Thursday night, the Republican Convention culminated with the much anticipated acceptance speech of Mitt Romney. His speech will be dissected backwards and forwards. The plan he laid out will be analyzed and fact checked. The attacks on the President will be evaluated for their impact and truth. All of these items will happen over the course of the next week. But the thing many will be talking about more is the speech made by American Icon Clint Eastwood.

In a surprise visit, Eastwood stepped to the stage to a rousing standing ovation. What followed was an explosion of real time panning and praise across the social media universe. Traditional media and pundits soon followed suit after Romney completed his speech. If you are a Conservative partisan, then you found the speech funny, and a breath of fresh air from a Hollywood actor. Liberals and Obama supporters found it offensive, and rambling. The truth is somewhere in between.

In deference to the Eastwood here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (in reverse).

The Ugly

All actors share one trait that is maddening to groups that have them speak or support their causes: they cannot be controlled. Eastwood was scheduled for a five minute, scripted speech. He went over time and off script. He added an off color joke about an imaginary President Obama telling him (Eastwood) to tell Romney to “go do something he can’t do to himself.” The remark was NOT appreciated by the Romney camp. We are, after all, talking about a Presidential candidate for whom saying the word “hell” is noteworthy. It is not something that anyone would have signed off on. But what is there to do, walk him off the stage like they do at the Oscars? Once Eastwood is on stage, you just have to accept whatever happens next.

There is wide acceptance among the political class that President Obama has a disdain for Romney. There is little doubt, however, that he would not actually ask Romney a question or make a comment about Romney in that manner. He is not Rahm Emmanuel, after all.

The Bad

The schtick Eastwood used regarding interviewing the President, but having an empty seat, has been mocked across Hollywood. Roger Ebert remarked, “Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic.” Fellow film critic Richard Roeper tweeted, “Clint has now eclipsed the total word count of his last three films.” Star Jones had this too say, ”I can’t believe I just watched Clint Eastwood turn into somebody’s DRUNK UNCLE HARRY on the stage of the GOP RNC. He humiliated himself.”

What is interesting here is that even the film critics do not have a sense of entertainment history. The empty chair technique is an old comedic routine. Clint was around when it was used, but his age may have something to do why he performed it so haltingly. It did not translate, and probably would not have if he had delivered it in a smooth manner.

At 82, there is a legitimate question as to whether Eastwood is mentally agile enough for what he was attempting. As it turned out, all it did was take attention from Romney’s speech. It won’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but in a campaign where the President is searching for distractions, no one on the conservative side should be providing them. 

The Good

Lost in the reaction to the off-color jokes, and a comedic routine that failed because of how it was delivered, is the substance of what Eastwood said.

Liberals are quick to ignore this, because in their world you do not criticize Democrats, and not this President. It is disrespectful, it is wrong, and to many it is racist. It is not surprising they ignore the numerous jokes and just plain nasty remarks (Bill Maher) made toward republicans.

To them it is fair game: it is just jokes, it is free speech. In reality it is evidence of how thin skinned liberals really are. When they make fun of you, you should be able to take a joke. Make fun of them, and you’re crazy, kookie, or a bad person.

Clint made the very real analogy that when you have someone that is not doing the job, you have to let them go. You just do not tell Obama he should be fired or replaced in the liberal world. It is nuts to point out that he, and all politicians work for us. It is just not done to point out the pain of 23 million people out of work.

On substance Eastwood was as on target as any of the gun toting heroes he played in those old spaghetti westerns.  

Image Courtesy of  Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

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On the day that Paul Ryan was to give his acceptance speech for the nomination of Vice-President, Ryan knew he had to bring it. Not just because needed to excite the base. Nor was it because he needed to set the narrative in a way that combated the attacks he has already received since Mitt Romney selected him as his running mate. No, he needed to hit it out the park, because a day and half of the same message from different people had grown, if not tedious, certainly stale.

We Built It and We Can Do better may be the rallying cry, but it needed to be told in a fresh way something fierce. If there were any worries about Ryan’s ability to get the job done, they were unfounded.

Simply put, Ryan knocked the ball out of the park.

In a speech that interwove his personal story and beliefs with the plans of a Romney-Ryan ticket, Ryan effectively made the case for the plans and policies they are fighting to implement. Many have commented on Ryan’s likeability and personable manner. Both traits came through in both tone and demeanor. Stories about his family and calling his mother, “his role model” are flatly stock in trade items in politics, but there was an earnestness that permeated through Ryan. He is not just saying these things, they are true for him. This will go a long way for him in the campaign, and made the strong medicine he threw at Obama non offensive.

In a speech that had plenty of zingers in it, Ryan nonetheless never made the attacks personal. They were, in fact, not attacks, so much as critiques. What was different in his speech, in contrast to the attacks thus far from President Obama, is that Ryan focused on the results of the last three years. He zeroed in on facts, and figures, but personalized their consequences.

He made it personal as he talked about the GM factory in his hometown of Jamesville, Wisconsin, the people that he knew who used to work there, and the Obama administrations broken promise to keep it open. This was in contrast to the half a billion the President used in Solyndra. 

Ryan is known as a policy guy. For him its about the numbers, the policy and the results that follow. Ryan, however, was able to explain, keep the speech flowing, serve red meat, and do it with in a humorous way. His best zinger perhaps being the vivid image he conjured with this line: “Americans in their 20′s should not have to move home with their parents house, living in their old rooms, looking up at fading Obama posters and waiting for life to begin.”

A comment meant to target younger voters, but still managed to convey an important message to adults as well. Its a tactic that he used more than once. Throw a funny zinger like, “The President has said he has not communicated enough. That is his job to tell a story. In the last four years we have not suffered from a lack of words from the White House. What we are missing is leadership in the white house.”

