# The Republican national Convention **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 18, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729 "2016-06-18T21:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 33
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/641 "2016-07-20T05:30:56Z")
The right move would be to own up to the mistake. Of course, Arrogant Donald Jr will not and instead blame plagiarism on Hillary and the media. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/642 "2016-07-20T05:32:39Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > Because most of the big name Republican speakers want to have nothing to do with Donald. But _some_ big names are there. And it’s pretty basic that you put the headliners last, or at least at the end of primetime coverage. The major networks are airing an hour from 10:00 to 11:00, so they shouldn’t be blowing half their load at 9:30 and then having the room empty out at 10:30. Imagine if the Oscars told you the best picture and actors first, and then went on to give out the awards for the best soundtrack in a foreign opera or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/643 "2016-07-20T05:39:29Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Wait, wasn’t this jobs night? Make America Work Again or something like that? Where were the jobs? Are we all going to be baying jurors in show trials or something? Chris Christie talked about he and Donald are going to fire everybody even vaguely connected to the Obama administration. So … that’s sort of jobs-related. [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-purge-exclusive-idUSKCN10003A](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-purge-exclusive-idUSKCN10003A) > [@Reuters](#): > > If he wins the presidency, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would seek to purge the federal government of officials appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama and could ask Congress to pass legislation making it easier to fire public workers, Trump ally, Chris Christie, said on Tuesday. > > Christie, who is governor of New Jersey and leads Trump’s White House transition team, said the campaign was drawing up a list of federal government employees to fire if Trump defeats Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 presidential election. > > “As you know from his other career, Donald likes to fire people,” Christie told a closed-door meeting with dozens of donors at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, according to an audio recording obtained by Reuters and two participants in the meeting. So yeah, they want a special law passed to prevent Obama administration people from moving to civil service jobs, which are harder to fire. > [@Chris Christie](#): > > “One of the things I have suggested to Donald is that we have to immediately ask the Republican Congress to change the civil service laws. Because if they do, it will make it a lot easier to fire those people,” Christie said. > > He said firing civil servants was “cumbersome” and “time-consuming.” So I guess that’s going to mean more jobs for repo officers. Republicans - always looking out for the little guys! Speaking of little guys - remember [Travelgate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_travel_office_controversy)? It was one of the first bullshit Republican investigations of Bill Clinton’s tenure, from 1993. It eventually got rolled into Ken Starr’s chamber. In a nutshell - the Clintons fired some of the holdovers from the preceeding Republican admins who worked in the Whitehouse travel office. The new admin has the right to appoint their own people to this post, but the Republicans accused them of … well it was never really clear, since the President is entitled to appoint whoever he wants. But somehow, it was a Scandal! that eventually spawned investigations "by the FBI and the Department of Justice, the White House itself, the General Accounting Office, the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, and the Whitewater Independent Counsel " to quote that Wiki link. The investigation into Travelgate didn’t wrap up until 2000. In an eerily prescient development, the investigator found that Hillary might have said some things that were incorrect, over the course of seven years, but no charges could be brought because it wasn’t clear that she deliberately lied. All because Bill Clinton exercised his right to appoint his own people in charge of his travel arrangements. And he didn’t even need a special law from congress! But I guess announcing ahead of time that you’re going to conduct a partisan witchhunt and put people out of jobs - even when they aren’t political appointments - is no big deal if you’re a Republican and you just tell everyone ahead of time. I mean, yeah, that’s kind of going to be a short investigation, there. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/644 "2016-07-20T05:44:29Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > But _some_ big names are there. And it’s pretty basic that you put the headliners last, or at least at the end of primetime coverage. The major networks are airing an hour from 10:00 to 11:00, so they shouldn’t be blowing half their load at 9:30 and then having the room empty out at 10:30. Imagine if the Oscars told you the best picture and actors first, and then went on to give out the awards for the best soundtrack in a foreign opera or whatever. I understand your point. I am just saying with Rubio, Cruz, Romney, the Bushes, etc. unavailable, tonight was pitifully lacking in Republican star power. Any normal campaign would be able to fill out the evening with big names instead of relying on the Trump family and obscure soap opera stars to pad out the schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/645 "2016-07-20T05:54:31Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > Donald Jr says dad will create opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds. Does that include people with Mexican and Muslim backgrounds too? They aren’t Americans. Duh. Like that Mexican judge, remember? