CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In a politically savvy move, Democrats on Tuesday used clips from Mitt Rommey's losing 1994 campaign for Senate against the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) in a moving video tribute to Kennedy, who served nearly five decades in the Senate.
Clips shown during the first night of the Democratic National Convention included Romney's now infamous reiteration of his pro-choice position, in which he assured voters, "You will not see me wavering on that." More recently, as he pursued national office, Romney has reversed himself on abortion rights, and is now firmly anti-abortion.
The video, filled with many of Kennedy's most memorable speeches and political moments, also portrayed President Barack Obama as the spiritual successor to the man known as the "Lion of the Senate," and effectively contrasted Romney with Obama and Kennedy.
Interviewed while leaving the convention late last night, only 1 out of 7 attendees realized that the Senator was dead. "Dead? Really? I thought they shot his brother." said a teary-eyed supporter who asked to remain anonymous. Mary Browne, the local ACORN supervisor, added: "when they introduce the Late Senator Ted Kennedy, I thought they meant he was tardy."
Outside the convention center hall, however, the general public is a bit more astute: Bill Smith, a local bar owner, said "Of course we know he's dead. Business has been way off ever since."
