Romney made his case. Will people believe it?

Mitt Romney acknowledges delegates before speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

This post originally appeared on Slate.

(CBS News) TAMPA, Fla. - For those who didn't think that Mitt Romney has had to overcome obstacles: Clint Eastwood. The actor's 12-minute turn onstage at the Republican Convention was rambling and distracting. He spoke to an empty chair in which he pretended the president sat. A few times he pretended the president had suggested he and Romney have intercourse with themselves. Obama spokesperson Ben Labolt suggested that, as counter-programming, the Democrats next week would have Salvador Dali. President Obama got in on the fun by tweeting a picture of himself sitting in the Roosevelt Room chair. (This seat's taken.) The convention that had seemed snakebit at the start, with Hurricane Isaac and tropical storm Todd Akin, appeared to be ending on the same cursed note.

But after the unplanned interlude, Romney made his case as a fix-it man who would return America to its first principles after its fling with the exciting, promising, but ultimately disappointing incumbent. It was a time for more realistic goals. "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet," said Romney. "My promise is to help you and your family."

Romney: Time to put Obama behind us

Romney made a promise, but the test of the speech is whether people believe it. Ann Romney talked about trust. Did he garner the trust people need to have to hand him the presidency? Mitt Romney's election has always relied on a two-part formula. Voters needed to feel disappointment in the president and feel like Romney has a plan. Part 1 was a gift waiting for any Republican nominee who could make it to Tampa. Romney gave a perfectly fine speech, but there were no breakthroughs on that second task. The race feels like it is going to return to the hard-fought bitter contest it was before Romney entered the Tampa Bay Times Forum and without much momentum for the slog ahead.

Romney entered the hall and walked the red carpet through the crowd as if he were a president about to deliver the State of the Union. He shook hands, pointed at friends, and stopped to hug Sen. Orrin Hatch, who earlier in the evening had told me about Romney "crawling in bed to cuddle his wife" when she had breast cancer. Romney didn't get to the cuddling, but part of his speech was intended to give voters an inroad to who he is. He talked about his father, the Michigan governor whom they called "brick" because he was so immovable. He told stories about unconditional love, his own parenting, and his love for his wife. The best line was: "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."

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[ForestWalk]

So Mitt asks the American people " are you better off than you were three years ago?"

He wants you to answer that on a personal basis. are you earning more? do you own more? are your children safe?

He can answer yes to all of those questions and he thinks that you should be able to as well. But are we individually better off? sadly not everyone is. People have lost jobs and house. People can't find work. peoples children have fallen behind due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (some tragically have died). But no one is Mitts family circle have faced these challenges.

But from the point of view of a nation are we better off than we were four years ago? YES.

Four years ago after the lies that led us into the Iraq War and the tragic cost in lives and huge funds paid out under no bid contracts many to companies with ties and personnel in government - we are now out of that war. IRAQ continues to struggle but the dictator and butcher Sadam Hussein is gone. Maybe they will have a chance to make it as independent people. But that huge burden is behind us .
The lead of Al-Qaida is dead. Osama Bin Laden is dead. This is a relief to all freedom loving people. And despite what one misguided seal said it was on Obama's time and he as commander in chief gets the credit. The evil of this man was pointed out by Oliver North - but not Reagan - not Bush 1 - not Clinton - not Jr. Bush - but Obama - finally was able to have him and his personal brand of evil removed from the world scene.
When Obama took office the Untied States was reeling and going down due to stupidity and greed by the huge banks whose regulation was removed by Reagan. We were down for an 8-count. But we have come back from the edge. No we are not out of the hole but we are on our way up. Like the song from Wildcat - the way I see it when you are down and out - the only way is up! And under Obama - and no thanks to a do nothing congress - unemployment went up to a high of 10% in 2010 - but it is now beginning to come down. It is still above where it was when Obama took office (7.5) (it was 8.5 in July) (See BLS Statistics) and approaching to the levels of at the beginning of the Obama presidency. Jobs are beginning to come back. There is a long way to go but he has us moving up - not down as under little bush.
Did you have health care 4 years ago? Did your grown children have health care four years ago. Thousands more people can now say yes - health care is more available now than ever before in our nation's history tanks to a vision by Barak Obama. This is something that the Republican Congress has tried 33 times to take away from the American people. And yes it is constitutional - thanks you supreme court.
The sons and daughters of the middle and lower classes and immigrants and minorities are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan - unfortunately to a bleak job picture. But they are coming home. The American people wanted this and Mr. Obama ensured that it happened. This of course is something that Mitt and Missy Ann never had to worry about since their sons - well they never joined and never went.
So are the American people - are we as a Nation - better off than we were four years ago?
When someone asks you that say YES WE ARE! We have health care, Our sons and daughters are coming home (my prayers are with those families whose sons and daughters are not), we have health insurance that will enable more people to have access to the world's greatest health care system, and yes we are recovering from the worse financial mess we have been in since the great depression.
Yes!

