Last night’s RNC closing speech by Mitt Romney was solid if unexceptional. It probably didn’t do much for conservative political wonks, but then that wasn’t who it was targeted to. One of the big goals going in was to give voters a better idea of who the real Mitt Romney was. To show that the finally coiffed picture perfect looking politician and successful businessman had a soft side too. To make him seem more down to earth, the kind of guy average voters could more easily relate to.
It’s hard to know at this point whether the speech did much to accomplish that goal or not. I lot will depend on whether Romney can carry it over into the campaign as it kicks into high gear. One part of that speech that I thought was particularly effective in this regard was when he spoke about his children growing up:
Those weren’t the easiest of days – too many long hours and weekends working, five young sons who seemed to have this need to re-enact a different world war every night. But if you ask Ann and I what we’d give, to break up just one more fight between the boys, or wake up in the morning and discover a pile of kids asleep in our room. Well, every mom and dad knows the answer to that.
If you’re a parent and that doesn’t stab you at least a little in the old heart, then you’re the one who needs to worry about not being human enough. Parents whose children have grown up will identify with Romney’s wistful longing to turn back the clock, while parents with younger children are again reminded just how fleeting the time we get to have with them really is and how we need to savor every moment while we can. Mission accomplished Mitt.
