Women can fall for convention PR, but real test is the debates

I haven't felt this sought after since my senior year in high school, when I switched from hideous cat eye glasses to contact lenses and went from no boyfriends to three boyfriends. I give total credit to contacts for the turnaround in my social life.

Between now until Nov. 6, I am desirable beyond belief.

I am a woman voter. Hear me roar.

Women voters are popular with both Republicans and Democrats, who believe support from women will help determine victory in the presidential election. Making me doubly desirable is that I am a Nevadan from one of the targeted swing states that will doubtlessly decide the presidential election.

On the first night of both the Republican and Democratic conventions, women ruled.

Television photographers focused on women at the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla., especially during Ann Romney's speech, and in Charlotte, N.C., Democratic women were the focus Tuesday while men were secondary.

Michelle Obama sent the Democratic audience into a frenzy Tuesday, just as Ann Romney did one week before with Republicans.

The "woman" of note Tuesday was the 3-year-old daughter of keynote speaker San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. When she spied a picture of herself on the enormous screen behind her father, she did the "womanly" thing and began flipping her hair like a coquette.

That was about the only unscripted moment of the night.

Like every other convention in modern times, the conventions are basically three-day political advertisements for their respective parties. Anyone making a decision about who deserves their vote based on either of these conventions is falling for PR ads.

The real test comes when President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney debate on Oct. 3, Oct. 16 and Oct. 22. The vice presidential candidates debate Oct. 11.

Undecided voters should be watching those carefully because they have the potential of changing minds. That's where the candidates show whether they can think on their feet and communicate clearly and logically, all good attributes for a president. They get bonus points for actually answering the questions asked.

Somehow I doubt that the word "love" will be mentioned in the debates as many times as Ann Romney and Michelle Obama did. At least I hope not.

I was somewhat startled when Ann Romney said, "Tonight, I want to talk to you about love." Had the Oprah show come back? She spoke of her husband's successes, his kindness to others and his work ethic. "No one will work harder. No one will care more. And no one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live."

Michelle Obama also rode the Love Bandwagon, loving country, loving women, her daughters and her husband. "I love that he has never forgotten how he started," she said, not needing to mention his opponent's silver spoon-like start in life.

Urging patience, she said, "He reminds me that we are playing a long game here and that change is hard and change is slow and never happens all at once. But eventually we get there, we always do."

Will women wait patiently because change comes slowly, as Michelle Obama suggested? Or will they opt for change with someone who "will not fail," as Ann Romney promised?

Although both women did fine jobs, spoke eloquently and looked lovely, the debates in October should offer more substance than Chicks Night at the conventions.

During debates, these men must take responsibility for what they say. They can't rely on loving wives to enhance their likability or attack-dog surrogates to do the dirty work, or artfully crafted videos or even well-written and well-delivered speeches.

Undecided women voters who are independent thinkers should wait for the debates to really decide whom to support.

Everything else is pablum.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Email her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.