Closing Time

I didn't watch all of tonight's Republi-Con finale--I found Venus Williams' tennis match with Angelique Kerber to be much more dramatic, certainly with more potential to surprise continually, but I saw enough.

Tuesday's convention lineup was much more interesting: a suggestion that, though the conventioneers were pretty much monochromatic (if you call white a color) and old, they do have some upcoming leaders with diverse backgrounds--though not much variety in what they said. Last night, I kept a promise to myself not to watch a minute of it.


First, tonight's set-up guys:  

Marco Rubio:  He looked like the 12-year-old head of the local chapter of Young Republicans.  What he said was OK, I guess. When he grows up, he could be a serious contender.

Clint Eastwood (the lefty brought in to face one batter):  For his performance tonight, he remains Unforgiven.  What he had to say was pretty lame, but the way he delivered it?  Even lamer.

The Closer:  A good presentation, I'd say.  He showed the requisite emotion, did seem into it.  Part I:  Bathos.  Part II:  Blather.  His main theme was an appeal to those disappointed with Obama's administration.  My main thought:  If they are disappointed now, they will be positively in despair after four years (Please, O Angel Moroni, don't let it be eight!) of this guy.

Romney is one part Dubya--his policy proposals are entirely warmed-over Bushism; he just humors the Tea Party guys but he's not one of them--and one part Tricky Dick Nixon.  He is willing to say or do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

Meanwhile, Rolling Stone is breaking a story, by Tim Dickinson and based on research of FDIC records through the Freedom of Information Act, of how Romney bilked the banks (and the FDIC, when one of the bank creditors folded up) to rescue Bain Capital in the early '90's when it was in danger of going bankrupt.  The irony of the story is amazing:  Romney got the bailout that he opposed for the auto companies.  No doubt RS' version is one-sided, but I think there will be some new 'splaining, duckin' and dodgin', as the facts of this ugly episode are reviewed.

I realize, though, that I have not given Mitt enough credit.  There was one thing last night that truly impressed me:  the suit jacket that Romney was wearing.  The color of that still sticks in my mind--if you have a chance to see any replay of his speech, please take a good look at that jacket and its color.  If you can tell me the precise word for the color, I will cite you and give you my thanks, for my vocabulary of colors fails me.  It was blue, yes, but that does not do it justice.  It was not the usual "navy blue", more or less approximating the field in the background for the stars on the Stars and Stripes, that a typical US politician would wear when doing the loyal red, white, and blue outfit.  Romney was doing that, but the blue....it had elements of the crystalline sea-blue of the Grotto Azurro, maybe of a star sapphire.  One thing for sure:  It was a high-quality, $10K kind of suit jacket.

Romney definitely looks the part.  Beyond that, he is "a suit" par excellence!  He may be an empty suit, but what a suit!