Una tarde histórica

Hace tiempo que no vivía una tarde así. De Fyorina y Meg Whitman se esperaba lo que ofrecieron, solidez. Tras el discurso de Romney, decepcionante y muy por debajo de mis expectativas, la tarde ha sido un espectáculo. Después del show de Fred Thompson ayer, se puede decir: ¡¡que candidatos tenían los republicanos en estas primarias!!!

Huckabee es un maestro de la comunicación, domina el escenario, y al público, sabe tocar el corazón, hablar el idioma de la gente y ha calentado el ambiente. Giuliani ha hecho la parte más dificil, la que sólo él podía hacer, azotar a Obama sin perder la sonrisa, demostrar con la aritmética de la retórica que Obama es un peligro en un momento de crisis, ironía a raudales, complicidad con la gente, una naturalidad desbordante, transmite confianza. El discurso pasará a la historia de los discursos negativos, no tengo ninguna duda.

El momento cumbre, para imprimir y repartir:

You’ve got to make this decision right. Who would you hire?

On the one hand, you’ve got a man who has dedicated his life to the service of his country. He’s been tested time and again by crisis. He’s passed every test.

Even his adversaries acknowledge that he is a true American hero. He loves America as we all do – but he’s sacrificed for it as few do. As a young man, he joined the military…and being a «Top Gun» kind of guy, he became a fighter pilot. He was on a mission over Hanoi when his plane was shot down.

He was tortured in a POW camp, but he refused his captors’ offers of early release. Because this is a man who believes in serving a cause greater than self-interest. He came home a national hero.

He had earned a life of peace and quiet, but he was called to public service again, running for Congress and then the Senate as a proud foot-soldier in the Reagan Revolution. His principled independence never wavered. He stood up to special interests, fought for fiscal discipline, ethics reform and a strong national defense.

That’s one man.

On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature – where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted «present.»

As Mayor of New York City, I never got a chance to vote «present.» And you know, when you’re President of the United States, you can’t just vote «present.» You must make decisions.

A few years later, he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won and has spent most of his time as a «celebrity senator.» No leadership or major legislation to speak of. His rise is remarkable in its own right – it’s the kind of thing that could happen only in America. But he’s never run a city, never run a state, never run a business.

He’s never had to lead people in crisis.

This is not a personal attack….it’s a statement of fact – Barack Obama has never led anything.

Nothing. Nada.

Pero la que sin duda pasará a la historia es Sarah Palin, primero por los hechos, desde hoy es la primera mujer nominada para un ticket presidencial republicano

Un buen slogan: «So, our opponents want to reframe the debate. They would have you believe that this election is about ‘change versus more of the same.’ But that’s really a false choice. Because «change» is not a destination … just as «hope» is not a strategy».

Y otro gran momento:

When Russia rolled over Georgia, John McCain knew exactly how to respond.

Having been to that part of the world many times and having developed a clear worldview over many years, John knew where he stood. Within hours, he established a very strong, informed position that let the world know exactly how he’ll respond as President. At exactly the right time, John McCain said, «We’re all Georgians.»

Obama’s first instinct was to create a moral equivalency – that «both sides» should «show restraint.» The same moral equivalency that he has displayed in discussing the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel.

Later, after discussing it with his 300 foreign policy advisors, he changed his position and suggested that the «the UN Security Council,» could find a solution. Apparently, none of his 300 advisors told him that Russia has a veto on any UN action. Finally Obama put out a statement that looked …well, it looked a lot like John McCain’s.

Here’s some free advice: Sen. Obama, next time just call John McCain.

Pero la que sin duda ha hecho historia es Sarah Palin, no sólo por los hechos que la convierten desde hoy en la primera mujer nominada en el ticket presidencial republicano. También por el discurso: cuentan los capos de la campaña, que empezó a ensayar y estaba tan suelta que el ensayo duró menos de una hora, «She kill it», decía. Al acabar hoy el discurso en directo, muchos gritaban «home run», lo había clavado, el entusiasmo se apoderaba de los republicanos, que hoy gritarían si no les oyeran: «yes we can». Porque con Palin todo es posible. Ha hablado al corazón de los americanos, con gracia, ha abordado con sencillez y firmeza sus «problemas» familiares que tantos quebraderos de prensa le han dado esta semana. Ha aceptado el reto de la experiencia, y ha dado un repaso a su labor ejecutiva. Ha estado firme y segura en el tema energético, añadiendo unas pinceladas de geopolítica internacional que no han sonado excesivamente forzadas, ha conquistado al público del Xcel y ha puesto a los medios a hablar de la utilización de los niños en la campaña, algo que se les había pasado por alto con Obama y Biden, no se puede mirar al discurso, es incontestable. Es verdad que soy de lagrima fácil pero he de confesar que en un par de momentos me he tenido que secar los ojos, os parecerá exagerado pero hay que vivirlo, esta señora tiene magia. Algunos momentos

On her experience as a public servant:
«I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better. When I ran for city council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too. Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.»
On why she is going to Washington, D.C.:
«I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion – I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country.»
On energy policies that the McCain-Palin administration will implement:
«Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems – as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines…build more nuclear plants…create jobs with clean coal…and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources. We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers.»
On John McCain:
«Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.