GOP Convention Rules!

[Bernie Brewer]

No, according to the article I linked it started weeks ago...click on the link.

I stand corrected. Whether you believe it or not I didn't even realize I answered one of your posts, big guy. Wasn't meant to be snippy. Just seemed like plausible spectulation on my part. I WAS WRONG.

[Lucky]

Here's a link to a pretty interesting article on the rules issue: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...-threat-looms/


By the way, I always assume anyone who uses the term "power grab", whether on the right or on the left, is a nut. I'm right about 90% of the time. "Land grab" is slightly less offensive.

[Bernie Brewer]

Yeah, if only they could've found one who would do that. The fact that they weren't confident that they could find what the RNC/Romney Campaign would deem "reasonable" Paulites is what lead to these draconian rule tamperings.

I know that folks like Bernie and Cardboard Box or RotoRooter will argue this, but it does very clearly illustrate the insecurity that the RNC has over the cobbled together coalition behind Romney and their fear of another internal divide a la the Palin debacle. They got burned badly in 2008 and are now afraid of getting too close to the fire.

Actually I do agree with your comment above. Just because I've called out a few bullies doesn't mean I'm in the pocket of the GOP. I think the more thoughtful party members are embarrassed by the Palin choice four years ago and they'd like to present a unified front, even if it's not true. I like the Romney cobbled together part. I think that is exactly what he's doing. It is a very fragile cobbling.

[nots]

Looking forward to Gov. Christie's speech tonight--

[Bernie Brewer]

I clearly don't know about convention procedures, but I know BS when I hear it!

I just saw an interview with Gingrich on CNN. He can't possibly believe the things he just said about Obama and Biden, can he? He said Obama is a Socialist, and when challenged by the interviewer, he actually kept a completely straight face. He then went on to say that the only Democrat who lies better than Obama is Biden. Now, I have my issues with both Obama and Biden, but I am offended by those clearly stupid remarks. They were beyond ridiculous!

[GwynnInTheHall]

I clearly don't know about convention procedures, but I know BS when I hear it!

I just saw an interview with Gingrich on CNN. He can't possibly believe the things he just said about Obama and Biden, can he? He said Obama is a Socialist, and when challenged by the interviewer, he actually kept a completely straight face. He then went on to say that the only Democrat who lies better than Obama is Biden. Now, I have my issues with both Obama and Biden, but I am offended by those clearly stupid remarks. They were beyond ridiculous!

problem is I'd wager the majority of GOP leaning folk feel the same way.

[Lucky]

I clearly don't know about convention procedures, but I know BS when I hear it!

I just saw an interview with Gingrich on CNN. He can't possibly believe the things he just said about Obama and Biden, can he? He said Obama is a Socialist, and when challenged by the interviewer, he actually kept a completely straight face. He then went on to say that the only Democrat who lies better than Obama is Biden. Now, I have my issues with both Obama and Biden, but I am offended by those clearly stupid remarks. They were beyond ridiculous!

I think Newt has to be considered an outlier, not really representative of any legitimate faction of the GOP or any other organization. Newt says what he thinks will help Newt. He's out of the spotlight now, so the way to get back in there is to make outrageous statements, even though they probably hurt his own party as much as the Democrats.

[SeaDogStat]

http://www.motherjones.com/transition/inter.php?dest=http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/08/ron-paul-supporters-rebel-convention-floor-****-you-tyrants

A minor revolt broke out on the floor of the Republican Party's presidential convention Tuesday afternoon and evening. Ron Paul delegates from several states erupted into protest over a controversial change to the party's rules to block future insurgencies mounted by outside candidates like their hero. Paul supporters also freaked out over the convention's refusal to recognize about two dozen Paul delegates and for refusing to treat Paul like a serious candidate for the nomination.

During the roll call of the states, the Paulites were irate, screaming at the podium, as convention secretary Kim Reynolds declined to read out the delegate votes for any candidate other than Romney. "The Republican Party is so afraid of Ron Paul that they won't repeat his name," shouted Jim Ayala, a Nevada delegate and Paul supporter wearing an Oath Keepers t-shirt.

[Pogues]

I clearly don't know about convention procedures, but I know BS when I hear it!

I just saw an interview with Gingrich on CNN. He can't possibly believe the things he just said about Obama and Biden, can he? He said Obama is a Socialist, and when challenged by the interviewer, he actually kept a completely straight face. He then went on to say that the only Democrat who lies better than Obama is Biden. Now, I have my issues with both Obama and Biden, but I am offended by those clearly stupid remarks. They were beyond ridiculous!

The more on the right you are, the more socialist those on the left look. The big push for national health care Obama led sure could have a socialist feel for those on the right.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Wow, did they just shout down the GOP rep from Puerto Rico?

NOT racist though

[Judge Jude]

Missed the 1st half of Christie's speech, caught the end live.

Went to Chris Matthews, whose political acumen I far prefer to anyone else's (I'm a moderate, he's left, who cares).

But MSNBC kicked off with Rachel Maddow, who practically read verbatim from the real-time DNC Tweet talking pts about how many words it took before Romney was mentioned in the speech. She gamely tried to pitch that as to why this speech was such a failure.

Matthews, shaking his head, on camera.
First called the Christie speech a "barnbuner," made his other pts, then launched into a serious journalist's analysis of why he thinks the speech wasn't enough and how it accentuated how lifeless Romney was tonight, as a character whom no one can inject with life - including his wife, Matthews concluded, per her warmup speech.

Agree or disagree with Matthews politcally, but I think that if his analysis mirrored the DNC in real time, it would be a coincidence. He's got 40 years in on this, and he knows when a speech works and how - on either side of the aisle. He might have given Christie even higher marks, or he might have ripped him. The range was broad before the speech started.

