Melissa Bailey Photo
Malloy and his son Ben greet a supporter inside the convention hall.
Charlotte, N.C.—When President Obama needed someone to warn of what’s at stake if Republicans take over the White House, he called on Connecticut’s governor to make the pitch. All day long.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy spent a full day Wednesday selling Obama at the Democratic National Convention here, including a speech on the floor of the convention at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
The DNC teleprompter.
In his six minutes in the spotlight, Malloy warned Republican nominee Mitt Romney would “shred the safety net,” destroy Medicare and Medicaid, and rob women of their right to choose, if he beats Obama in the Nov. 6 presidential election. Click here to read Malloy’s full remarks and watch his speech at Politico.
He sent that message to thousands of people in the stadium, and to the TV viewers who had tuned in by 7 p.m., before prime time.
Then he took a moment to relax in the stands with the Connecticut delegation. He said he’d spent a packed day as a surrogate for the Obama campaign, including 14 radio interviews and a 7 a.m. appearance on CNN with Soledad O’Brien. He also stopped by a downtown hotel to pump Obama before the North Carolina delegation, after hitting two other states’ delegations the day before.
His prominent role comes even as he ranks as one of the nation’s least popular governors, with approval ratings as low as 33 percent (though they climbed back up to 43 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll).
Despite the discontent back home, Malloy remains a good spokesman for Obama on the national stage, argued U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (at right in photo), who attended the speech.
Courtney said Malloy “can speak with real authenticity” about the “catastrophic” effects a Romney/Paul Ryan budget would have on states and cities. Malloy has credibility, Courtney argued, because of the way he approached the state’s budget crisis — by seeking major concessions from unions while also raising taxes.
Malloy’s testimony serves as a “reality check” to the Republican agenda, Courtney argued.
Previous Independent stories from the Democratic National Convention:
• DeStefano: Time To “Relinquish Power”
• Echo From Floor As DeLauro Calls For Pay Equity
• Union Boss Boycotts Breakfast
• Murphy SOS Goes Out In Charlotte