If the GOP were vying for my vote as a woman since we make up the largest voting block, well they lost me. Not that they truly had me to begin with, but I wanted to see if they could at least sway me over as Governor Sarah Palin accepted the vice presidential nomination of her party. Her opening acts in Romney and Giuliani only left me cold and angry. They were not welcoming in the least, but only fed me more of the same.
In watching Wednesday night’s coverage of the Republican National Committee’s convention, I did so with an open mind. Their mission was in gaining the support of women like me by voting for the McCain/Palin ticket. My message to the Republican Party is: Mission not accomplished. As a writer, I wanted to sit and listen with objectivity. That soon went out the window as I listened to Mitt Romney’s speech.
In the movie, The American President, the fictitious president, Andrew Shepherd states, "Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: Making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections." No truer words could have been spoken as both Romney and Giuliani played the blame and fear card.
In listening to Romney’s speech, I counted 15 times that he mentioned the word liberal and demonizing those like me who are liberals. In so doing, I did not see a party that was trying to be inclusive, but divisive. I saw a party that was playing the fear card and telling America that liberal people like me were to blame and that is unacceptable. It was a verbal assault on the beliefs I hold dear and as a woman whose vote they seek, well they can count me out.
I will stick with Senator Obama and Senator Biden who extended their hands out to not only to me but Republicans and those belonging to no party stating that America’s best days are still ahead of us. That is a message I have not heard in a long time. The both of them sought to unite us and not divide us as a nation.
In listening to Romney’s speech, I shouted towards the television saying, “I am not the enemy!”
Using the American President again as a reference, Lewis Rothschild played by Michael J. Fox cites, "They want leadership, Mr. President. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand." President Andrew Shepherd corrects him by saying, "People don't drink the sand, 'cause they're thirsty, Lewis. They drink it 'cause they don't know the difference." Well, I for one saw a difference. That difference is more of the same instead of a change in course.
When Romney stated, "We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington: Throw out the big-government liberals and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin." Under President Clinton the size of government shrank where as under Bush it grew. Oh yes, the four letter name that was conveniently absent in last night’s speeches. If the government grew, dare I say it was made up predominantly by conservatives under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney?
Where was Dick Cheney? I know that he is over in Europe, but did notice he was also conveniently absent from this convention so far. I guess they do not want to remind folks of the failed leadership under both.
Upon hearing, "We need change all right: change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington." coming from Romney; did he forget that for most of these eight years congress has been controlled by the Republican Party? It was not until 2006, did the voters hand both houses over to the Democrats. So, let us get real, Romney.
When he asked, "Is a Supreme Court decision liberal or conservative that awards Guantanamo terrorists with constitutional rights? It's liberal." Did he forget that most of the justices on the Supreme Court were appointed by Republican presidents? That is all that I will say to that one.
If the Republicans truly wish to be divisive, let me add that it was the conservatives such as President George W. Bush who treated our hard earned tax dollars like Monopoly money. He went on a shopping spree with our money by funding a war in Iraq to the tune of billions upon billions of dollars. On two separate occasions, he tried to stimulate the economy by doling out money to the American people to spend. With increased prices facing Americans on all fronts, Americans chose to pay the bills instead. Perhaps Bush and the Republicans could have learned from all of us as we paid down our own debt.
Reality tells me that you cannot fund a war and give out tax cuts at the same time without it eating into the Federal reserves. The late President, Franklin D. Roosevelt called for Americans to sacrifice during World War Two. George W. Bush told us to go shopping.
When he said, "where there are homes that are blessed with family values and the presence of a mom and a dad." If the Republicans are trying to reach out to women voters, let me remind them that there are many single moms out there doing the best that they can to raise their children. There are also many single dads as well. Many of these single parents are single because they lost loved ones over in Iraq where over 4,000 of our service men and women gave their life for this country. Do not tell me that homes head by single parents are not blessed.
As millions have lost their jobs during these past eight years under a Republican administration and for the most part a Republican congress, many opportunities have been lost. So, it makes no sense at all when he said, "You see, liberals would replace opportunity with dependency on government largesse."
Let me remind Romney that there are citizens in this country that cannot pull themselves up by their boot straps and don’t they deserve a government they can look upon to help them? Government after all is supposedly made up of public servants and we must remind these servants, they work for us.
