A Pittsburgh area delegate is pleased with the GOP National Convention so far, calling it "amazing."
Melissa Haluszczak, of Coraopolis, is one of 72 delegates chosen to attend the convention from Pennsylvania. She said each speaker Tuesday had a different perspective. Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum focused on social conservative issues while Anne Romney and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie took a different approach.
"Chris Christie, he touched more on what Governor Romney can do as President, and that is, he's a business man and he can get this country back on track, he can get it done," Haluszczak said. "Anne Romney, she talked about the love of her husband and who her husband is."
Haluszczak said Anne Romney's Tuesday night speech addressed the Republican party's stereotype of being the "old white men party." Haluszczak said she expects former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to reiterate that theme tonight.
"Truly we are a melting pot," Haluszczak said. "We come from different backgrounds and that's the mix of Americans and that's what the Republican party is, and I think that was celebrated last night...and that's what we expect to see today as well."
Renee Amoore, the deputy chairwoman of the state Republican Party for 16 years, is an African American businesswoman. She said the party must do more to dispel the notion that the GOP is comprised of old white males and showcase the female leaders. "The women may be there and they may be put out of the picture for whatever reason," said Moore. "The women are in leadership, but the men may go in front, that type of stuff. We have to be more balanced wit these type of things. We do have the women in leadership, we have women chairpeople."
Amoore said as the owner of three small businesses, she is "just not happy with the regulations" that President Obama has implemented, and she expects Mitt Romney to focus his acceptance speech Thursday night on the economy and job creation.
In a Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month, Mr. Obama had a 53% to 42% lead over Mr. Romney in Pennsylvania. Still, Amoore believes Romney can be the first GOP presidential nominee to carry Pennsylvania since 1988. "We must get out into the areas [Pittsburgh and Philadelphia] where people really don't know who we are and what we are about. We must make sure they have the message, not just with commercials, but people going door to door, people having coffee chats with those folks so they know that we care about them."
