Presidential Campaign

As America reflects on the terror attacks of September 2001, Mitt Romney has what I call an Osama bin Laden problem. Romney said he would not have ordered the attack in Pakistan that led to the death of bin Laden. Romney said it was wrong to spend so much money to kill one man. Romney went on an easy ceremonial trip to the London Olympics and insulted our closest ally. Romney neglected to praise American troops or mention the war in Afghanistan in his speech accepting the Republican nomination. Romney, who lacks any national security experience, named as his vice presidential nominee a man who is as unqualified to command as he is.

It is good that Mitt Romney gives Barack Obama credit where it is due, by praising and endorsing two of the most important achievements of the president's healthcare plan. Because of President Obama's leadership, and now with Gov. Romney's full support, folks with pre-existing conditions will be covered by insurance, and countless kids will be covered by the insurance of their parents.

These two provisions were among the most important achievements of ObamaCare. It is good that Romney now applauds the president's success on these matters. Who knows what Obama initiatives Romney might applaud next, as the latest Romney "etch" replaces an earlier Romney "sketch"?

It turns out that more people were watching football — the relatively inconsequential games of week one — than were watching President Clinton’s 48-minute speech defending himself, and, by proxy, Barack Obama. So much for that.

New employment numbers come out today, and Friday is the most important day of the week in political messaging: Friday is the day when the subject of the weekend talk shows will be determined.

The speeches by Ann Romney and Michelle Obama have been crowned as the best of their respective conventions.

These speeches had one purpose — to erase the aloof image that diminishes the likability factor for each husband. And the women achieved their goal, though not without a touch of disingenuousness.
 
In Ann Romney’s case, it infuses her description of young married life while attending college — eating pasta and tuna in a $62-a-month basement apartment, using an ironing board as a table and throwing patchwork rugs on concrete floors. (Turns out ironing boards are a motif in Mitt’s life; he claims even today to iron his own shirts.)

It is hard to imagine a better speech than Bill Clinton gave last night — a clear, coherent, compelling, if not exactly concise, narrative for Obama’s case for reelection. And he articulated the solid arguments for a rejection of the Romney-Ryan Republican alternative. He sliced and diced each of their policy arguments and made mincemeat of their proposals. Factual and solid arguments, presented in his usual direct and folksy style, as if you were listening to a story.
 
No one can do it like Bubba — a reminder of how the comeback kid has come back so many times.

I’m here in Charlotte, and I’ve been here for all of the speeches. There is more to this convention than the speeches from first lady Michelle Obama and former President William Jefferson Clinton. You might not have seen a lot of them — and there’s a good reason for that. The Democrats have put all of their most alienating, radical speakers first, before prime-time media coverage, and then their more moderate, salable speakers later in the evening, for Middle America to see. Fortunately, we are in the Internet age, when all of this is on the record, and none of it will be forgotten.

The Democratic National Convention is working hard to convince Americans that the party’s failed policies worked.

The week after the successful Republican National Convention that trumpeted personal fortitude and the American Dream, the Democrats have set the stage by parading around collectivist policies that have failed the American people.

It turns out that Sarah Palin could beat Paul Ryan in a marathon race, according to some news reports. Wow, would I like a ticket to that one! Is there anybody who believes that Paul Ryan forgot his best marathon time? Did he forget that the GM plant he referred to was closed during the Bush years, not the Obama years? Why do virtually all fact-checkers across the board think that Paul Ryan has a big problem getting his facts straight?

I know, Ryan has some slick spin to try to escape a big problem, but the spin is spin, and his problem with facts is big. Mitt Romney also has a pretty problem with Pinocchio. I did criticize one of the Obama ads, and Team Obama is not immune, but Ryan and Romney are outside the boundaries of traditional fibbing from politicians.

I predict the debates will be hugely important, and until the debates all bets are off, in my opinion. Ryan had better solve his problem with facts before he debates Joe Biden (whose problem is telling too many truths).

Most important for today, I did read that Sarah Palin has a faster marathon time than Paul Ryan. Perhaps Ryan and Palin can have a charity race, to prove who is the fastest, with the money donated to the poor children whose budgets they would both cut heartlessly.

After a well-executed Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., it is now time for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

The Democrats are already responding to the Republican convention, and changing their speaker lineup, adding women and minorities to their roster, which I take to mean that the Republican convention was effective.

While the media take potshots at American icon Clint Eastwood for his non-teleprompter speech last night at the GOP convention and talking to an empty chair representing President Obama, they seem to be missing the point. Or more likely, they "get it" but are sweeping it under the rug.
 
GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney recently visited U.S. ally Israel, while President Obama refuses to do so until/unless he is reelected. Empty chair.
 
President Obama has no plans to visit New Orleans post-Isaac, but Mitt Romney is on his way there. Obama continues to fundraise and campaign instead. Empty chair. Read more...