Repubs Save Their Best for Last - Convention Catch-Up

Condi Rice: Flirting with future Republican candidacy?

Gov. Susana Martinez using her Smith & Wesson to secure her place in the party.  

Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan:fighting for the enemies of the 99%

Can't get into a full-fledged assessment of all of this now, but can say that Ryan, Rice and Martinez kinda revved the engine and fired up the base tonight.  Ryan, looking like a younger version of the old guys who've been running things for a while, spoke with passion and anger.  We can see why some folks would get excited about him, identify with him, think he represents them and theirs.  He speaks for us, he's a young father like us, facing some of our same issues.  Sure his passion stemmed from anger and retro-vision and emotions, instead of a plan and a vision for the future.  But at least he had feeling, and at least he was young.  As for all that he claimed in his speech, that's another story.

Now to the other big happening of the night: Those gosh-darned clever Repubs doing the two-for-one special that they've mastered: using two women of color to drive home Repub messages: Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, we did it....  say hell no to resentment and fear....personal responsibility ... stand up.... NRA - Smith and Wesson.  Condi Rice and Gov. Susana Martinez.  

Condi Rice firing up the Republican base to what end.  Why is she there?  Am curious?  We can't help but support her right to be there and to believe in whatever party or policies she supports.  But.....don't understand how she can rationalize her way out of this bag.  Twenty minutes of talking and barely a Romney.  Rolling out a laundry list of things America needs to take care of, but nothing about the folks she's supporting says they will fight for those causes.  Is the purpose to chide the party? Seems to be her belief is simply one of 'let's pull ourselves up by our bootstraps; I did it and so can all these other poor, low-income people of color.'   Maybe it's just as simple as her wanting to have a role, to be a figurehead, to remind them of those outside issues; to run for office someday.  Staking her claim to the party, reminding them of how attractive a candidate she could be.

Other breakout star of the night: New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez.  These two did much tonight to bring some fire and energy to the party and they succeeded at that.  Never mind the schism resulting from their speeches and the reality of Republican policies.