In her Wall Street Journal column, Peggy Noonan, who served as an assistant to President Ronald Reagan, wrote of Mitt Romney's upcoming convention speech:

Much is uncertain, no one knows what will happen this year, how it will turn out. But when I think of Mr. Romney's speech I find myself thinking of Alan Shepard.

It's May 5, 1961, in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and everyone's fussing. This monitor's blinking and that one's beeping and Shepard is up there, at the top of a Redstone rocket, in a tiny little capsule called Friendship 7. Mission Control is hemming and hawing: Should we stay or should we go? Finally Shepard says: “Why don't you fix your little problem and light this candle?”

That's what a good speech and a good convention right now can do. There's a great race ahead. Make it come alive. Come on and light this candle.

Previously:

On Fox, WSJ's Peggy Noonan Cheers GOP VP Pick: “I Think It's Big, I Think It's Bold, I Think This Choice Took Some Guts”

Just Trying To Help: Right-Wing Media's Advice To Romney Campaign