GOP Women ROCK the RNC!

By William L. Garvin

In the ‘80’s, the car commercials shouted “this is not your father’s Oldsmobile” and today we hear “this is not your grandfather’s Buick.”  After the Republican National Convention, it is evident this is not your father’s or your grandfather’s Republican Party.  It is equally evident that the players on the bench are deep, diverse, and dynamic!

Of course, everyone expected Paul Ryan to add spark and sparkle to a younger generation.  He broke the main problem down into straightforward terms:  you have to stop spending money you don’t have!  Everyone expected Mitt Romney to deliver a straightforward, no nonsense, and very businesslike assessment of the dire economic straits this country is facing.  Everyone thought they knew what they would hear from Chris Christie; some were disappointed by his muted, albeit still devastating critique of the current administration’s economic failure.  Everyone expected that Marco Rubio would deliver a brilliant introduction of Governor Romney.  What very few expected was the depth, breadth and brilliance of the women who spoke during the three days.

The first and foremost characteristic of all these women is courage.  If you think back on the vicious attacks against Sarah Palin (and her family!), the character assassination, the lies and distortions of her record of governance, the flood of ethics complaints (none of which were proven!), the deliberate attempt to personally bankrupt her family, and baseless attacks that continue even today, lesser souls would have recoiled from the spotlight.  Nonetheless, into the breach they strode, undaunted, unafraid, and with consummate professionalism.

The potential First and Second Ladies, Ann Romney and Janna Ryan, gave warm and endearing tributes to their husbands.  Immediately some Hollywood Bill Maher wannabe named Jason Biggs showed just how small he was with obscene and vile tweets about them both.  Even his wife joined in.  What a disgrace!  Mrs. Romney was virally criticized for wearing an Oscar de la Renta gown…shades of the phony Sarah Palin wardrobe scandal.  Do you think the cost and cut of President Obama’s suit will warrant media attention?

Mia Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, and the daughter of Haitian immigrants gave a spirited message of “fiscal discipline, limited government, and personal responsibility.”  The congressional candidate spoke of the American Dream emanating from her parents arrival here with ten dollars in their pocket.  Of course, MSNBC failed to show her rousing speech in order not to upset their racist stereotypes.  Immediately, her Wikipedia biography was hacked with more obscene bile and racial epithets.  Curiously, MSNBC also failed to show the speech of Artur Davis, the former Democrat congressman now Republican who supported Senator Obama in 2008.  MSNBC just doesn’t want to hear it when an African-American says it’s time to correct their mistakes.

But the women just kept on coming and rocking the house!  There was Senator Kelly Ayotte from the “Live free or die!” state who pointed out that “President Obama has never even run a lemonade stand - and it shows.”  The Florida Attorney General Pam Biondi, who has spearheaded the legal battle against Obamacare, clearly outlined how the Affordable Health Care Act has turned unaffordable.  This is backed up by the Congressional Budget Office which says it will cost THREE TIMES the original estimates.  The parents of Nikki Haley emigrated from India and now their daughter is Governor of South Carolina.  She lamented how her state’s biggest obstacle is the Obama administration.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice kept the room enthralled (without a teleprompter) with her own heart-stirring, American Dream story.  As a child growing up in Alabama, she couldn’t eat a hamburger at the Woolworth’s counter but she could grow up to be Secretary of State!  The same theme was echoed by Senator Rubio who also talked about his father working late nights as a bartender in the back of the room “so I could stand in the front of the room.”  Most people know that Condi Rice is “mildly pro-choice.”  Even though one-third of Democrats describe themselves as pro-life, how many speakers at the DNC will represent that view?  ZERO!  They won’t even let them be represented on their Democratic Party Platform Committee.

Of final note is Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico.  Once again we heard about the American Dream being realized…Prosecutor, District Attorney and the first Latina Governor in the United States.  “Success is not built on resentment or fear,” she noted.  “I fear some of our leaders today have lost the courage to stand up.  They won’t offer real plans, and only stand up when they want to blame someone else. “   They were all headliners and they rocked the house…this ain’t your grandpa’s GOP!