Reaganesque: Paul Ryan gets white hot reception at RNC
Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 7:00AM 
The Republican National Convention hit its stride on Wednesday night when GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan spoke. It was impossible to ignore the potential in a young man who, in my opinion with that speech, established a visceral connection with the American people.
"My mom is my role model," Ryan told the crowd. The camera panned to his mom who exchanged a tender moment with her grandchildren. That moment defined Ryan going forward, especially for those who don't know him well. Ryan was only 16 when his father died.
The Wisconsin congressman summed up Democrats' strategy by saying he'd never seen "opponents so silent about their record..fear and division is all they've got left."
Ryan said after Gov. Mitt Romney asked him to join the ticket, Romney said, "Let's get this done."
Ryan praised the GOP nominee's record, telling Republicans, "We want this debate; we will win this debate."
Ryan said ObamaCare is the "greatest threat to Medicare...and we are going to stop it."
Analysis at Fox News after Ryan's speech was positive.
Karl Rove called Ryan's philosophy "conservative populism" and said it was "an attack on big government."
Charles Krauthammer said Ryan's speech was "bold, very strong and very large." The Pulitzer-winning columnist likened Ryan's crit of President Barack Obama as "stiletto attacks...point by point," but he noted the delivery was "more in sorrow than in anger."
Chris Wallace called Ryan's address "a tour de force...a searing indictment of Obama's record; a bill of particulars."
By the time Ryan's two sons, daughter, wife and mom took the stage to say farewell, the crowd was roaring approval. The moment was Reaganesque; the intensity was white hot.
Democrats could never have envisioned how formidable the Romney-Ryan team is.
(Commentary by Kay B. Day/Aug. 29, 2012)