Friday, March 02, 2007

The Turnaround   [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Romney's addressing CPAC now and oh boy is this different than the disappointing speech he gave in late January at the NRI conservative summit. A few red-meat lines: "It's time to take government apart and put it back together." Wants to make it "simpler, smarter, and smaller." He said, "I will fight to repeal McCain-Feingold." Talking about the marriage fight he said "It is the people who are soveriegn in America, not a few folks in black robes." He talks confidentally about the war and has a good line about how Pelosi and Reid shouldn't be dictating frontline strategy.  He's gotten a ton of applause and has kept a steady beat.  This is a speech — ending on a forceful, adamant, ticked-off but optimistic about the future note. "Our traditonal values" are on the line, we're under attack, and the government is a mess and he's not going to stand for it, dammit.

This is the speech he should have given in January at our summit. This is the speech he should have given when he launched the campaign. This speech — this is a rallying speech.

03/02 03:45 PMShare