Seizing upon the late addition of the word "God" to the Democratic platform, and the Party's initial reluctance to name Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Paul Ryan attacked the DNC's vision for America.
At a speech in Colorado, Ryan stated, that "The President's going to be in Charlotte tonight with the Democratic convention. Their convention actually began with a tribute to big government. They actually said the government is the only thing that we all belong to."
"Then they cut references to God out of their platform. They reversed course on that one yesterday, it wasn't really a popular reversal if you watched it on the TV, but to quote a prominent journalist from Wisconsin: They were against God before they were for him."
The Wisconsin journalist that Ryan is referring to is POLITICO Executive Editor Jim VandeHei. The editor expressed that "You can't make it up. It's terrible optics for the party. And I think it's one of the dangers for this convention for Democrats is that there's a lot of rhetoric, a lot of speeches that I think a lot of people in the middle are not going to hear as comforting. Talking about God and having to restore God and Jerusalem to the platform was not the distraction they were hoping for," he said.
Republican spokeswoman Andrea Saul drew a stark contrast between Obama and Romney on the issue, asserting that "Mitt Romney has consistently stated his belief that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Although today's voice vote at the Democratic National Convention was unclear, the Democratic Party has acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. President Obama has repeatedly refused to say the same himself. Now is the time for President Obama to state in unequivocal terms whether or not he believes Jerusalem is Israel's capital."
It remains to be seen whether or not Obama will make mention of the Jerusalem in his speech tonight.
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