Scott Lasley is an Associate Professor in Western Kentucky University’s Department of Political Science. He is attending the Republican National Convention in Tampa this week. During the week, Professor Lasley will be providing a Kentucky perspective to the activities at the Republican National Convention.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney brought the 2012 Republican National Convention to a conclusion Thursday evening by officially accepting the party nomination. The party faithful responded enthusiastically to Romney’s pitch to voters who will decide November’s election. Romney spent the first half the speech making an effort to connect with voters on a more personal level, while the second half was spent making a case on why a change in the White House is needed. We’ll know in just over two months if he was successful.

Clint Eastwood made a special appearance before Florida Senator Marco Rubio introduced Romney. Despite technical issues Eastwood’s presentation provided several memorable moments. Rubio was able to show again why he is viewed as a rising star in the Republican Party.

Delegates and alternates will leave Tampa enthused but needing to catch up on some sleep. The evening sessions wrap up at 11:00 pm local time and buses don’t start arriving back at the hotels until at least 12:30 am. For delegates who attend one of the post session events arrival at the hotels ends up being closer to 3:00 am.

While the week started with concerns about the weather, Thursday morning was beautiful in Clearwater Beach. The weather gave members of the delegation a chance to enjoy some time at the beach and several members enjoyed a game of beach football. No major injuries were reported.