Last Day of Republican Convention

Dear Madame L,

I think I can predict what you'll say about the final evening of the Republican National Convention. I think you'll say it didn't move you, didn't change your mind about Mitt Romney, and so on.

Sincerely,

Am I Right?

Dear On the Button,

You should be out there making money off your predicting skills! 

Madame L loved the talk by Grant Bennett, who sounded just like the faithful Mormon leader he is, talking about the "wonderful, even glorious hours" he spent together with Mitt Romney in service and how they "embraced Christ's admonition" to take care of the least of those among us.. I loved how he quoted James, too, on what true religion is, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction.

Madame L also loved the parts of Mitt Romney's acceptance speech where he talked about his family and about what's important to him.

But here's what Madame L did not like:

Madame L did not like the joint speech by Newt and Callista Gingrich about Ronald Reagan, full of the usual lies and demagoguery.

Madame L did not like Clint Eastwood's ridiculous speech, talking to an empty chair and pretending that Pres. Obama would use the f-word like Mr. Eastwood apparently does.

Madame L did not like Mitt Romney's use (again) of the dog whistle, saying we need a "real American," as if Pres. Obama is somehow not as much an American as Mitt Romney is.

Madame L did not like the war talk at the end of Mitt Romney's speech, the way he called out Vladimir Putin (no, Madame L isn't a fan of Putin, either, but that was off message and struck the wrong note) and his threatening war on Syria and Iran, while not even mentioning how we need to get our troops back home from Afghanistan.

Madame L did not like the fact that Mitt Romney did not talk about the need for the two political parties to work together. 

Madame L did not like the way that the entire Republican Party does not talk about the fact that they, led by Sen. Mitch McConnell, made it their main goal, beginning on Pres. Obama's Inauguration Day in 2009, to get him out of office, and the fact that they have opposed every legislative initiative he has brought before Congress since then, even initiatives they themselves had voted for in the past.

Madame L did not like the way Mitt Romney acted like he, and only he, would be able to promise 12 million new jobs in the next 4 years---the exact number of jobs projected by non-partisan wonks to be created in the next 4 years no matter who is in office.

Madame L did not like to hear Mitt Romney tearing down the Affordable Care Act.

Madame L did not like the wild way the audience applauded when Mitt Romney made fun of the idea of man-made global climate change---and the way the audience did not applaud at all when Mitt Romney talked about taking care of the sick and the needy among us.

So, you're right. Madame L still thinks Mitt Romney is a nice guy, even though his proposed budget has been called "mathematically impossible" by every non-partisan economics/policy group that has studied it, and even though his running mate lied and lied and lied again in his speech earlier in the convention, and even though the entire Republican Party seems to have moved so far to the right to accommodate the Tea Party that they're not even on the same planet with their supposed hero Ronald Reagan any more.

Sincerely,

Madame L