Maddow? They could have stormed the stage tonight in delirium, and she'd have called the crowd reaction "mixed."

It continues to mystify me how MSNBC could give her standing over Matthews, other than them worrying that Matthews might not give them what the red meat they need in the intro. wait, that's it!

[Bob Kohm]

I haven't spoken to any of them 1:1 since Christie's speech last night, but the guy was really wearing out his welcome in Tampa with a lot of the "establishment" lobbyists, delegates, etc-- being very high handed, being trailed by a Presidential size entourage (which actually got mentioned on Morning Joe this morning), generally making a bit of a presumptuous ass of himself. I don't think the speech last night is going to help those impressions. I think that JJ missed his analysis a bit in dismissing the analysis from Maddow about Christie making this speech about himself as I've now heard the same thing from a bunch of the conservative Morning Joe types, as well. I've also seen and heard an undercurrent there and in a few other venues that Christie tried to make this his own 2016 intro speech and missed pretty badly on that front. Overall an underwhelming performance from a guy whose stock in trade is over the top grandiosity-- pretty surprising. In my own opinion, it was a crap tone for him to set, honestly-- this whole convention is supposed to be about trying to salvage the blown introduction of Mitt Romney from the primary season, and here he is doing a mediocre job of making a red meat speech following and somewhat negating Ann Romney's. Blown opportunity for the RNC, Romney and most importantly (in his mind) Christie.

Ann Romney's speech was sweet, just what she was expected to do... but I think she opened herself up for an old trick. After talking about how much grocery prices have gone up, about how things that used to be free like school sports now cost money, etc., the poor little rich girl had damned well better be memorizing Safeway and Kroger circulars because you, me and the American public know that her servants do all of her grocery shopping and she's gonna be getting the George Bush the First "gallon of milk" questions. The speech is playing well this morning, but I expect to see some insincerity pushback on it today given that "life is so much harder now" theme from the woman who wears $990 tee shirts and has an Olympic dressage horse who she drives one of her Cadillacs to go see. I think the RNC let her fall into a bit of an obvious trap there, but we'll see.

I fully expect Ryan and the screwed son to hit it out of the park tonight; you have to think that Jeb is going to have a bit of bitterness in his heart to be playing this role in this convention in this venue instead of accepting the nomination tomorrow night in front of the home state crowd, though. I will be half looking for differentiators that Jeb throws out to subtly make his message a bit different from Ryan's in the hope that he can challenge him for the nomination in 2016. The talk this morning about tonight being Ryan's launch of the 2016 campaign "should Romeny lose" has to be a very, very uncomfortable narrative for Romney, his team, and particularly John Boehner who is going to have to deal with being usurped by the putative rock star in his caucus for the next four years.

The looks on Mitt Romney's face last night during the speeches were priceless. He obviously does not enjoy people talking about him and his innate social awkwardness was on full display (again, noted by pundits from both sides today). In a way it's good as it lowers expectations for his acceptance speech. I think that he has made a bad choice, however, to use that moment to embrace his Mormon faith, having a Mormon clergyman giving the invocation the night he accepts the nomination. It puts that faith in the open and invites questions about it, several of which will probably focus on his ecclesiastic titles (Bishop Romney being the one that will resonate the most, although it is less significant than Stake President Romney). Politics 101 for Bishop Romney-- you don't turn off the electricity to the third rail and allow the opposition to successfully touch it.

[B-Fly]

I thought Ann Romney's speech was the best of the night for Mitt. I honestly think it will do what they hoped it would do - give women in that centrist to moderate-right band of the political spectrum enough of a thread of connection to whittle down the gender gap.

I turned the TV off and went to bed after Christie's speech without listening to the pundits and was struck by the sense that it was all about introducing Chris Christie rather than Mitt Romney. It may have seemed like a barn-burner to folks who don't hear Christie as much as I do living in New Jersey. From my perspective, it felt a bit forced for him - like he was trying to package his brand for a national audience. But the best part about his brand when he's on his game (and I mean this sincerely, as I often find myself kind of liking Christie despite myself) is that it doesn't feel packaged. He actually had to ask the audience to stand up, rather than inspiring them to stand on their own initiative, and then he was still, even at the end, basically saying stand and help me take back this country, stand and help me fight to get Romney/Ryan elected.

[Judge Jude]

I was not dazzled by the piece of the Christie speech I saw, either, although it looked like a lot of people already were standing when he said "stand up." I just find it yawn-inducing when I see someone parroting the same Twitter points that were made in mid-speech. Nothing that Maddow said seemed to be her own independent thinking - a hazard of being oversaturated by real-time social media, I suppose. You're supposed to tell us what YOU think. I'd rather hear an off-key note than a "sampled" one, I guess.

Christie definitely loves to hear himself talk, and I do think he should have made Romney more of a centerpiece, of course. He backed Romney very early in the process, so at worst he thought Romney was the most likely winner - and at best he genuinely admires the guy.

Interesting that Christie apparently "killed" Tuesday morning speaking to delegations like Michigan and California. One part had him talking about how predecessor Jon Corzine slept on a cot in the statehouse during a budget crisis. Said he avoided that, plus, "Look at me - where were they going to find ME a cot?" haha. did he do that one last night?

I missed the Mrs. Romney speech, but yeah, that's complicated. Theresa Heinz Kerry was similarly complicated; I guess she was even richer, but at that level, does it matter?


fyi, I read that Janine Turner - the cute brunette from "Northern Exposure" TV many years ago - was an early speaker yesterday. Who says only the Democrats have Hollywood star power on their side?
lol

[B-Fly]

Why are you choosing to watch the RNC on MSNBC if you don't basically want to hear the liberal rebuttal to each speaker immediately after each speech? That's what MSNBC does. Are you going to watch the DNC on FoxNews?