So with the Republican National Conference over and the Democratic National Convention starting, one only has to look at the speakers to see who the rising stars (“the benches”) are for each party. Let’s put them in a depth chart
Republicans:
First String: VA Gov. Bob McDonnell; WI Gov. Scott Walker; SC Gov. Nikki Haley; NJ Gov. Chris Christie; LA Gov. Bobby Jindal; SD Sen. John Thune; Former Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice; WI Rep. Paul Ryan; FL Sen. Marco Rubio
Second String: NH Sen. Kelly Ayotte; OK Gov. Mary Fallin; NV Gov. Brian Sandoval; KY Sen. Rand Paul; OH Sen. Rob Portman; PR Gov. Luis Fortuño; NM Gov. Susana Martinez; Former FL Gov. Jeb Bush; TX Sen. Ted Cruz
Third String: ND Sen. John Hoeven; TN Rep. Marsha Blackburn; WA Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers; Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love; OH Gov. John Kasich; Former MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty
Democrats
First String: CO Gov. John Hickenlooper; Former VA Gov. Tim Kaine; MD Gov. Martin O’Malley; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; MT Gov. Brian Schweitzer; MA Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren
Second String: Newark Mayor Corey Booker; San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro; Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel; Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx; NC Sen. Kay Hagan; Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter; Vice President Joe Biden; MN Senator Amy Klobuchar; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Vilagarossa
Third String: WI Senate Candidate Tammy Baldwin; House of Representatives Candidate Joaquin Castro; MA Gov. Deval Patrick; Former OH Gov. Ted Strickland; Houston Mayor Annisse Parker
Can’t wait to see John Thune run for office in 2016 or 2020
Former SOS Condi Rice…wow. Biggest applause in possibly both nights so far. Dr. Rice has a future in politics, even though she won’t admit it. Coming out party, indeed. I got goosebumps from her speech.
“We stand for free peoples and free markets. We will stand and support them.”
“Our armed forces are the sure shield and foundation of liberty.”
“We can not be reluctant to lead, and you can not lead from behind.”
“The desire to live in freedom is indeed universal.”
“Peace really does come through strength.”
“We are abandoning the practice of free trade and it will come back to haunt us.”
“Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will rebuild the foundation of our strength – the economy.”
“When a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny. This is not the America that has inspired people to follow our lead.”
“The essence of America…is not nationality or ethnicity or religion. It is an idea. And what an idea it is! That you can come from humble circumstances and you can do great things. It does not matter where you came from, but where you are going.”
“We have never been jealous of each other, and never been envious of each others successes.”
“Greatness is built on mobilizing human potential and ambition. We have always done that better than any country in the world. People come here because they believe our creed of opportunity.”
“We must continue to welcome the world’s most ambitious people to be a part of us.”
“You may not be able to control your circumstances but you can control your response to your circumstances.”
“Self-esteem comes from achievement, not from lax standards and false praise.”
“Think of when America made the impossible seem inevitable.”
NM Governor Susana Martinez, “todos es posible!” Funny, personable, and did amazing for the biggest stage of her life so far.
“Success is not built on resentment and fear.”
“My boss fired me. So I took him on. And beat him by a landslide.”
“I’ll be damned…we’re Republicans!”
“We don’t always see eye to eye, but we came together in a bipartisan manner and turned that deficit into a surplus. And we did it without raising taxes.”
“If he can take credit for government building small businesses, he can take responsibility for government adding $5 trillion to the federal debt. Because he did build that.”
“We each pave a path, and for me, it’s about paving a path for those little girls to follow. They need to know: no more barriers.”
“It’s success and success is the American dream. And that success is not something to be ashamed of or demonize.”
VP Nominee Paul Ryan. CHILLS ALREADY. The smartest man in the GOP. “Hello Wisconsin!” A lot more subdued than “pitbull and a hockey mom.”
“I accept the calling of my generation to give our children the America that was given to us, with opportunities for the young and security for the old.”
“After four year of a run-around, America needs a turnaround.”
“They’ve run out of ideas. Their moment came and went. Fear and division is all they’ve got left.”
“With all their attack ads, the President is just throwing away money. And he’s pretty experienced at that.”
“Let’s get this done and that is exactly what we are going to do.”
“When he talked about change, many people liked the sound of that…”
“Without a change in leadership, why would the next four years be any different from the last four years?”
“That money wasn’t just spent and wasted. It was BORROWED, spent, and wasted.”
“The greatest threat to Medicare is Obamacare and we’re gonna stop it.”
“Our opponents can consider them on notice: in this election, on this issue, the usual posturing on the Left isn’t going to work. Mitt Romney and I know the difference between raiding and protecting. Our nation needs this debate. We want this debate. We will win this debate.”
“What is missing is leadership in the White House!”
“The man assumed office four years ago. Isn’t it time he assumes responsibility?”
“One President, one term, five trillion new debt.”
“They have no answer to this simple reality: We need to stop spending money we don’t have.”
“We will put government back on the side of the people who built jobs and the people who need jobs.”
“Yes, you did build that!”
“We will act in the conviction that the United States is still the greatest force for peace that this world has ever known!”
“President Obama is the kind of politician who puts promises on the record and then pulls the record.”
“College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters!”
“Obama offers a country where everything free…BUT US!”
“By the way, being successful in business, that’s a good thing!”
“Mitt and I also go to different churches. But in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example.”
“Our rights come from nature and God and not government!”
“We will not seek to replace our founding principles, we will seek to reapply them!”
Day 2 was not quite was it was in 08 with Sarah Palin’s VP speech (the gold standard of VP speeches in my opinion), but damn if Condoleezza Rice, after two days, isn’t in the lead with best speech of the convention.
**Tweet of the Night: ShirleyQLiquors: well.. ok.. but… at the debate, Joe Bidern can still get up and holler “THEY GONE PUT YALL BACK IN CHAINS”
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