Republican Convention - The Final Night

The Balloon Drop

In the evenings, we were part of the excitement of the Republican Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Our days were filled with events sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition for a small audience of RJC leadership members.

These included receptions ---  

            for Senators and members of the House who were strong supporters of Israel – Lindsay Graham, Michelle Bachman, Allen West, and many others

           

            for many Republican governors, many of whom represent the young, new face of the GOP – Nikki Haley (SC), Susanna Martinez (NM), Scott Walker (WI), Brian Sandoval (NV), et al

A PANEL OF LEADERS OF THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY -- chaired by Steve Hayes -- with Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and two business leaders from Wall Street. 

Portman, who is close to Romney, anticipated immediate action on tax reform, deregulation, free trade and budget deficit and debt issues.  The business representatives felt that Romney could generate growth readily by “taking the (Obama) knee off the neck of the economy” through a stable tax structure, reduced regulations, reform of the NLRB, revisions of Dodd Frank and repeal and replacement of Obamacare with market based reforms.

The panel members were optimistic that America had lots of growth ahead if the atmosphere for business activity was welcoming and bright.  Romney would bring a new framework to reward success in the marketplace.

            A PANEL OF WELL KNOWN POLITICAL PUNDITS  -- chaired by Ari Fleischer with Ambassador John Bolton, Senator Jim Talent, and Brent McGoldrick, a senior Romney campaign strategist and advisor.  From our notes from the panel:

            Romney “has a passion to take over messed-up projects and failing organizations.”  He demonstrated these qualities many times at Bain Capital; he turned around the failing Olympics in Salt Lake City, a task any politician with a hope for his own future would have declined; he worked effectively as governor of Massachusetts turning a budget deficit into a surplus all the time working with a legislature controlled 85% by Democrats. 

Fleischer, Bolton, McGoldrick, Talent

RJC sign in table

            Romney is absolutely sincere in his commitment to restore America’s greatness by getting people working again in a growing, free market economy.

The climax of the week was Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech – where he identified with the mainstream patriotic dream – the belief in America as a land of opportunity, where we celebrate success. Ann Romney, in what was a great moment earlier in the convention, had said: “No one will work harder…. no one will care more. And no one else will move heaven and earth to make this country a better place to live.” And then, she proclaimed “This man will not fail.”