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/646 "2016-07-20T06:08:57Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > So, apparently (The Daily Show FB page), Donald Trump Jr. borrowed a few lines from The American Conservative. > > This is just trolling, if so. Apparently not plagiarism, as Trump Jr.'s speechwriter was the writer of the article in question. > **[No, Donald Trump Jr. didn’t plagiarize part of his speech](https://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12233962/donald-trump-jr-plagiarize)** > > Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology,... ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/647 "2016-07-20T06:11:28Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > So, apparently (The Daily Show FB page), Donald Trump Jr. borrowed a few lines from The American Conservative. > > This is just trolling, if so. The guy who wrote the speech was also the writer of the American Conservative article, so he was stealing from himself. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/648 "2016-07-20T06:17:28Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Apparently not plagiarism, as Trump Jr.'s speechwriter was the writer of the article in question. > > [No, Donald Trump Jr. didn’t plagiarize part of his speech | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12233962/donald-trump-jr-plagiarize) That’s some lazy, second-rate job. My clients would certainly not appreciate if I were to recycle my own material (I am a food writer). And in light of last night’s debacle, they should have reworked it. Not everyone who saw this tweet will see the retraction. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/649 "2016-07-20T06:55:44Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The number I’m hearing is [1 in 87 billion](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-20/maths-on-melania-trump-speech/7643658). Give enough monkeys enough typewriters… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/650 "2016-07-20T07:08:51Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Regardless, it is fundamental political malpractice to let network cameras show an empty hall during prime time coverage. This will not happen next week–you can take that to the bank. [It was noticeable and noticed, apparently](http://elections.ap.org/content/times-republicans-decide-go-home-early). That’s the AP. they go to every news outlet on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/651 "2016-07-20T07:35:33Z")
Coming in late here but would it be fair to say that the Republican power brokers have figured Trump is pretty much unsaleable to moderate sensible Republicans, so they have decided their best strategy is “forget persuading people to vote _for_ Trump, just denigrate Clinton in the hope of persuading moderates to vote _against_ her”? Edited to add: and by the way, is a whole convention chanting that their political opposition candidate should be locked up a new low? Sounds very third world. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/652 "2016-07-20T07:47:37Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > That’s some lazy, second-rate job. My clients would certainly not appreciate if I were to recycle my own material (I am a food writer). I think what we’re seeing here is the clear evidence that none of the really top rate people want to work for the Trump campaign. (speech writers, policy experts, genuinely good political organisers). It was called back in May, now here’s the evidence: > **[Quote of the day: Donald Trump doesn't need no stinkin' policy experts](https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/05/quote-day-donald-trump-doesnt-need-no-stinkin-policy-experts/)** > >   ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/653 "2016-07-20T08:50:44Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Regardless, it is fundamental political malpractice to let network cameras show an empty hall during prime time coverage. Really? Please cite any broadcast or cable regulation, FCC rule, voluntary code of conduct, or any other documented rule, regulation, or ethical standard that prohibits this particular “malpractice” of showing an empty hall. When you find it, provide the rule or regulation number, and then reconcile it for us with the First Amendment. I’ll wait. