Draft off the Olympics
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Romney went to the summer games in London, which end two weeks before the convention. His attendance reminds Americans of his turnaround of the Salt Lake City Olympics and makes a great story, so why not continue the theme? Inviting as many U.S. Olympic athletes as possible to the Republican convention would be a great image of earned success, individual achievement, and the American Dream, all of which rebut nicely the president’s recent statements about government responsibility for individual success. (Case in point: They may run on government roads, but medal-winning marathoners don’t succeed because of the government.)
Republicans should also consider a prime-time video salute to the American Paralympic team that will be competing in London; these games start during the convention, on Wednesday, August 29. Many of the athletes are veterans, and anyone who’s been to a sporting event in the last 10 years knows how energized the crowd gets when it’s time to thank the veterans in the stands. And while there will always be a few movie stars at the convention—Chuck Norris and Tom Selleck always seem to turn up at Republican events—I’d leave it to the Democrats to put Hollywood types in the spotlight. Let them have Rob Lowe and Kim Kardashian; having hard-working veterans and world-class athletes who also happen to be Republicans appear in Tampa is better for the GOP brand.
