# 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:** 34
**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, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/661 "2016-07-20T10:23:19Z")
> [@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. IME it’s not completely failed candidates who get accused of political malpractice. The idea is that you’re talking about someone who has done the tough things (as you describe), but then senselessly neglects stuff out of Politics 101. And #whinylittlebitch Trump hasn’t won anything yet–nothing more than Romney did, or McCain. So why would he let those bad optics come into play at the same time as the optics around his grand entrance the previous day were so nicely orchestrated? I suppose it’s because he doesn’t really give a shit about any aspect of the campaign that isn’t about him personally. But social proof is a powerful thing, and the empty hall in primetime does not, to say the least, encourage a bandwagon effect for people to feel like they ought to get in on the party. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/662 "2016-07-20T10:55:06Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > I think it’s a combination of Astley and Taylor Swift Fwiw, I think it’s a common distribution on English language words. I really find it difficult to believe this many people - even on an internet message board - think it likely (a) Melania wrote a speech and (b) didn’t think it would get picked up from all of 8 years ago. The craziest thing is no one on the Trump campaign spotted it beforehand. ---
**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, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/663 "2016-07-20T11:10:47Z")
Anyone think Donald Jr. looked like a parody of a rich asshole in an '80s movie? I didn’t know rich douchebags were still rocking that gelled look. Maybe it’s how he tries to impress his very '80s dad. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/664 "2016-07-20T11:14:56Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > 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. Huh. If [the following](https://www.google.com/amp/mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/magazine/how-donald-trump-picked-his-running-mate.amp.html?client=safari#) is true – and, sure, it might just be a pack of lies, but a guy’s gotta _hope,_ right? – then he’s maybe planning on hiding it: > [@](#): > > Donald Jr. wanted to make him an offer nonetheless: Did he have any interest in being the most powerful vice president in history? > > When Kasich’s adviser asked how this would be the case, Donald Jr. explained that his father’s vice president would be in charge of domestic and foreign policy. > > Then what, the adviser asked, would Trump be in charge of? > > “Making America great again” was the casual reply. Now, again, I’m cynic enough to wonder whether that happened – and I’m cynic enough to wonder whether it was sincere, or just a con meant to get Kasich on the ticket; and cynic enough to wonder whether, even if it _was_ sincere then, it’d still remain in force during the years in office. But imagine for a moment that it’s all true: that Trump _will_ simply keep doing what he’s been doing, while letting an experienced Governor with a decade in Congress handle things; and that he went to Kasich with that offer, who passed; and then he shrugged and made it to Pence, who accepted; and administration ensues. How would that look? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/665 "2016-07-20T11:18:34Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > Donald Jr says dad will create opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds. Does that include people with Mexican and Muslim backgrounds too? He said _Americans!!_ ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/666 "2016-07-20T11:30:11Z")
But we don’t want the Irish! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/667 "2016-07-20T11:33:57Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > We should all be so stupid and incompetent. Apparently the vast majority of us here no such desire. edited to add: I guess there will always be those who will gather behind those who look like they are winners, no matter _what_ they are willing to do to win. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/668 "2016-07-20T11:41:23Z")
All that says much more about who your party is than about Trump, **SA**. **Princhester** , you’ve got the idea. Part of it is also encouraging turnout (not an issue for Aussies, but it is for us) by his supporters, with the emotion that most motivates them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/669 "2016-07-20T12:09:27Z")
> [@Club\_33](#): > > Monday - Make America Afraid Again! > Tuesday - Make America Angry Again! Halfway through Hate Week. Good thing it only lasts four days! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/670 "2016-07-20T12:24:12Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > 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, … I think the strongest take-away in all this is that there is no longer any such thing as a “Republican power broker.” > [@](#): > > 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. that is the scariest thing so far about this convention. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/671 "2016-07-20T12:50:55Z")
