But they don’t amount to the compelling plan for American renewal that Romney promises.
Comments
I thought the speech was very good. The contrast with Obama's pledge from 2008 to stop the oceans from rising was magnificent! That line showed that Obama's story book rise to the presidency was built on a fairy tale, and his presidency has been a very bad joke. Romney exuded competence, decency and wisdom. Obama's return volley will be hard, as how can he defend his record?
The oceans rising is science, and making fun of science sure made for a good applause line in front of that crowd. But most moderates (and former Mass. Governor Romney) accept climate change and want to preserve the planet for our kids. Remember when cap and trade was a republican idea?? Now it's a socialist plot. Ditto for Romneycare. It will be hard for Mitt to get to any substantive issues when he has changed his position on almost everything he once stood for.
This comment has been removed.
Scuze me, but didja notice he didn't have a plan when he won the governorship, either. Two planks: 1. I don't like taxes 2. I am not grotesque to look at. And that's all it took, a tribute to the complete lack of vision offered by the state's Democratic leadership then and now. The lesson, I hope, is that Obama's half-hearted vision comes into sharp focus and that he carries through on it, Republicans be damned.
Yawn. zzzzzz
I watched and found Romney to be a humble man of faith and true compassion for his fellow man or woman. He will be attacked by the left, and they will say some horrible things - they already are, but I hope he can pull this off.
I truly want to like Obama but he has not made this country any better in the four years, in fact things look rather bleak for the future. He talked big but fell short.
In my eyes the only thing romney has to offer is an alternative to obama; however, what that alternative is I am not sure and will probably never know. Romney flip floped on so many of the issues during his campaign to please the extremist and conservatives that I honestly don't even know. And just because romney is a good father and has faith does not mean he will be a good president. Not to mention the hundreds of jobs that he erreticated while he was still a business man and not playign at being a politician.