Last night, after her speech to the convention, I caught up with Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, whom I profiled for TAP’s July issue. I’m sorry I don’t have a photo, because Napolitano was wearing the most eye-catching outfit of the evening: a hot-pink suit jacket with a military-style collar line. Here’s what she had to say about preparing and delivering her address, which she told me she wrote herself.
What did you see as the goal of your speech tonight?
I really wanted people to take away some of the ideas that Obama has about the economy. People are asking, “So what are his ideas?” I wanted to put his ideas out there.
You hit McCain pretty hard, with that great line about hoping he continues the tradition of Arizona politicians losing in their quests for the presidency.
I really didn’t think I hit him that hard; I wanted to tinge it with a little bit of humor. There are so many differences between McCain and Obama, and they can try to obfuscate all they want, but when you really read and listen to what McCain is saying on health care, on the economy, on tax policy, on energy, it’s really Bush. It’s really Bush. As I said on the podium, we can’t take four more years.
--Dana Goldstein
Previous Party People Q&As:
Bob Shrum, Speech Writer and Consultant
John King, CNN analyst
Bob Springmeyer, candidate for governor of Utah
Bracken Hendricks, clean-energy evangelist
Karen Brown and Bonnie Tierney, Clinton and McCain supporters.
Don Beyer, former Democratic VA gubernatorial candidate
Chris Redfern, Ohio Democratic Party Chair
David Cicilline, Mayor of Providence
Nancy Ruth White, Clinton Delegate
Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL
