Posted on 07/23/2016 4:36:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
After his address at the Republican national convention in Cleveland on Monday, it would be inaccurate to declare that a star is born, because it's been clear for some time that Tom Cotton's performance has been stellar all along. Whether he was at Harvard, with the military, or in the U.S. Senate, he's taken stands no one else might dare -- and backed them up with a courage that springs from conviction.
This boy from Dardanelle, Ark., in Yell County -- Mattie Ross country -- has grown into a man his family, his state and now his country can be proud of. Because in just nine minutes before the television cameras Monday night, he summed up not just what this less than illuminating presidential campaign has been about, but what America is about. Not heated divisions and cold calculations but unity, justice and confidence. It's time for America to be great again, the current head of his party declares. But she's always been great. And as long as this country continues to produce Tom Cottons, she will grow greater still.
Monday night, the junior senator from Arkansas put it better than any jaded commentator on the news could: "We don't fight because we hate our enemies but because we love our country. We love its freedom and we love that we as Americans are born equal and live free, and that no one can boss us around or rule us without our consent. We know these things are worth fighting for and dying for because they make life worth living for."
Like Abraham Lincoln, another long, tall Republican in another era of confusion and division, this speaker was going to appeal to the better angels of our nature, not the most partisan impulses of a deeply divided nation.
How prepare for such a major address? Answer: not overly. Or as Tom Cotton put it before the show: "It'll be the biggest audience, I'm sure, since it'll be a national televised audience, but I have been in some few other pressure-packed situations, so I think I can handle the convention hall tonight. I've spent several hours working on my speech, a few more hours with my wife working on the delivery, a few prayers, a good dinner." And to judge by the result, it all worked. Concisely, informally, effectively. To borrow a term from a great speaker named Franklin Roosevelt, it was a Fireside Chat -- even if there was no fireside:
"We'd like a commander-in-chief who speaks of winning wars and not merely ending wars. We'd like a commander-in-chief who calls the enemy by its name. A commander-in-chief who draws red lines cautiously but enforces them ruthlessly. And it would be nice to have a commander-in-chief who can be trusted to handle classified information."
No wonder the speech was punctuated by regular bursts of applause from the convention. In homes across America, regardless of any party affiliation or none, heads must have nodded in agreement. As if the country, so long without guidance, was getting some.
To quote CNN's Chris Cuomo speaking of this remarkable senator, soldier and ever growing statesman: "He's the future of your party. He's 39 years old. He's a family man, he's a veteran ... and he's speaking to a lot of the issues that resonate with the American people. Age matters, generation matters, energy matters. He has all of those things."
Whatever his eyesight, Tom Cotton has got to have 20-20 vision, which is a reference not to an optical chart but to a prospective presidential campaign. After his nine minutes before the convention and the country, Tom Cotton was due to meet with Republican delegates from Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida. ... If that sounds suspiciously like a presidential candidate's itinerary four years from now, it is.
His schedule, as he says, is "pretty busy. I came to Cleveland to work, not to party." Just as he has come to every challenge in his young life.
The Cotton Amendment:
http://www.globalzero.org/take-action/cotton
I think i saw him but missed his speech, but glad to hear there may be some real Americans in our midst.
I thought Cruz was one of them but seems i was wrong about him.
I have believed in good and bad and not so good or bad for almost 8o years and i still believe in them and i still believe in heros, and right now Trump has to be it.
Believe in politicians at your own peril ...
Exactly.
What was he doing at Sea Island with the Nevertrumpers? I always thought he was one of the good ones, but I read that he went to that dump Trump meeting and was very disappointed.
See who Cotton met with at the Sea Island meeting. I’ll never trust Cotton again.
Tom Cotton wanted to go to war with Russia over Syria. I predict he’ll end up in Lindsey Graham territory.
Yeah, I thought so. I liked Cotton a lot...even told myself that he was there checking out the enemies of Trump. I suppose that is possible, but I doubt it. I guess he could have gone to keep in the loop and not like what he heard - has he ever given an explanation as to why he attended?
He’s one I like very.much. Facebook helps. I follow him in there and on national news but the fb pages have more info on legislation and links. He’s forthright. He has a bright future whatever he decides to do.
Does he explain why he attended the meeting at Sea Island with the dump Trump elites on his FB page? I am serious - I’d like to hear an explanation from him, as I liked him as well.
Me too, Judy.
I did not like seeing him speaking at the Convention. He is on my "watch closely" list, war veteran or not.
I watched and listened to the convention coverage on C-SPAN. Needless to say is that I will not watch or listen to the rat’s convention. I have much better things to do.
Why are you speculating?
I’d like to know what Sen Sessions thinks of him.
Big TPP supporter.
Hey, I have an idea...let’s pin all our hopes, wishes and dreams on a first-term senator with a Harvard background because he gave a great convention speech.
What could possibly go wrong?
If Cotton is so great, why is he in the criminal Senate.
I don’t trust anyone who consorts with the globalists.
“”I think i saw him but missed his speech””
Not nearly as impressive as Sean Duffy from WI.. I was anxious to hear Cotton’s speech but I thought it was disappointing after hearing Duffy...also his wife was great. I have seen her on Outnumbered - FOX noon time - and she speaks well, is intelligent and well informed...
http://2016.republican-convention.org/?speech=Sean-Duffy
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