If you’re watching night 3 of the RNC…
…here’s a thread for you.
I have to say I’ve been impressed by whoever organized this thing. The challenge was immense, but the pace has been crisp. Most of the speeches are mercifully short, too, which I appreciate. The format – in which you don’t usually know who the speaker is at the outset or what he or she is going to focus on – makes for a guessing game that keeps your interest, and there’s a surprising lack of repetition because most of them focus on a single topic. Without a huge crowd in a big hall interrupting and cheering constantly, the evening moves quickly yet smoothly, and the outdoor setting gives it a certain romantic elegance. Fort McHenry was an inspired choice, too, allowing Mike Pence to say, “Our flag is still here.”
For now.
One surprise for me was Kayleigh McEnany’s speech. She stepped up to the podium, looking beautiful as ever, and instead of talking about politics she told the story of how she was diagnosed with the BRCA gene and chose to have a preventive mastectomy at a very early age. The other speakers were too numerous to mention, but the one who particularly stood out for me was Clarence Henderson, a man whose name I’d never heard before, but whose photo I’d seen long ago:
Clarence Henderson is the one on the far-right in this famous photo from the Greensboro sit-in pic.twitter.com/Nr49E9KM1M
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) August 27, 2020
Henderson knocked it out of the park as far as I’m concerned, because he highlighted the history of the Republican Party in terms of civil rights for black Americans. My favorite part was this:
Mike Pence is a much more powerful speaker than I realized. Great performance.
RNC are doing a beautiful job of giving the microphone to real people with real stories. Many of them are riveting.
Also, the Republicans have a deep bench of attractive young politicians.
I wonder how many people are watching?
I am not – but I feel that I should be. I’m torn between attempting to do work and various other things. And a late dinner.
I hope there’ll be some website where we can get to see all the speeches after the fact. Maybe collect them on a DVD? I’d buy it. They could put one out in time for October, right?
(side note: ahh, so they did work John James in there! Haha! Even if it’s only a little prerecorded snippet, I’ll still take it.)
What I think is making this convention so effective is the mix of ordinary people and politicians. What the people are delivering are testimonials about their experiences. The most impactful for me was Dede Bryne: surgeon, army colonel then nun talking about life. (does anyone know if MSNBC or CNN aired this?) Then the school choice mother (forgot name) and finally Chen Guangcheng who speaks truth to power….but then Clarence Henderson and Sam Virgil…and then……
Heck just about all of them had some sort of impact.
My pastor says “they can argue about your theology but they can never argue about your testimony”. This is why this has been so effective.
Pence speech was very good. His facial expressions really give life to it. I don’t know how it would be on the radio though he does have a good radio voice.
I believe that this will transform how conventions are done in the future. I wouldn’t be surprised if more remote location live shots are done. They worked this time around.
I never watch political conventions but I watched a bunch of today’s speeches.
I watched on the OAN Live Stream, recommended by TheNewNeo commentators on an earlier thread and it was great.
Oldflyer is spot on, a bunch of good politicians but the “normies” were SO IMPRESSIVE. I can’t emphasize it too much, I warmed to those people and I want them as neighbors and fellow citizens.
I can’t image that tomorrow could beat today.
On TV, it’s on, uninterrupted, on the day of the event, on C-SPAN1.
Online, it’s on in real time at theconservativetreehouse.com, and will be available there to watch at anytime, just look at previous posts. Also, there are individual speeches there right now, and often transcripts (after a suitable time for them to produce them).
I hope this helps.
The Mrs. watched a lot of it. I happened to pop in for some water while mowing the lawn just as Sister Byrne was concluding her speech. My wife said I need to see it and rewound it.
I was extremely impressed. The message was excellent, and superbly delivered, but Dede Byrne herself! People like her make me feel like a complete failure. What an incredible life.
Great, it’s well-produced, etc. The real question is will it affect anyone’s vote? I have contact with many left-of-center Dems and some moderates; they will not be moved by by anything in the RNC. Their cases of TDS range from mild to moderate. They’ve made up their mind long ago. I also know at least 4 family members who voted for Trump last time because they hated Hillary. This time they are voting for Biden because of his demeanor compared to the brash/obnoxious Trump. Issues and accomplishments are not considered, only personality. I suspect that the election will not be a landslide. There’s just a small 4% of the voters that could go either way; everyone else has already decided.
