Republican Convention Draws Huntley Area Tea Party Member's Interest

Donna Roche is a self-described political junkie so she’ll be watching this week’s Republican Party convention with interest, and a critical eye.

What she’s looking for is a strong conservative message from speakers like Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan,  that will have a broad appeal.

“I’m looking to see if their speech is connecting with people who I would consider my friends who are not conservatives,” said Roche, a Huntley Area Tea Party member.

“I want to see if the can explain the conservative view,” she said. “So many candidates don’t do that and slid over the important issues. I would prefer they bring up those views and associate them with the Republican view.”

“A lot of people don’t know what is a conservative point of view or a liberal point of view,” Roche said.

The Republican convention was set to begin today but the start has been delayed until Tuesday due to Hurricane Isaac.

The Republican and Democratic conventions will help jump start the election season, putting more spotlight on the November presidential election as well as local and state elections. Romneys’ VP pick has helped reengerize the Republican party, Roche said.

Roche is a member of the Huntley Area Tea Party which is mobilizing for the November elections with a message expounding its principals of fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.

She is excited to see Paul Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisc., running on the ticket with Romney. Ryan has some ties with the Tea Party, but he is not a Tea Party member or candidate, she said.

“I think Romney picked a strong conservative,” the Sun City Huntley resident said. “I’m just delighted. I think Paul Ryan can make the points real well. The Tea Party always did support him.”

The Ryan appeal is his stance on controlling the debt “to make sure we didn’t go too far into debt and lose our sovereignty,” she said.

“I think it’s good to know conservatives are not for having the debt rise too much because it could be a burden on the future, our children’s and grandchildren’s future,” Roche said.

Conservatives also “follow the Constitution as the Founders have written it and believe how the country has been founded. It is more of a philosophy that people should have the freedom not the government” control, she said.

“People think if conservatives say we can cut the debt down, we want to cut down programs that help the poor. The conservatives get labeled as not helping the poor. But, really we are helping the poor have opportunities,” Roche said.

Government programs keep the poor dependent and under the government’s control, she said. Free markets help create opportunities, she said.

Roche feels Ryan will be able to crystallize the difference between conservatives and liberals.