Re: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - What America Needs

Businesspersons and politicians are very clever actors. They know how to
re-invent themselves. (Or, should I say those around these actors know how to
re-invent their boss). This truism I learned from my late father who was a
politician (Chair of the defunct National Party of Nigeria) in my village and
who before then was a businessman. So, I would say spot on to Professor
Assensoh's (alias AB's) brilliant opinion and analysis.

Ike Udogu

----- Original Message -----
From: "Assensoh, Akwasi B." <aassenso@indiana.edu>
Date: Friday, August 31, 2012 2:42 pm
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - What America Needs
To: "usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Cc: leonenet <leonenet@lists.umbc.edu>

> Colleagues:
>
> It is nice to read about the just-concluded Republican Convention
> in Tampa, Florida. Of course, there are some of us, who are open-
> minded to read about all sides of the American political spectrum
> (i.e. about the Republicans, the Democrats, and the others).
> Interestingly, we read about outright and subtle appeals on behalf
> of the major political parties.
>
> In the last few days, we have heard Republican leaders with their
> messages and, also, we have read from various Republican Party
> members -- Blacks and Whites -- some of the great things their
> party is doing, including heated commentaries advanced in the USA
> Africa Dialogue Series. Conversely, major American newspapers --
> without partisan interests -- have also started to evaluate what
> Nigerian Chief Obafemi Awolowo would have described as "the
> Republican jamboree". To say the least, I have been sombered and
> fascinated by three published items in THE NEW YORK TIMES of today
> (September 31, 2012): the first of three editorial comments, titled
> "Mr. Romney Reinvents History" (on page A22); Paul Krugman's
> column, titled "The Medicare Killers" (on page A23) and,
> interestingly, "Check Point: Facts Took a Beating In Ryan's Speech"
> by Michael Cooper (page A15).
>
> The above-cited NEW YORK TIMES write-ups are real eye-opening
> scenarios that, hopefully, will humble a lot of us, no matter whom
> we support. After reading them, I laughed, and I also wondered
> aloud about which political party and its leadership "desperately"
> want to win the November presidential elections! Is the Obama Camp
> or the Romney Camp? Please, be the best judge! However, we live to
> see!
> A.B. Assensoh (Indiana).
> ________________________________
> From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
> [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Abdul Karim
> Bangura [theai@earthlink.net]
> Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2012 11:23 PM
> To: USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
> Cc: leonenet
> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - What America Needs
>
> Romney accepts nomination, focuses on adding jobs
>
>
[http://enews.earthlink.net/static/602946134/harvest_xml/NEWS/img/20120830/78a95a22-8a0f-47ca-aaa6-f653c3da59bf.jpg]
<http://enews.earthlink.net/article/pho?guid=20120830/78a95a22-8a0f-47ca-aaa6-f653c3da59bf&article_path=/article/top&article_guid=20120830/78a95a22-8a0f-47ca-aaa6-f653c3da59bf>
> Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney waves to delegates
> before speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa,
> Fla., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. (AP Photo - Charlie Neibergall)
> KASIE HUNT
> From Associated Press
> August 30, 2012 10:44 PM EDT
>
> TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney has a message for the
> millions of Americans who voted for Democratic President Barack
> Obama: It's OK to be disappointed.
>
> The biggest moment of his political career at hand, Romney looked
> to appeal to the feelings of anxiety that are rippling through the
> electorate as the nation faces stubbornly high unemployment and
> fears about its future place in the world.
>
> "Hope and change had a powerful appeal. But tonight I'd ask a
> simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for
> Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President
> Obama?" Romney said as he formally accepted the Republican
> presidential nomination Thursday night. "You know there's something
> wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best
> feeling you had was the day you voted for him."
>
>
http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/news.earthlink.dart/news_300x250_top;abr=!ie;sz=300x250;ptile=5;ord=38395286?"&gt;<img
style="float:right;margin-left:5px"
src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/news.earthlink.dart/news_300x250_top;abr=!ie;sz=300x250;ptile=5;ord=38395286?"
border=0 height="250" width="300"&gt;
> In 2008, Obama swept to victory with a message of hope and change —
> and as the first black person to earn the nomination of a major
> party, his candidacy was historic. He won in states like Virginia,
> Indiana and North Carolina, turning out African Americans and
> excited young people in record numbers.
>
> To win, Romney needs to convince some of those voters that "hope
> and change" didn't really work out — and that he is the man to fix
> the problem.
>
> "To the majority of Americans who now believe that the future will
> not be better than the past, I can guarantee you this: If Barack
> Obama is re-elected, you will be right," Romney said.
>
> Aides said the speech was the most important of Romney's political
> career and will forever change his family's legacy. In winning his
> party's presidential nomination, the former Massachusetts governor
