Veep nominee Paul Ryan gave the rousing speech that was expected of him last night. This is a pretty good assessment:
Paul Ryan’s speech, in two words? Nailed it. Everything that I like (and surmise that others will like as he becomes more and more familiar to them) about Paul Ryan was on perfect display during his half hour-ish on stage. He was intelligent without being intimidating; he was stern and serious but still optimistic and even funny; and he hinted at his wonkiness without getting into jargon and maintained his approachability. But the most beautiful thing about Paul Ryan as the potential vice president of the United States is his uncanny knack for breaking through populist myths and shrill leftist attacks and instead communicating the merits of free-market economics and small government, all without being shrill or polarizing.
My favorite line of the night, though, was from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:
Because it just has to be that the freest, most compassionate country on the face of the earth will continue to be the most powerful and the beacon for prosperity and the party across the world.
If the "freest, most compassionate country" doesn't continue to "be the most powerful," somebody else will be glad to take on that role, and the very thought of that should be horrifying to everyone.
