TAMPA – To Democrats who have denounced him as an untrustworthy flip-flopper and Republicans who once derided him as a "Massachusetts moderate," Mitt Romney finally defined himself this week — as a cheerful conservative capable of rescuing the country from economic collapse.
-
By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY
Romney and Ryan families appear on stage at the close of the Republican National Convention Thursday night in Tampa.
By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY
Romney and Ryan families appear on stage at the close of the Republican National Convention Thursday night in Tampa.
Think Ronald Reagan meets Clint Eastwood, both of whom played key roles — Reagan in a video, Eastwood in person — as the Republican National Convention ended Thursday.
After 5½ years of campaigning for president, Willard Mitt Romney took his most important step toward telling the American people who he is and what he stands for.
In doing so, he appeared to unify a Republican Party that had doubted both his record and his resolve. It helped that he brought his new best friend, a rock-ribbed conservative running mate named Paul Davis Ryan, along for the ride.
If there are any misgivings remaining among the party faithful, their determination to run President Obama out of the White House in November may be incentive enough to join the Romney-Ryan bandwagon.
"Everybody's together on this," says former Virginia governor James Gilmore, president of the Free Congress Foundation, who ran for president as a conservative in 2008. "I'm not hearing any sense of rebellion at all against the Romney candidacy."
Maybe not — but it took years for Romney to earn the embrace he finally received at the Tampa Bay Times Forum Thursday night. He was from the liberal state of Massachusetts. He had worked with Democrats, even on a state health insurance program that became the model for what he now calls "Obamacare."
-
PHOTOS: Top images from Tampa
-
INTERACTIVE: USA TODAY/Twitter Election Meter
And then there were the negative TV ads — from his Republican primary opponents and especially from President Obama's campaign, which has pounded him mercilessly on both policy and personal fronts.
Meet Mitt Romney
"Mitt's story has been told from one side, and it's been the Obama side," says Romney campaign pollster Neal Newhouse.
As for telling his own story on the stump, "This is not a natural thing for him," Newhouse says.
So before Romney's acceptance speech, campaign organizers rolled out speakers to attest to his character.
Bain Capital colleagues expressed wonder at his business acumen. Former Olympians lauded his saving of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Former Massachusetts officials recounted his record as governor. His lieutenant governor noted how many women he hired.
Perhaps most important in fleshing out the Romney story, friends from his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told stories of service and charity, from helping young David Oparowski write his will before he died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to helping church member Pam Finlayson fold clothes. "By the time Mitt left," she said, "not only did I feel welcome, my laundry was done!"
Romney, who entered the hall from the back with handshakes and hugs, spoke at length about his life story. That left less time to criticize Obama. But he did say this: "You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him."
And in mocking tones that drew appreciative laughs from the partisan crowd, he added this: "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family."
A lengthy video on Romney's life was shown before the key 10 p.m. hour, denying many Americans the chance to see it on TV. That was done so that Eastwood would come on stage while the networks were going live.
And in another display of orchestrated planning, the only hand-painted signs visible in the hall were those heralding two key demographic groups. Most read "Women love Mitt" and "Hispanics for Romney."
The Obama campaign has been quick to react to the good GOP vibes. The Democrats' "war room" here has held press conferences and sent out e-mails and tweets on a regular basis.
And on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry— the party's 2004 nominee, who was subjected to a $23 million negative ad campaign by a group calling itself "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" — sent out a fundraising appeal. "I have one message burned into my memory for everyone who cares about the outcome of this year's presidential election: Respond quickly and powerfully to attacks from the other side," he wrote.
Romney's three-day convention gives Democrats several reasons to be concerned:
•The race, razor-close for months, now could see a Romney bounce. That should help in states where voters can vote weeks before Election Day, including Colorado, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina.
•Three weeks of running with Ryan on the ticket — and often by his side — has made Romney a better campaigner. Tough talk in Tampa added to his image as a fighter, from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's "Mitt Romney will tell us the hard truths" to former secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's "We cannot lead from behind."
•Three days of choreographed speeches and videos here have gone a long way toward making Romney seem more down to earth — not an easy task for someone worth an estimated $250 million. His wife, Ann, spoke of their love and "real marriage." Their five handsome sons made the rounds of cable TV shows. And at the end of Romney's speech, as red, white and blue balloons dropped from the ceiling, the stage was flooded with many of the 18 Romney grandchildren.
'Make my day!'
While Romney might not have Reagan's charm, the appearance of Eastwood didn't hurt. Just six months ago Eastwood was featured in a Super Bowl ad about the comeback at Chrysler, which some viewed as an endorsement of Obama.
"When somebody does not do the job, we've got to let them go," he said before his trademark "Make my day!"
And while Romney still might not be voters' top choice as someone to have a beer with — and not just because, as a Mormon, he doesn't drink — his advisers say that won't matter.
"They're going to look for somebody they think can turn the country around and keep it from going over a cliff," political director Rich Beeson says.
Romney and Ryan leave Tampa not just on a campaign but a mission. They plan to talk about solutions, not hope and change.
What's not clear is whether that debate will embolden voters or scare them. Democrats clearly hope it's the latter.