The Republicans are showing how big their tent is. Whoever has produced this has done an excellent job, it flows in a way that only is evident with careful and thoughtful programming. There is a crowd response which is fundamental to gathering the positive energy. The speakers are from all walks, all sectors, all races, all demographics, and each of them has an evocative story to tell, a compelling message to deliver, each one lands squarely on a precise subject or theme. Trump has never been given credit for his leadership skills, and one never hears about them except as testimonials from people whose lives have been touched personally or professionally. But together the individual stories, the historical perspectives, the mission statements and the platform discussions all gravitate back to Trump’s support. It makes for an impressive, coherent, patchwork quilt, and it gives the impression that the Republicans are a considerate Party that have it covered.
This is his show, and it has been very slickly done. The Democratic convention by comparison is shrill, hectoring, and amateurish – but then, they are not a Party of ideas and imagination anymore, much to their discredit (and much to our disservice). My wife is totally pumped, and although I eschew TV I have gotten out of my office and come to watch on occasion, when the words I am hearing from the next room compel me to. That’s pretty unusual for me.
The large number of testimony by “normies” also directly addresses the polarisation/insularity of the population, and cuts across “Pauline Kael syndrome”.
I know some women who might be persuadable to vote Republican…specifically, for Trump…but are terrified by any prospect of abortion being made illegal. They would probably be OK with a ban on late-term abortions, but not on a ban applying at any time. This seems to be an absolute issue, overriding everything else as far as voting goes, for a significant % of American women.
It’s a good point: are any undecideds watching (or seeing snips on the news or YouTube).
Still, it speaks well of the Trump team that such a quality product was created. You see stories of shakeups, people coming and going, but the core of the team is super competent. They also seem coordinated. A priority is chosen and the assigned group goes out and gets it done.
(And not just political stuff, Rep Lee Zeldin talked about being short of PPP gear in his community. The Trump guys went out and over delivered for him).
“terrified by any prospect of abortion being made illegal”
Yeah, I think Repubs are pretty clear that they want to ban taxpayer funded abortions. Let the pro abort people raise funds and pay for those who can’t afford it. Instead of tapping the Treasury.
But it’s likely accurate that this is “nose under the tent”. Abortion foes have made huge gains among Repubs and conservatives in my estimation.
The President showing up with Melania at the end of Pence’s speech and talking to and taking photos with the disabled veterans was a poignant moment and one that will resonate with undecided military members. I just can’t see Biden doing anything like that.
These are good points on abortion. I think that the Trump administration has a pretty keen nose for demographics and sentiments. Like so many other issues, it has been forced into its two radical-answer polarized state with no in-between discussion tolerated. I don’t pay attention to the issue very much, but I get the sense from the media’s coverage that most Americans favor definite limits on late-term abortion. Our current laws seem mostly to allow it up to and sometimes even past birth, and I believe that most people view that as morally despicable.
If I were to guess, I would wager that third trimester abortions could become subject to very strict controls. The Progressive Left would be yelling and screaming all the way, but it could feasibly work. I think a very large percentage of Americans do not want to see the procedure made illegal. I’m fairly conservative in a lot of things, and I don’t think it should be – but I also can’t countenance late-term abortions.
Years ago, I was on an airline flight with my then-CEO, Art. A guy sitting next to us had been to some kind of abortion-related rally or meeting…I can’t remember on which side…and he didn’t want to talk about anything other than this subject.
After he got off at an intermediate stop, Art said to me “You know, Dave, this issue is going to be like slavery was. It can’t be compromised, and it is going to tear the country apart.”
Abortion politics has changed in many regards by generations. Ultrasound has made real to us that there is a person being created. Many millennial women are not as hard core on abortion because they have seen the pictures. When we saw our daughters face for the first time in ultrasound it was a profound experience. That is why the abortion industry fought tooth and nail to prevent “informed” consent where an ultrasound was required.
