Romney Met the Test

In fact, I thought Marco Rubio's introduction of Mitt Romney would have been a better Keynote Address than Gov. Chris Christie's speech Tuesday night.

Then - the main event.

SIDEBAR I

The campaign did not release the full text of Mitt Romney's speech until after it was concluded.

I concluded that was so the Democrats couldn't run a full "fact-checking" campaign as he was delivering it.

END SIDEBAR I

Romney came up an aisle shaking hands along the way in a very thinly veiled nod to the way the President enters the House Chamber for a State of the Union Address.

Romney started by reminding the delegates of the hope generated by the election of Barack Obama four years ago. He then listed all the elements of American life that we hoped would be improved, but have been disappointed.

He put those failures squarely at the feet of the President.

In mid-speech his voice quavered as he told a story about his mom and dad and a rose:

"Mom and Dad were married 64 years. And if you wondered what their secret was, you could have asked the local florist - because every day Dad gave Mom a rose, which he put on her bedside table. That's how she found out what happened on the day my father died - she went looking for him because that morning, there was no rose."

It seemed to happen again when he talked about waking up in the morning to find five boys asleep in his and Ann's bedroom.

After a litany of the bad things that will continue to happen if Obama is re-elected like

"His plan to raise taxes on small business won't add jobs, it will eliminate them; His assault on coal and gas and oil will send energy and manufacturing jobs to China."

SIDEBAR II

Audiences never know quite how to react to that technique. Last night the delegates first cheered each item; then realized they should be booing them, and so did.

END SIDEBAR II

Romney began a list of items he and Paul Ryan would strive to accomplish like being energy independent by 2020, and to create 12 million new jobs and so on.

But, a better construct, I thought, - maybe the fulcrum of the whole campaign - was when he said

"President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans, and heal the planet. I promise to help you and your family."

He ended the speech on an emotional high

"If I am elected President of these United States, I will work with all my energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future. That future is our destiny.

"That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. And with your help we will deliver it. Let us begin that future together tonight."

This was as good a speech as Mitt Romney can deliver. He is not a great orator, and won't become one.

But, he does have a clear vision of what he believes he can accomplish, because he's done it before.

Romney met the test.

On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Links to the text of Marco Rubio's and Mitt Romney's speeches and a Mulfoto of the day.