Opting Against Inspiration

Maybe this is the best strategy Mitt Romney has at this point, but it is hardly inspiring.

Romney spent his time in Tampa refusing to offer a decent reason to vote for him and instead trying to convince people who voted for Obama last go to switch their vote this time. Some will, of course, but I don't know if anybody will do so based on Romney's speech last night.

The line I think sums up the speech? Via NJ.com*:

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 President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet. MY promise...is to help you and your family.
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This reminds me of the Internet meme of Odin promising to get rid of the ice giants, then noting you don't see any ice giants. It's a fine point, I suppose, but for a man whose greatest attribute is his ability to make billions in the private sector, it is a jarring for Romney to promise he will exhibit no ambition and pursue no lofty goals.

But Republicans this year have opted against inspiration, and instead choose destruction and obstruction. Even that strategy, though, isn't well advanced by the themes of Mitt Romney's message at the RNC.

The chief message from Romney, and in many ways Paul Ryan the night before, has been that Barack Obama has been a disappointment. Pardon me, but on behalf of the 69.5 million voters who supprted Obama in 2008, No Shit! Pointing that out, and turning Obama's predisposition for letting people down into the central theme of the GOP ticket's coming out party, does beg the natural question of why.

See, voters already punished Obama for failing to accomplish much in his first years in office. That was largely what the midterms were about as GOP voters woke up to fact a liberal was in the White House and Democratic voters realized Obama wasn't that serious about changing how Washington does business. The Tea Party convinced their people to go to the polls and the Obama for America crowd failed to do the same. Thus, a Republican landslide.

But why should people who supported Obama in 2008 switch their votes? Some people are fickle, but anybody who supported Obama's genuine vision for the country knows they will be worse off with Romney in the White House. To date, Romney has offered no viable alternative vision for anything, but the positions he adopted in the primary this year show where he is headed. So does the selection of an Ayn Rand devotee as his running mate.

And what riveting vision did Romney offer during the biggest speech of his career? He promises not to try to do too much.

The RNC was Mitt Romney's greatest chance to capture the enthusiasm and imagination of those voters who will decide this election. I just don't think he delivered. I am anxious to see snap polling to see if, in fact, Romney will be the first major nominee in decades to leave their own convention behind in the polls. But whether that's true of not, Obama will have his moment next week.

Despite losing some luster for failing to live up to lofty expectations, there is no doubt Obama will put out an inspiring speech from Charlotte. Once the dust settles from that, we'll know where this race stands, but right now, I don't think Republicans have much to be excited about, and this should be their moment of celebration.







*I know, but they have his actual transcript, not just the prepared remarks released in advance of the speech and which don't reflect exactly what he said