What was missing at the Republican convention in Tampa this past week?

How about any mention of a government sanctioned gun walking program that led to the bloody murders of federal agents Brian Terry and Jaime Zapata? Or Solyndra, or the raid on Gibson guitars or illegal executive orders defying our system of checks and balances.

What about Holder refusing to investigate the Black Panthers; the outing of Navy SEALs; Senator Grassley's and Congressman Issa's valiant fight to charge Attorney General Holder with contempt for lying to Congress; or the Obama administration's involvement in Arab Spring? 

After three and a half years the Republican Party still won't bring "third rail" issues to the fight. If Obama were a Republican and this had been a Democrat convention the left would have dredged up every last corrupt/illegal maneuver. Remember Halliburton? So-called liberals still use that tired old argument to rail against Bush and Cheney.  

While Harry Reid gets to accuse Romney of felony tax evasion, an obvious lie, Team Romney plays nice at the convention. Why? It didn't work for John McCain. Even recent history shows the American people are hungry for a fighter, someone willing to tell it like it is. 

At the 2008 RNC convention Vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin drew an audience of 37.2 million compared to 21.9 million for Paul Ryan's last Wednesday night. The anticipation of a Beltway outsider fired up the populace. Palin didn't disappoint either. The former governor boldly called out Obama as nothing but a "community organizer" shored up by fake Greek columns.

Palin didn't hold off until the debates as some are suggesting is the reason the Republicans didn't come out swinging in Tampa. If Mitt is saving the good stuff for the debates he has to know he will be up against two adversaries -- liberal moderators and a Marxist. 

Some pundits have concluded the Romney campaign decided to treat Obama with kid gloves in order to appeal to the independents and undecideds. You know the ones who still can't fathom why their kids are signing up for food stamps or why their health insurance premiums are sky high even after Obama promised the opposite.

With less than 65 days to go until the November showdown, focusing on the economy as a way to win fence-sitters over seems to be the strategy. Trouble is if they're still asleep after four years of unemployment, trillions in debt, high gas prices, and wiped out 401K's will the Romney promise of jobs and "repealing and replacing" Obamacare really resonate?

During his acceptance speech Romney said he will "Restore America" but with the exception of a few stalwart conservative politicians on the Hill, most fearful, entrenched Republicans have looked the other way when it comes to perjury, criminal fraud and thuggery of Obama and his band of looters. 

Is the GOP, with the help of out of touch retreads like Karl Rove [during a private fundraiser he quipped about Todd Akin, "If he's found mysteriously murdered, don't look for my whereabouts!"] more afraid of losing its power and status than of losing the election?

Is it really still "the economy, stupid?" After all if every last individual has a job but ends up living under a Big Brother centralized government what good is that?

Not bringing up the White House's suspected involvement in Operation Fast and Furious and the myriad other potentially impeachable offenses is not sitting well out here in the real world with real conservatives.

But if the Kumbaya atmosphere of the Republican convention really was a well-planned strategic ruse to fake out the other side and Romney has plans to launch his full arsenal at just the right moment, then he might just win the election, not to mention the hearts of the American people.

Read more M. Catharine Evans at Potter Williams Report