The last gavel has pounded, the final music played and the balloons all dropped, popped and swept away. Mercifully the 2012 political conventions have come to a close and the last 60 days until Election Day have begun.

What, if anything, did we learn from these two excesses in false excitement, managed devotion and carefully contrived happiness?

If you are a Republican, you learned the party elite intend to manage you every bit as much as they intend to manage the election. If you are a Democrat, you learned that your party has no idea whether God exists, or Israel has a capital. Neither lesson is welcome. Neither reality is comforting.

President Barack Obama approached the DNC as an old, political warhorse would.

He played to the far left of his party, ignored the center-right and barely paid lip service to the center. His approach consisted of class warfare and a spate of speeches repeated from the 2008 campaign, word for word. He unfathomably promised to do in the next four years what he promised to do in the last, unless it ends up taking years beyond 2016, in which case, all bets are off.

From Peggy Noonan to Dana Millbank, and even Michael Moore, Obama failed to get the love. Pundits questioned everything from the choice of speakers to why the Republican Party is the party of minority governors. By the time Joe Biden embarrassed himself, again, no one much cared. The convention had devolved into an ordeal that needed to be lived through, not fully enjoyed.

Mitt Romney stayed fiercely on point, refusing to budge, refusing to bend, and refusing to be manipulated the way John McCain was during the ’08 debacle. The Republican convention was remarkable for a remarkable bench coming up to take the party reins and do exciting things, for a change.

From Susanna Martinez, through Marco Rubio, to Condoleezza Rice, Republicans have hope that the future of the party will not be as boring as the present. Paul Ryan brought youth, vitality and genuine dedication. His sincerity and energy, coupled with an unashamed tribute to his mom, brought realness to the festivities, instead of managed and manipulated excitement.

Voters who watched both conventions got an honest look at what their parties have to offer and came away wondering what comes next. Certainly more conservatives are fired up, than liberals. You could see that by the raucous joy with which conservatives responded when a speaker hammered home hard truths, instead of tired and predictable political pablum.

Most telling is the lack of any significant, post-convention “bump” for Barack Obama, which could spell disaster for him on Nov. 6. For a sitting president to be seriously under 50 percent this late in the season is not the sign of a healthy platform, healthy candidacy or winning team.

The Romney campaign seems energized by the clever addition of Paul Ryan to the ticket. People are showing up in great numbers for Romney-Ryan and when asked, tell a revealing story. Romney-Ryan have dedicated ideas, coupled with principled plans, instead of soaring rhetoric and divisive class envy.

The majority of people seem to be saying they want to change the tone of politics and hope to fundamentally transform the Executive Branch on Nov. 6.

The Obama politics of personal destruction, division and class warfare are yesterday’s news. People want to read tomorrow’s headline, not repeat old, worn-out stories.

We invite you to join us at the TEA Party of Florida, where we work together to be the change, instead of being hurt by the changes in which we have no input.

John A. Long is chairman of the TEA Party of Florida.