Annamarie is a member of the Junior State of America (JSA), a student-run political awareness organization for high school students.
Arguably, the best-delivered speech of the Republican National Convention was Susana Martinez's. The address, which was delivered last Wednesday, certainly stayed true to the evening's theme: "We Can Change It." In addition to discussing the changes her family made, highlighting the transition of being one that "truly lived paycheck to paycheck" to owning a small security guard business, she also discussed her personal choice to change from the Democratic to Republican Party.
The Democrats have been lobbying for the Federal Assault Weapons ban and other gun control legislation, a major issue Martinez focused on in her speech. As Republican Governor of New Mexico, Martinez recalled jovially, "I carried a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum -- that gun weighed more than I did!" Boasting about firearms, which is already an especially touchy subject during a month when two major shootings occurred, was not the smartest strategic move on the GOP's part.
Nonetheless, Martinez's speech was captivating and inspirational. She told the story of how she and her husband left the Democrat Party to become Republicans. As an adolescent trying to navigate the ever-growing divide between the two parties, I found it interesting how someone so far along in their political career made such a drastic jump.
As the story goes, the Martinez family went to lunch with a pair of Republicans, and they knew exactly what the other couple's motives were. Susana stated, "I knew a party-switch was exactly what they wanted." In the beginning, she had no intention of switching parties, but eventually, after talking over specific issues, Martinez announced to her husband, "I'll be damned! We're Republicans!"
Today a die-hard Republican, Martinez emphasized the importance of issues in this election, saying, "This election should not be about political parties. Too many Americans are out of work, and our debt is out of control. This election needs to be about those issues." She moved on to attack Obama's spending, which has contributed to an outrageous national debt.
All in all, Susana Martinez's speech was a landmark in Mitt Romney's campaign. She appealed to those who are considering a party switch, the minorities in America, and those who want an America based on more bipartisan agreements. This address is one that will always go down in my book as the best of the Republican National Convention.