Dear
Mr. Romney,
I
watched on television at home the final night of your Republican National
Convention. There were certainly some
moving moments but there were disappointing ones too. For me anyway.
I
thought the older man and woman whose son David you were close to were very
sincere and lovely people. I have known people like them in my lifetime and
they are genuine and decent in every way.
You were obviously a caring inspiration to them at a very difficult time
in their lives.
And
the woman whose husband and ill daughter you and your wife befriended and loved
was a beautiful contribution to your night; so articulate and warmly authentic
in her appreciation of you.
But
I felt at times these loving people bordered on being exploited in the way they
were presented. The older couple was
clearly uncomfortable under the bright lights reading from a teleprompter no
doubt for the first time in their lives in front of thousands of people. Why not interview them in their home and let
them say in their own words how much they admire you?
And
clearly the attractive capable woman whose daughter died recently, spoke with
such heartfelt emotion, still carrying in her voice so much of the sorrow in
her heart. Was it appropriate to bring her
before the crowd and subject her to all of those raw feelings in front of
endless strangers? Perhaps she too could
have been interviewed sitting next to you and your wife in a more comfortable
setting.
It
bothers me that politicians sometimes use vulnerable and genuine people not
necessarily for the value of their stories but in order to pull on the emotions
of a crowd for purposes that are more about capturing votes than about
celebrating the heroism or courage of those individuals being presented.
I
understand your campaign people were trying to humanize you in some way. But I wasn’t always comfortable with how
those three wonderful people were used in order to do it.
I
do think their admiration and love for you is completely sincere and well
deserved. You obviously touched their
lives in significant and carrying ways.
But
that reality seemed to lose its worthy impact once you started hammering away
at President Obama in what I considered shameful and senseless attacks.
Why
make him out to be someone who wants people to fail? Why suggest that he hates business and
success? What purpose does it serve to
try and tear him down in order to build up yourself? To accuse him of not caring, of not
leading. He may not have done things
your way. He may not have the same
experiences in life you have had. But he
has known success and he has tried under extremely difficult circumstances to
work for all Americans. Why do you have
to make him into someone who doesn’t love our country simply because you don’t
agree with his political philosophy?
All
of your attempts to disgrace and shame him and suggest he’s not a caring
president were far from the mood of graciousness and humanitarianism your team
created about you in the testimonies of the older couple and the well spoken
woman who came before you.
Do
you not see how, not just your attacks on President Obama’s policies, but on
his character, on his patriotism, on his humanity, diminish all the sweet and
kind things your friends said about you earlier?
There
are ways to express our disagreements with others that can be noble and
intelligent and even inspiring. Had you
chosen that approach it would have been a dynamic demonstration of the
magnanimous and deeply religious man your wife and dear friends and others at
the convention claim you to be.
There
is always the hope that our politicians will take the high road in their
campaigning, choosing to be men and women who speak with bold honesty but who
are also poised and polished and professional in how they speak of their
opponents.
We
have not seen that in a long, long time.
Unfortunately, on a night when much of the nation and many across the
world were waiting with anticipation, we did not see it from you either.
Such
lost opportunities are rarely ever given again.
I am sad for you and for our country.
Sincerely,
Timothy
Moody
©
2012 Timothy Moody
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