# 2020 Virtual convention thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 17, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353 "2020-08-17T23:18:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/222 "2020-08-21T16:45:17Z")
I’m teasing him about Asheville. It’s a beautiful place and he and I both lived there at the same time 15 years go. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/223 "2020-08-21T17:04:03Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It’s not letting me embed a photo for some reason You can’t embed a photo (like you couldn’t on the old site either) but you can post a link to a photo that is on a photo-sharing site like imgur (and I think it may work with links to photos pasted on Facebook, but I’m not on FB so I can’t illustrate), thusly. The link needs to be on a line all by itself, just like when you post links to articles. [/PSA] [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/vQ7gDr4.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/vQ7gDr4) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/224 "2020-08-21T17:05:12Z")
Got it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/225 "2020-08-21T17:15:24Z")
**ThelmaLou** , I’m concerned that the President’s mask isn’t fitting _nearly_ tightly enough. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/226 "2020-08-21T18:35:01Z")
🤣 Come to Hendersonville! We have all that plus Maga morons! ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/227 "2020-08-21T18:40:34Z")
I live in rural Delaware and all I see are Trump signs. I thought that I’d see a few Biden signs since he’s our guy, but even that doesn’t seem to change any Republican minds. Luckily, Delaware is as reliably blue a state as you’ll find. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/228 "2020-08-21T19:16:46Z")
It was a great speech. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/229 "2020-08-21T19:43:26Z")
I am just scrolling thru Google News and I see a few headlines from Fox News: - **Chris Wallace says Biden blew ‘a big hole’ in Trump’s ‘mentally shot’ claim with DNC acceptance speech** ‘After tonight, Donald Trump will have to run against a candidate, not a caricature,’ says ‘Fox News Sunday’ host - **Bannon was aboard Chinese billionaire’s $28M yacht off Connecticut when arrested** The boat, the Lady May, is owned by Guo Wengui, one of China’s most wanted fugitives, a report says - **Democratic Party chairman predicts ‘chaos’ at next week’s GOP convention** VP Pence says GOP convention will showcase Trump’s achievements WTF is going on here? Headlines that could be pro-Democrat party? Are they starting to flee already? ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/230 "2020-08-21T19:46:23Z")
It was good by Biden’s standards. Overall, it was pretty good. He did have a few blunders - he recycled verbatim the line about the Charlottesville neo-Nazis “with veins bulging, spewing anti-Semitic rhetoric” from an earlier speech (most people probably wouldn’t have noticed, if that very clip hadn’t been shown earlier in the convention), and near the end of the speech he said “there’s never been anything we’ve been able to accomplish when we do it together.” 😖 But yes, overall, in the final analysis his speech was well composed and sounded authentic and passionate. I have serious doubts about his ability to do the same when he’s on the spot in the debates. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/231 "2020-08-21T20:01:01Z")
Though the Democratic convention went well I doubt there will be a big bounce for the reasons discussed above. A virtual convention, now matter how solid, doesn’t quite pack the same visceral punch and this is probably reflected in the viewership numbers. Plus there are probably fewer undecided voters than usual and the overall race seems fairly stable. Still a good convention probably solidifies swing voters in their belief that Biden is the right choice. I am curious what the Republicans will do. From what I gather there will be a physical convention of sorts but Trump will address it from elsewhere. I expect that the convention will do a good job of rallying the faithful without giving Trump a significant boost among the swing voters that he needs. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/232 "2020-08-21T20:04:11Z")
If it means a lot of Republican poobahs and activists will be gathering in one place for a COVID-19 super-spreader event, well, they know what they’re getting into, and I won’t lose any sleep over it. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/233 "2020-08-21T22:00:32Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Let’s flip the script - if the convention consisted of NOTHING BUT white farmers and white factory workers and white suburbanites talking about their problems, do you think minorities would NOT feel left out in the cold? Because they would. Context matters. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/234 "2020-08-21T22:19:53Z")
> [@tripthicket](#): > > Trump couldn’t have given such a speech, imo. He would have to be able to fake empathy. We know that’s way out of his range. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/235 "2020-08-21T22:31:24Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Context matters. In this case the context is that Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania all went to Donald Trump in 2016. I don’t know what the hell else there is to say. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/236 "2020-08-21T23:03:27Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Some of the people on this board are cocky as hell. Like your snark is going to sway my vote. We already discussed this thoroughly. I’ll vote for Biden DESPITE how much seething distain I have towards people who take a bad approach in trying to convince me to. Nobody gives a shit how you vote, they’re patronizing you like a little baby. Why you complaining about AOC? She didn’t complain, and she knows how to. So you really should be complaining that she sold out. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/237 "2020-08-21T23:15:27Z")
Well the spin is that “anybody can read a teleprompter”. I don’t think Trump should challenge anybody to a reading contest. Meanwhile, he is insisting that his, Pence’s and Melania’s speeches are all given live, unlike Biden’s, Jill Biden’s and Harris’ speeches which were all … live??? ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/238 "2020-08-21T23:17:06Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > Let’s flip the script - if the convention consisted of NOTHING BUT white farmers and white factory workers and white suburbanites talking about their problems, do you think minorities would NOT feel left out in the cold? Because they would. Here’s where you lose me. This implies that the convention was NOTHING BUT non-whites and elites, when this is demonstrably not the case. Just last night there was a panel of Joe talking to white, midwestern union workers. Joe’s role is saving the auto industry was highlighted _multiple times_ over the course of the convention - an explicit appeal to midwestern factory workers. I feel like you glided right over these and many other examples of similar appeals to the exact voters you are talking about. > [@Lamoral](#): > > In this case the context is that Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania all went to Donald Trump in 2016. Yes, Joe needs to flip most of those states. It’s obvious and I suspect the campaign is well aware of it. But it also makes an assumption: that everyone who voted for Hillary will vote for Joe, so all he needs to do is focus on a few midwestern whites. But that’s a bad assumption. He cannot take the black vote for granted, he cannot take the female vote granted, he cannot take the youth vote for granted. He needs a broad coalition of people - including midwestern whites - to win, and that’s exactly what this convention showcased: a broad, diverse coalition of people supporting him. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/239 "2020-08-21T23:21:49Z")
Why would you patronize instead of try to educate? Why are people being combative if they don’t care? If people don’t care how I vote, why are people trying to convince me otherwise? Why are you being hostile. This isn’t a pit thread. I stated my opinion and some people calmly told me their opinion, and then some people were jerks about it. Why do you insist on dragging this out on here instead of going to the pit? The whole reason why it was open about not voting for Joe Biden was because I knew that there were arguments from the other side that I could consider. If you think this is pit worthy… Go for it. But why are you dragging out this, now, off topic discussion? ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/240 "2020-08-21T23:24:31Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > But why are you dragging out this, now, off topic discussion? I was busy yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353/241 "2020-08-21T23:25:16Z")
For Christ’s sake, can we drop this now? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-virtual-convention-thread/918353.md?page=13)