Mitt Invokes Neil Armstrong in Acceptance Speech, Ignores Space Policy
Mitt Romney. (Credit: Gage Skidmore)
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
Last night was a rather eventful one in Tampa, Florida. Clint Eastwood spent about 11 minutes berating an empty chair, startling everyone watching in the arena and on TV. There were two questions on everyone’s minds: what had that poor chair had done to deserve that,and why had Eastwood spent 82 years hiding his brilliant improvisational skills. (Clint, hit the comedy clubs! Or do a Rat Pack style show with Mickey Rooney, Jerry Seinfeld and Betty White. That would be such an awesome train wreck!)
Clint is always hard act to follow, no more so than on Thursday night. But, Mitt Romney gave it the old boarding school try. In his acceptance speech last night, the Republican Presidential nominee paid tribute to Neil Armstrong and America’s can-do spirit:
I was born in the middle of the century in the middle of the country, a classic baby boomer. It was a time when Americans were returning from war and eager to work. To be an American was to assume that all things were possible. When President Kennedy challenged Americans to go to the moon, the question wasn’t whether we’d get there, it was only when we’d get there.
The soles of Neil Armstrong’s boots on the moon made permanent impressions on OUR souls and in our national psyche. Ann and I watched those steps together on her parent’s sofa. Like all Americans we went to bed that night knowing we lived in the greatest country in the history of the world.
God bless Neil Armstrong.
Tonight that American flag is still there on the moon. And I don’t doubt for a second that Neil Armstrong’s spirit is still with us: that unique blend of optimism, humility and the utter confidence that when the world needs someone to do the really big stuff, you need an American.
That’s how I was brought up.
And that was it. Nothing on what he wants to do in space.
Based on previous statements, we do know that Romney would fire anyone who brought him a plan for a crewed lunar base, so a return to the moon doesn’t seem to be in the cards. That’s true of Obama’s space policy as well, so there seems to be one thing the two men agree on.
What else Romney wants to do in space remains a mystery. This is a major disappointing in that he’s been running for President for six years (or eight, depending upon how you count it). You would think by now he would have some idea.
9 responses to “Mitt Invokes Neil Armstrong in Acceptance Speech, Ignores Space Policy”
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Gee Doug, it’s a nomination acceptance speech, not a State of the Union. The current administration directed NASA to implement such incredible policies as Muslim outreach. If we continue with the failures of the current administration for another four years, we’ll only be able to afford the space program of Greece … which is to say, none.
He’s pretty much said a moon base is a stupid idea. If I’m hearing Romney right, exploration and science is a bad reason to go to the moon but, flag waving and chest pounding are good reasons. Am I wrong or is this hypocritical?
Odd way for Mr Messier to review Mr Romney’s speech – by using half his article to belabor the length of Mr Eastwood’s skit.
I dunno. I thought Clint’s improv act was the most substantive part of the night. Perhaps even of the entire convention.
As for NASA’s outreach, I prefer peaceful scientific cooperation over decade long wars in Muslim nations. But, that’s just me. The former costs about, oh, about $3 trillion less than the latter. And the cost in lives is waaay lower.
So sad about Greece, really. To think we once raced them to the moon. And now….tragic….
I’m less worried about us becoming Greece than South America. Almost all power and money concentrated with a small elite, a shrinking and desperate middle class desperately sinking down to the bottom where the bulk of people reside.
Well…. a moon base is a stupid idea. Exploration and science isa bad reason to go to the moon. Flag waving and chest pounding are not exactly good reasons, but he wanted a “Hey Hey USA, We’re Number One” accomplishment to wave in front of his audience, and Armstrong’s death made Apollo topical for the moment, so ….
I can’t think of much that’s more pathetic than proclaiming a 40 year old triumph to make the case for our current wonderfulness. Perhaps I’m lacking the necessary Republican spirit, despite my voter registration.
Romney is a transitional president. He favors business and private enterprise over big government projects in most things, but he grew up during an era when the only way space exploration was done was by big government projects. Don’t expect him to jump at the idea of commercial space all at once. It will take him time, just as it is taking time for the rest of Congress and society to make that jump.
In a sense, the move to private enterprise in manned spaceflight is an illustration of how space can often lead the way in more ways than just simply exploration. In the Soviet Union it was their space program that tried and succeeded at capitalism and earning private profit before any other part of that society. They sold two seats to Mir, one to the Tokyo Broadcasting Service who flew one of their journalists and a second to an entertainment consortium who flew Helen Sharman, and found that capitalist could pay their bills. They never looked back.
In much the same way, our society is making the same transition now, from depending on the Soviet-style government model to fix our problems and back to the American model of small government and individual responsibility. This will take time. It is therefore not surprising that the Republican platform is so vague. The men and women who wrote it believe in small government, but grew up watching big government get us to the Moon. Because of this, they don’t yet know what they want to do when it comes to space exploration, and so, say nothing.
Now, having outlined some of the reasons why Romney remains vague about space, I must also add that criticizing Mitt on this subject is absolutely worthwhile, justified, and helpful. Hit him with all guns. The more we push him, the sooner he’ll make the leap to private space.
It is the natural place for a conservative Republican to go.
follow the faith (money)
LDS/UT/ATK
there you have it
south america is a good example
but saudia arabia is an even better one
you (and most western nations) are following the saudi model
50 families, about 1000 “princes” live like gods at the expense of the rest
which either works like slaves or dies like bums
it all sustains itself by religious teachings
Robert, I didn’t realize Romney had already been elected. Or that we used to have a Soviet-style government. Wasn’t that why we spent all the money on Apollo – to show them Russkies that we didn’t want their wicked commie ways?
Glad we agree on the importance of Mitt-crits, however.
Burke:
Robert is apparently writing to us from the future. My guess is this is a message from sometime in late spring 2013 when PRESIDENT Mitt Romney has finally gotten around to space policy.
Now, what Robert didn’t tell you is that during a recent retreat (future retreat sometime next spring) at one of his 16 homes (well 17 counting the White House), Romney got together all the interested parties to discuss what to do. And he discovered that, much to his dismay, there was little agreement on anything, really. Just like the advisory group he assembled back when he was a candidate (which is our today and his yesterday). So, Future Romney is busy weighing his options, trying to decide which Etch-a-Sketch version of himself (moderate, severely conservative, Mormon who wants to show some love to Utah) is best applicable to the situation.
And, oh yeah, sequestration went through for everything but the military, which got a massive emergency spending boost to pay for the new war with [REDACTED]. And Mitt went ahead and did his promised 5 percent on non-discretionary spending, so NASA’s budget is in utter tatters, thus limiting Mitt’s options even further.
As for Soviet/Russian space capitalism, it hasn’t gone all that far. Yeah, their rich legacy of Soviet rockets has allowed them to dominate satellite launches. And they periodically sell seats to millionauts for orbital joyrides and have a mission in permanent planning to send a couple of billionauts to the moon aboard Soyuz spacecraft designed nearly 50 years ago. But, they’re still living off Soviet accomplishments, and it’s not clear just how private any companies are over there. Most seem dominated by the Russian government.