> has succeeded where his father failed a generation ago. But facing
> a two-month sprint to an Election Day matchup against President
> Barack Obama, Romney is now trying to broaden his appeal and
> connect with women and with middle-of-the road voters who will
> ultimately decide his fate.
>
> To do so, he struck an often soft tone laced with deeply personal
> themes. He drew from Mormon faith and the influence of his mother
> and father — both dead for more than a decade — when he faced the
> Republican National Convention and a prime-time audience.
>
> "My mom and dad gave their kids the greatest gift of all — the gift
> of unconditional love. They cared deeply about who we would be, and
> much less about what we would do," Romney will say, according to
> prepared remarks released by the campaign.
>
> George Romney, a Michigan governor, ran for the Republican
> presidential nomination in 1968 when Romney was a young man. His
> mother, Lenore, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Michigan
> in 1970.
>
> "My mom and dad were true partners, a life lesson that shaped me by
> everyday example. When my mom ran for the Senate, my dad was there
> for her every step of the way," Romney said.
>
> The remarks were delivered a stage that puts him a little bit
> closer to the crowd inside the convention hall. His campaign hopes
> the evening ends with Americans feeling a little bit closer to the
> Republican presidential candidate, too.
>
> On this night, they told Romney's story
>
> The entire evening — from the physical staging to the speakers'
> program to the planned whole-family entrance after Romney's big
> speech — was aimed at introducing the sometimes stiff and distant
> politician as a businessman, Olympic savior and deeply religious
> family man. His pitch to his party, as well as to the many
> undecided voters who are disappointed in the country's direction,
> will be that he's the candidate better able to shoulder the
> country's economic burdens.
>
> The testimonials were deeply personal.
>
> One couple, Ted and Pat Oparowsky, told the crowd about their 14-
> year-old son David, dying of cancer, who Romney would visit in the
> hospital. He bought the boy fireworks, helped him write a will,
> and, at David's request, delivered the eulogy at his funeral.
> Another woman, Pam Finlayson, talked about her daughter, born three
> months premature — and Romney, her church pastor at the time, would
> come to the hospital and pray for the little girl.
>
> "Like a lot of families in a new place with no family, we found
> kinship with a wide circle of friends through our church," Romney,
> who met both families through his church, will say. "We prayed
> together, our kids played together and we always stood ready to
> help each other out in different ways."
>
> That speech is the centerpiece of the evening, and touches on
> themes that are both personal and political. He'll tell stories,
> aides say, that haven't been part of his campaign trail pitch. He
> discussed his Mormon faith, particularly his time helping
> struggling families when he served as a church leader in Boston.
>
> To prepare for the big night, Romney spent months making meticulous
> notes about his experiences campaigning. He read numerous previous
> convention speeches and talked to a number of close friends and
> confidants about how to approach his address. He and his wife, Ann,
> spent part of last weekend rehearsing their speeches in an
> auditorium at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., near the
> family's lakeside summer home.
>
> Before Romney spoke, a parade of people from his past took the
> podium to walk through different phases of his life: his time
> running the private equity firm Bain Capital, his years running the
> 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and his experiences as
> governor of Massachusetts. Referred to inside the campaign as
> "character witnesses," the speeches were designed to showcase the
> man who friends say inspires fierce loyalty. Much of the list was
> drawn up by Romney's son Tagg
>
> Addressing the crowd were Bob White, a longtime friend and
> colleague from Bain Capital, and Tom Stemberg, the founder of
> Staples, the office supply store; Olympic speed skater Derek Parra
> and hockey player Mike Eruzione; and former Massachusetts Lt. Gov.
> Kerry Healey, who is still a closer adviser.
>
> All offered their own testimonies to Romney's character.
>
> "Go back and look at every pursuit in Mitt's life," said White, who
> jokingly noted that he's sometimes called Romney's "wingman."
>
> "Surrounding him are people who have worked with him over and over
> again. They trust and respect him. They want to be part of his
> team," White said. "I've seen Mitt Romney be that leader. He is the
> right man at the right time to be the next president of these great
> United States."
>
> Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
> material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
>
> --
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of
> Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogueFor previous
> archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.htmlTo post to
> this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
>
>
> --
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of
> Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue For previous
> archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html To post
> to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
> USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
>
>
>

--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com