Of all things to be expected at a national political convention, with its balloons and confetti, its pep-rally chants and general hullabaloo, the last thing to surface in such a surreal sea of glitz and glitter might be a glimpse of reality.
Sighting reality in those parts would be as surprising as seeing how folks really live in those ports of call where the cruise ship is just putting in for a day. From a national convention’s opening gavel to its concluding prayer, the tendency and temptation is to give politics precedent. No need to go into detail about anything else, including the hard choices – and sacrifices – that real government, and real life, may have to face.
That’s why it was remarkable that the lady who stole the show at last week’s Republican National Convention was no professional, no politician, and, though she talked politics in her way, she remained a lady throughout. An all-too-rare accomplishment in these times.
•••
The lady is named Romney, but her effect was quite different from that of the male of the species. When she spoke, there was no razzmatazz, no hoopla and hyperbole, no outline of talking points clearly visible behind her text.