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/654 "2016-07-20T08:53:18Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Really? Please cite any broadcast or cable regulation, FCC rule, voluntary code of conduct, or any other documented rule, regulation, or ethical standard that prohibits this particular “malpractice” of showing an empty hall. When you find it, provide the rule or regulation number, and then reconcile it for us with the First Amendment. I’ll wait. Umm, WTF? This is nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/655 "2016-07-20T08:54:44Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Really? Please cite any broadcast or cable regulation, FCC rule, voluntary code of conduct, or any other documented rule, regulation, or ethical standard that prohibits this particular “malpractice” of showing an empty hall. When you find it, provide the rule or regulation number, and then reconcile it for us with the First Amendment. I’ll wait. Dude… He was making a joke / pointing the finger at what is a criminally incompetent campaign… To allow the show to be so boring the hall is empty while it’s being televised is stupid organisation. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/656 "2016-07-20T09:03:27Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Really? Please cite any broadcast or cable regulation, FCC rule, voluntary code of conduct, or any other documented rule, regulation, or ethical standard that prohibits this particular “malpractice” of showing an empty hall. When you find it, provide the rule or regulation number, and then reconcile it for us with the First Amendment. I’ll wait. Yeah, I was like “Is this a joke?” and it seems others were wondering the same thing. So I went to Google the term to try to explain what it means, and found, to my surprise, that the first hit defines it as \*\*wolfpup \*\*seems to: > [@](#): > > Political malpractice is an instance of negligent or unethical conduct on the part of an elected official. Like medical malpractice and legal malpractice, the political type involves a breach of duty, and a failure to offer professional services as expected. This negligence usually hurts the taxpayers and citizens whom the politician is accountable to. I have \*\*never \*\*seen it used this way. I have been a political junkie for decades now, and I’ve always seen it used as a snarky way of saying that someone’s campaign team has dropped the ball in terms of making sure something obvious or _de rigueur_ is taken care of. The implication is of political _stupidity_, not malice. At least as I had always understood it! ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/657 "2016-07-20T09:20:09Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > So, the GOP has moved on to trying the My Little Pony defence: > > [x.com](https://twitter.com/ditzkoff/status/755455836240089088) > > Ok, setting aside the fact that the MLP quote is no where near as close to Melania’s as Michelle’s… > > Twilight Sparkle’s quote is not supposed to be uplifting or aspirational. She’s speaking **literally**. In context, they are actually in a dream. Wereupon Big Macintosh, the humble, rarely-speaking farm pony, turns into a freakin’ alicorn princess, complete with dress and all. This is funnier to me than it should be. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/658 "2016-07-20T09:55:45Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Dude… > He was making a joke / pointing the finger at what is a criminally incompetent campaign… > To allow the show to be so boring the hall is empty while it’s being televised is stupid organisation. Well, let’s see. So far The Donald, a rank political newcomer, has mopped the floor with 16 other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, most of whom were established and seasoned politicos. He’s thwarted numerous attempts by the Republican establishment to block or undercut his delegate count or otherwise deny him the nomination. He just officially achieved the Republican nomination at the convention. And he accomplished all this while playing the media like a violin to his advantage and spending hardly any money relatively speaking on his campaign. What he’s accomplished is not just amazing but phenomenal. And yet to you guys he’s stupid but criminally incompetent because his wife’s speech didn’t get properly vetted and because people left the convention hall after the big/interesting (i.e., family) names had already spoken. We should all be so stupid and incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/659 "2016-07-20T10:05:02Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Well, let’s see. So far The Donald, a rank political newcomer, has mopped the floor with 16 other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, most of whom were established and seasoned politicos. He’s thwarted numerous attempts by the Republican establishment to block or undercut his delegate count or otherwise deny him the nomination. He just officially achieved the Republican nomination at the convention. And he accomplished all this while playing the media like a violin to his advantage and spending hardly any money relatively speaking on his campaign. What he’s accomplished is not just amazing but phenomenal. > > And yet to you guys he’s stupid but criminally incompetent because his wife’s speech didn’t get properly vetted and because people left the convention hall after the big/interesting (i.e., family) names had already spoken. > > We should all be so stupid and incompetent. Donald Trump won the nomination at a time when American politics is descending into insanity. He won’t be able to hide his ineptitude if, God forbid, he becomes president. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/660 "2016-07-20T10:21:59Z")
gotta say, Ben Carson really has embarrassed himself with the Lucifer/Alinsky bit; he was one of the Republicans I really liked and thought he was a respectable guy with a great life story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=34)