Never in the speech did it become about Obama personally or about ideology. Just the results and what needs to be done to get better results. This is why the speech was a home run. Not because he could get applause lines, or get a standing ovation from the people in attendance. They are all going vote for Romney and him anyway. No the brilliance was delivering a speech that moderates, independents, and apathetic voters can understand. The message came through because it was a truthful one delivered at partisan event that did not sound at all partisan. Not in tone. And that is what Romney will need from Ryan during the campaign.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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Lost in the backdrop of most Presidential Conventions is the reality that more than just nominating a candidate is occurring. It’s also a party for both political parties and a showcase for major entertainment acts. Even as the convention was slowed to a crawl space because of the storm, work continued in the Tampa Bay Forum Center for many of the upcoming music acts. Here is some raw video of a sound check for the house band G.E Smith.

Image Courtesy of the 2012 Republican National Convention

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Republican convention organizers have announced that TVEyes is the “Official Broadcast Monitoring Provider” for the 2012 Republican National Convention. TVEyes’ online broadcast monitoring service will provide the convention real-time access to television and radio broadcasts.

“We are expecting 15,000 members of the media to cover the Republican National Convention and TVEyes will be crucial to monitoring and organizing the coverage we receive,” said convention Chief Executive Officer William Harris.

“We’re delighted to support the broadcast monitoring needs of the Republican National Convention,” said David Ives, chief executive officer of TVEyes, Inc. “Today’s instant-turnaround news environment means that political candidates and parties must be prepared to respond to news, political issues and competitors in real time, as coverage airs in the U.S. and worldwide. TVEyes, with its real-time search and monitoring of national network, cable and affiliate broadcasts in all 210 U.S. designated market areas (DMAs) and major global markets, uniquely makes this possible.”

About TVEyes

TVEyes is headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut and has operational facilities located across the United States and internationally. The company was formed in 1999 in the field of television and radio monitoring and quickly became the most technically advanced media monitoring company in the world. TVEyes technology has been recognized by the United States Department of Defense as a sole source provider for key monitoring applications around the world.

The TVEyes business model has grown to encompass a wide range of services and market segments involving automated speech-to-text and advanced audio/video search. TVEyes was the first media monitoring company to deploy a worldwide network of fully automated TV and radio monitoring servers and continues to add coverage aggressively to its network.

About the 2012 Republican National Convention

The 2012 Republican National Convention will be held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum August 27-30, 2012. Nearly 50,000 visitors are expected to come to the Tampa Bay area for the event, including delegates, alternate delegates, media and other guests. For more information about the 2012 Republican National Convention, become part of the virtual convention at www.ConventionWithoutWalls.com, visit our website www.GOPConvention2012.com and check out our official blog, Conventional Wisdom, at www.gopconvention2012.com/blog/.

Image Courtesey of  Gage Skidmore

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Advancing efforts to make the 2012 Republican National Convention the most dynamic, state-of-the-art event in the party’s history, organizers have announced Microsoft Corporation will serve as the convention’s Official Innovation Provider. The announcement underscores convention Chief Executive Officer William Harris’ commitment to embrace new technology that will spur interest and enthusiasm leading up to the August 27-30 event in Tampa.

The relationship includes a host of pioneering Microsoft solutions such as natural user interface in Microsoft’s Kinect, and video communications technology in Microsoft’s Skype. In addition, collaboration will be streamlined and improved through the use of the Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint technologies and consulting services.

Microsoft technologies are designed to help people stay connected, collaborate and communicate as well as to create, access and share data, information and digital content in new ways. Many of these innovations have demonstrated remarkable uses in education, medicine, business and many other applications“ and can also help transform the convention experience. Microsoft and the convention will continue to find ways to leverage Microsoft’s technologies and experienced support teams to make this convention the most innovative to date.

“Technology is changing the way we plan and conduct conventions,” said Harris, a veteran convention planner who has helped managed three conventions. “We are working with Microsoft to identify new ways to improve the convention experience for not only attendees in Tampa, but interested individuals across the country.”

Added Brad Smith, Microsoft’s General Counsel and Executive Vice President, “Microsoft is excited to collaborate with the Republican National Convention on this important event. Through the use of Microsoft’s latest technology products, services and expertise, we aim to make this the most interactive, engaging and technologically advanced convention yet.”

Image Courtesy of   Christopher Halloran / Shutterstock.com

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The 2012 Republican National Convention have announced that Google, Inc. has been named the “Official Social Platform and Live Stream Provider” of the Republican presidential nominating convention to be held Aug. 27-30 in Tampa.

As a convention partner, Google will provide a range of technology support and services, including streaming high-quality, live video of convention events and programs.

“Google and YouTube are transforming the political process, providing voters an unprecedented degree of participation and, for the very first time, giving every American who has access to a computer, tablet, video gaming system, interactive television, or video-enabled smart-phone an exclusive backstage pass to the podium of a national political convention,” said convention CEO William Harris.

Using a host of new technologies and communications platforms including “Google+ Hangouts” (a new multi-party videoconferencing feature), convention organizers hope to provide voters a virtual front-row seat to convention proceedings and activities.

“Having Google as a partner ensures the most engaging convention experience in history,” added Harris. “Our goal is to bring the convention to you, no matter where you are or which device you use.”

“We are excited to work with the Republican National Convention to help break down traditional barriers and empower voters. By incorporating our tools and technology, we are offering a behind the scenes look at the convention process and allowing voters, delegates and viewers to shape the conversation,” said Susan Molinari, Google’s Vice President of Public Policy.

Image Courtesy of    NewsHour

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