Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan officially clinched the GOP nomination as the Republican Party's choice to run against President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden this November.
The New Jersey delegation to the Republican National Convention put the Romney-Ryan ticket over the top, giving them the number of delegates they needed to officially become the party's 2012 team. OneNewsNow sought out Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin for her reaction.
"I think we'll see with a President Romney and with [a Vice President] Paul Ryan [an administration that will] address some of the issues that are on the hearts and minds of our Americans," she said from the convention floor. "And that's what these conventions are about. So I feel excitement here today, and people ready to move on to November."
If Romney and Ryan are elected, Fallin -- who is a social conservative herself -- believes the more conservative wing of the party will be pleased with Romney's leadership.
"I certainly think that the platform of the Republican Party is very conservative," Fallin shares, "and I think we're all going to unite and move together because our end goal is replacing Barack Obama, removing him from the White House, [and] getting America back on track."
In what were two of the most anticipated speeches of the convention, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, closed out the day with speeches that electrified the crowd. Statisticians report Mrs. Romney received an unprecedented amount of positive reaction on Twitter compared to any politician. Sixty-nine percent of the Tweets about her speech were favorable.
Speakers Wednesday evening include former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan.
Rule 16
A proposed rule change that came before the floor in the beginning hours of the Republican National Convention had the potential to further divide an already fractured party embattled from a tough presidential primary season. The fight pitted grassroots activists and establishment Republicans who support the moderate wing of the party behind the nomination of Mitt Romney.
Rule 16 would have let presidential campaigns reject any delegates they did not want, taking a lot of power away from activists and rewarding top donors. But a revolt led by supporters of Texas Congressman Ron Paul fought to oppose the measure.
Texas delegate David Barton, a Christian author and historian who has been in a battle of his own over his recent bookJefferson Lies, said the rule would have put a lot of power in the hands of party bosses.
"We didn't have enough delegates from the committee to sign a minority report to have a floor fight," Barton explained. "So a lot of people felt like it got ramrodded through, but that's just the rules -- you have to have 29 of 112 delegates, otherwise you can't even debate it."
Some speculate that policy adviser Karl Rove, or at least a group of moderate Republicans, was behind the proposal. Barton said it may have had that appearance, "but whether Karl was actually there or not, there's a lot of folks who are thinking that same kind of thing. But that would not surprise me if it were."
By a voice vote Rule 16 passed 78-14 over massive boos by objecting delegates. Another element of the rule gives itself power to change any rule without a delegate vote.