Did anyone notice the [particular phrasing at the end of Donny Jr’s convention speech?](http://www.bustle.com/articles/173659-transcript-of-donald-trump-jrs-rnc-speech-focuses-on-his-fathers-strengths-why-hes-better) > [@](#): > > And when we elect him, we’ll have done all that. We’ll have made America great again, greater than ever before. Notice that he did not say that when we elect Trump, he’ll begin to make America great again or he will do things to make America great again. No, he said that when we elect him, American WILL HAVE been made great again. I don’t know quite how to take this. Is the implication that from just putting Trump in power, America will be made great again just by his very presence? Or does it mean that getting rid of the Kenyan Muslim socialist (and his lying protege) will return America to greatness without doing anything else? Probably some of each. I guess this fits in well with the whole campaign strategy: Don’t outline any specific programs or policies. Just promise greatness. Let the people imagine that greatness can be achieved just by electing him and not doing any of the hard work of governance. Let them feel good just by having their hero in office, not by expecting any particular achievement (beyond the impractical promise of building a great wall paid for by Mexico). ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/672 "2016-07-20T12:53:00Z")
> [@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. I actually think that you have a point here. The man has redefined American politics. He’s shown how it’s possible to make mistake after mistake (or at least what are considered mistakes according to current wisdom) while still retaining a large and fervent base of support. He’s done this by taking the crassest form of marketing - appealing to the lowest and basest of human motivations - and applying it to campaigning. Others have done this, of course, but not quite at this level, at least not in recent times. Trump is a master at marketing himself to low information voters. Unfortunately, that has little or nothing to do with being able to govern effectively. Marketing and governing are two different things, and yes I do know that that implies a paradox at the heart of our system of government. We have a government run by those who are the best at marketing themselves rather than being the best at governing. There is some small amount of overlap between the two skillsets. Being able to convince and inspire can be useful in governing. But in large part politics and governing are distinct skill sets. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/673 "2016-07-20T12:53:07Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Did anyone notice the [particular phrasing at the end of Donny Jr’s convention speech?](http://www.bustle.com/articles/173659-transcript-of-donald-trump-jrs-rnc-speech-focuses-on-his-fathers-strengths-why-hes-better) > > Notice that he did not say that when we elect Trump, he’ll begin to make America great again or he will do things to make America great again. No, he said that when we elect him, American WILL HAVE been made great again. > > I don’t know quite how to take this. Is the implication that from just putting Trump in power, America will be made great again just by his very presence? I refer you to post #664. > [@](#): > > I guess this fits in well with the whole campaign strategy: Don’t outline any specific programs or policies. Just promise greatness. Let the people imagine that greatness can be achieved just by electing him and not doing any of the hard work of governance. Let them feel good just by having their hero in office Yup. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/674 "2016-07-20T13:19:41Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > 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. I don’t think he’s stupid or incompetent. Dishonest, sociopathic,and intent on scamming his own countrymen? Sure. But he’s not stupid. I don’t think there is any serious doubt that he has done a remarkable job hijacking the GOP and identifying, and tapping into, a widespread desire for a Putin-like strongman to take power. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/675 "2016-07-20T13:31:51Z")
A heard Leslie Rutledge from the convention on NPR, causing everyone to believe that Arkansans are ignorant hillbillies that cannot speak English. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/676 "2016-07-20T13:46:35Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > By the way, all of you who are mocking her accent: how many of you have addressed a national political convention, televised to the world, in a foreign language? This is America – if English is a “foreign language” to her, she should GTFO. So saith the Party of Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/677 "2016-07-20T13:51:42Z")
It occurs to me that if we elect Trump into office, we are basically electing in Biff from Back to the Future. A craven, egotistical maniacal narcissist. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/678 "2016-07-20T13:53:16Z")
> [@](#): > > “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. He totally ought to go with that slogan. It worked so well for the last guy. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/679 "2016-07-20T13:55:51Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > 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. Top rate people generally prefer to work for somebody who will actually pay them. (So do not-so-top-rate people, but it’s easier for the top-rate people to make it stick by telling the habitual deadbeats like il Doofus to go screw themselves while they hire themselves out elsewhere.) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/680 "2016-07-20T14:02:08Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t think he’s stupid or incompetent. > > Dishonest, sociopathic,and intent on scamming his own countrymen? Sure. But he’s not stupid. I don’t think there is any serious doubt that he has done a remarkable job hijacking the GOP and identifying, and tapping into, a widespread desire for a Putin-like strongman to take power. I think he’s kind of stupid. At least ignorant, or pretending to be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=35)