Another factor is that many millennials aren’t that promiscuous (at least what I can see). Men seeing that they can have their lives upended weeks, months and even years later are more cautious. Video games and on-line porn provides an outlet that we boomers didn’t have so many years ago. Look at the impact at Japanese culture. That is coming to us.
I believe that women still want abortion per se but not late term. So Clinton’s finesse statement about “safe, legal and rare” may come to fruition.
“So Clinton’s finesse statement about “safe, legal and rare” may come to fruition.” I am Sparticus
No way. Besides being evil*, it’s big business in this country. No moral rational will ever carry the day on this issue. *The Hippocratic Oath (400 B.C.) without the benefit of a stethoscope or ultrasound prohibited abortion. No excuses today.
The Left/Democrats are “preparing the battle space.”
First, in the background, we have all of the violence, riots, and property destruction by the Left/Democrat’s new “Red Guards.”
Then, in addition, the following–
The apparent manipulation and selective reporting and interpretation of Chinese Corona virus statistics and information, and each State’s and locality’s responses to the Chinese Corona virus also deliberately helps to create and to heighten a national mood of depression and anxiety.
I’ve written here before about how the Left is floating the idea that, if President Trump loses the election, he will not peacefully relinquish his office.
This to anticipate, to make the chance less likely, and to make unacceptable what might happen if the President refused to relinquish his office and the White House, if the Democrats were to “win” by very obvious and massive fraud.
Then, of course there are the Left/Democrat’s claims of how there is somehow massive “voter suppression” going on, and their push for the supposedly necessary solution of “mail in voting”–the perfect vehicle to make massive fraudulent voting possible–as a remedy.
Just the other day Hillary was seen on video very forcefully declaring that, under no circumstances should Biden concede the election.
Yesterday, Al Gore was the most recent Leftist/Democrat talking about how the military would have to remove President Trump from office if he lost the election.
Now, today, we have Pilosi saying that she didn’t think that Joe Biden should dignify such a monstrous creature as President Trump by debating him at all.
Preparing the battle space, indeed!
David Foster says his women “I know some women who might be persuadable to vote Republican…specifically, for Trump…but are terrified by any prospect of abortion being made illegal.”
But Supreme Court opinion, and it’s doubtful that overturning Roe is coming any time soon, would simply send decisions back to the States. The Court would not accept States that did not recognise a “health of the woman” exception to any “ban.” That’s clear from many decisions.
The fight would focus on the few states with wide support for otherwise outlawing abortion. These would be states like Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
I’m pro-Choice, but I have no fear.
T J…”But Supreme Court opinion, and it’s doubtful that overturning Roe is coming any time soon, would simply send decisions back to the States.”
Yes, I think that’s true. Even if Roe were overturned (unlikely, IMO), most states would *not* implement any broad-based ban.
BUT, what I’m discussed here is the impact on electoral politics. I think the multi-speech emphasis on this issue will likely lose some potential votes, and gain very few.
The convention has been very well doe. Many normal people with good stories to tell. The Trump philosophy has been presented in digestible bits. Love of country, family and flag has been front and center. Trump as a leader with empathy has presented a different view of him. It’s all good so far. I’m enjoying it immensely.
physicsguy,
My guess is you are right regarding a low percentage of people having their minds changed, but I think there could be significant swings in intensity and turnout. I’ve heard more than one person say they’d walk on broken glass to pull the lever for Trump. I think intensity is growing for Trump and waning for Biden. Intensity to vote Trump out of office also seems high.
I didn’t vote for Trump the first time but I will this time, mainly because of the insanity of the Left. (Kavanaugh was the breaking point for me.) The convention speakers have been persuading me to actually be FOR Trump not just against the Dems. I can see a future for the Republican Party being articulated that makes sense, and some future leaders emerging. It’s surprisingly hopeful. I want more! I want it to keep going! I’d love a TV channel running 24/7 that keeps telling these stories of normal, good people from the real world not the Opposite World of poisonous Leftist narrative and dogma.
“Whoever has produced this has done an excellent job, it flows in a way that only is evident with careful and thoughtful programming.” – Aggie
Indeed.
I saw stories of the Democrats crowing that they had Hollywood stars and singers and personalities, while Trump did not.
But Trump, due to his long-time show business and TV connections, has something better than the “talent.”
He has the techies.