WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Republican challenger Mitt Romney is set to give the biggest speech of his life Thursday night as he accepts the Republican Party's nomination for presidential candidate.
All eyes will be on the former governor of Massachusetts as he attempts to woo viewers in a bid to present himself as a better choice than current U.S. President Barack Obama.
His main task will be not only to present himself as someone with a plan for the future, but to connect with the millions of Americans who are expected to tune in to the nationally televised speech.
The latter will be the tough part, as the 65-year old can come across as boring, stiff and dry. Compared to Obama, a gifted orator who can connect with his audience perhaps better than most presidents in history, Romney will have an uphill climb.
He will also be tasked with shaking off the image that team Obama's attack ads have attempted to craft -- that of a heartless uber-capitalist who has always known privilege and who is incapable of understanding the plight of the average American amid ongoing high unemployment and a sluggish economy.
Still, some analysts noted that politicians can improve their game with time. Former president Bill Clinton, considered a gifted speaker, spoke in front of a restless crowd champing at the bit for him to finish what was seen as a tediously long keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention.
But Clinton learned from his mistakes and four years later became an accomplished orator, noted Mike Franc, vice president for government studies at the Heritage Foundation.
Romney may improve in the same way, Franc said.
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