Aside from addressing those terrible comments about stay at home moms not working from a couple of months, Mitt Romney’s wife Ann, has stayed fairly quiet on the campaign trail.
All of that changed last night.
Ann Romney energized the GOP faithful in Tampa last night, by doing exactly what she had to. Telling the story of her family that the country was waiting to hear. A story of love, overcoming challenges, and the man who wants to be President, her husband Mitt.
Romney spoke about meeting her husband of 43 years at a high school dance, and told the story of how both sides of the family came from modest beginnings. She mentioned the buzz of “story book marriages” and asked the national audience what kind of story book marriages included a basement apartment, and 5 screaming kids, what kind of story book marriages included overcoming MS and surviving cancer.
This was the real story the country was waiting to hear. The human Mitt Romney that didn’t speak of such things on the stump or in front of cameras.
After taking the crowd to a very personal part of her life, it was time build them back up. She started talking up her husband like only a loving wife could, not with numbers, or political bullet points, but with only a personal promise from the person that knows him the most.
“I promise you, no one will work harder”
By the time she ended her speech to a standing ovation, and her husband’s on the spot decision to join her on stage, the night was already a victory.
Your turn Big Guy.
How the heck was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suppose to top that? Well, he wasn’t suppose to but, he did take the dialog of the evening to another place, and like the Romney before him, he succeeded.
In a speech that was political strategy gold, the straight talking guv, told the audience “how it was”. He illustrated the President’s divide and conquer strategy. Turning the Hispanic community against each other with the immigration debate, elders against each other with “mediscare” tactics, and finally the female vote with the war on women. The keynote speaker not only inspired but educated, exactly what he had to do.
“Real leaders don’t follow polls, real leaders CHANGE polls!”
Expect that line to be repeated over and over.
Overshadowed were great speeches by Texas’s Ted Cruz who demonstrated why he’s the big show in the lone star state, Rick Santorum who finally gave Romney the nod after a long, contentious primary, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley who, spoke and attacked with precision that I haven’t seen from her before.
Tonight we get Condoleezza Rice, Tim Pawlenty, Pam Bondi, and Veep Nominee Paul Ryan. It’s going to be a tough night to follow, last night was huge for Republicans in Tampa.
Could Ann Romney be the top speech from this convention?