[RollotheNorman]

Here's an early indicator the Willard Excitement Frenzy, thanks to Nate Silver:

Aug. 31: TV Ratings May Be Leading Indicator of Convention Bounce
By NATE SILVER

It remains too early to tell exactly what effect the Republican National Convention has had on the polls. But television ratings are one measure that come in almost instantaneously. Ratings for the final two nights of the Republican convention were down quite a bit from 2008, declining by about 30 percent overall.

HAR, nobody's watching Willard!

[nohater]

romney didn't make his case and Fact Check exposes him for either the liar he is or the ignorant man that he is today. romney with the help of wealthy supporters is out to buy the office of potus. the wealthy includes eastwood who recently built a 20-30 million mansion near carmel, ca. romney and lyin' ryan aren't what they present to be at all. voters should not follow them like sheep but do all they can to be informed before handing over the ofice of potus to the elite because then they will have all of the power.

[stupa5]

No No No don't believe Pinochio!

[TimeToEvoIve]

This is a plastic Wall Street parasitic puppet plain and simple. He looks like a sleazebag, in the old country (East Coast) we would call him a shyster.

An anti-government guy who wants to run the government. Standing in front of a sign saying :We Believe in America" after being the Outsourcer in Chief at Bain Capital. You can't make this stuff up.

[seabass6251]

"Outsourcer in Chief" by the liberals who send our money overseas as fast as it can be printed.

Ask the folks who work at the following businesses if they feel outsourced:
Dunkin Donuts
Bright Horizons
AMC Movie Theaters
Burlington Coat Factory
Outback Steakhouse
Bonefish Grill
Gymboree
Toys R Us
Guitar Center
Clear Channel
Staples
HCA
Michael's

Nice try libtard...

[seabass6251]

The sun rises in the east too.

So???

[bbglow]

Beware America, the republicans have by majority signed the Norquist pledge (google it). That means revenues will be forever restricted. The deficit make-up will need to come from somewhere. When they eliminate what they call entitlements (i.e. yours not theirs, because their entitlements are tax breaks or subsidies) your liberty and freedom will forever be threathened and confined to minimum wage right-to-work bondage.

[seabass6251]

The federal government has very little revenue, however it does have an exhorbant amount of taxes it collects each year. It's only revenue to liberals who pay no taxes.

Minimum wage wouldn't be so bad if the dollar was worth something. Why don't we fix that?

[seabass6251]

I wonder why Wal-Mart has so such a high percentage of the working poor who earn so little that they pay no taxes and qualify for food stamps, Medicaid, and housing assistance? Could it be that taxes and a lower-valued dollar force employers to hire more part-time employees instead of full-time employees?

Raising taxes on the top 1% (now I guess it's the top 2%) would not reduce our deficits, save Social Security, Medicare, or local governments. That's pure lib fantasy. If you raise taxes, your Wal-Mart employees you seem so fond of would have their hours cut from 32 to 16 per week. That must make sense to you.

[TimeToEvolve]

This is a plastic Wall Street parasitic puppet plain and simple. He looks like a sleazebag, in the old country (East Coast) we would call him a shyster.

An anti-government guy who wants to run the government. Standing in front of a sign saying :We Believe in America" after being the Outsourcer in Chief at Bain Capital. You can't make this stuff up.

[bbglow]

The truth is often contained in the subtleties. Did I hear Gov. Romney correctly ... you're going to lose that $22.50/hr job and need to find two jobs to replace it? What exactly is the plan for replacing lost American employment and manufacturing?

[bbglow]

Try finding one means of employment, much less two.

[A_Canadian_Opinion]

Won't believe it for a second. It's snake oil.

[bbglow]

Did I hear right ... "are you better off than 4 years ago". With corporate profits reported at all time highs is the RNC talking to the American worker or asking their cronies if they are unsatisfied with their profits?