# 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:** 37
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/722 "2016-07-20T18:31:27Z")
You’ll note that the letter is on a Trump Organization letterhead, _not_ a Trump campaign letterhead. [This could possibly comprise an illegal collaboration between the campaign and Trump’s business.](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/20/3800321/donald-trump-melania-plagiarism-corporate-contribution/) ---
**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, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/723 "2016-07-20T18:33:44Z")
The woman who has resigned because of SpeechGate works for the Trump _Organization_, not for the Trump Presidential _campaign_. Her resignation was on a Trump Organization letterhead. The resignation letter said she was resigning from the Trump Organization, because she apparently has never worked for the Trump campaign. This is an illegal corporate comingling with the campaign, under federal law. [http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/20/3800321/donald-trump-melania-plagiarism-corporate-contribution/](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/20/3800321/donald-trump-melania-plagiarism-corporate-contribution/) ---
**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, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/724 "2016-07-20T18:35:48Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You’ll note that the letter is on a Trump Organization letterhead, _not_ a Trump campaign letterhead. > > [This could possibly comprise an illegal collaboration between the campaign and Trump’s business.](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/20/3800321/donald-trump-melania-plagiarism-corporate-contribution/) She may have been an employee of the Trump Organization and not the Trump Campaign? That’s a _big_ “NO-NO”. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/725 "2016-07-20T18:38:33Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > This explanation would have sufficed to quash this story had it been the first explanation given rather than trying to deny their way out of the issue for a few days. Disagree - the story would have changed to, “So, Melania gave the speechwriter Michelle’s quotes, but didn’t recognize that they were Michelle’s quotes in the final speech? How convenient.” ---
**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, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/726 "2016-07-20T18:44:58Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > So it _was_ a documentary! Which means we are in the alternate history and are doomed to be destroyed? Vanish into the ether? when Marty McFly shows up. :eek: (What does happen to al-history people anyway? I know, it depends on the story. Is it worse if we just keep living in this universe forever?) ---
**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, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/727 "2016-07-20T18:47:31Z")
Immigration activists are forming a wall around the RNC location, chanting, “Wall Off Trump!” I like it. [http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/20/3800305/trump-wall-activists/](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/20/3800305/trump-wall-activists/) ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/728 "2016-07-20T19:08:58Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Too bad, so sad, Alaska. Suck it up - official ruling - 28 votes to Trump. I don’t know about Alaska’s rules, but here’s why DC had to vote for Trump (and presumably, once a similar provision in Alaska’s delegate selection plan was found, DC didn’t challenge it): **[DC Delegate Selection Plan](http://dcgop.com/dc-state-convention/dc-gop-delegate-selection-plan/), Section V, Paragraph 8:** _“However, notwithstanding the above, **if only one candidate’s name is placed in nomination at the Republican National Convention, all delegates shall be bound to vote for such candidate on the first ballot** provided that the candidate received votes in the DC presidential preference poll.”_ In other words, it’s all Ted Cruz’s fault for not letting his name be placed into nomination. Something else I noticed (unless I missed it happening): traditionally, each convention asks that the Presidential nominee be “elected unanimously” once the actual vote is over. I didn’t see them do this for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/729 "2016-07-20T19:14:13Z")
Has the speechwriter made an appearance anywhere? I wonder if she’s even a real person. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/730 "2016-07-20T19:18:34Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > … > And they’re gonna win this election in November. I’m not sure they will. I can’t remember a time when members of a party refused to support their candidate, to fall right in line, like this time. We have Conservatives on this very board who say they will vote for Clinton with their noses pinched. I don’t see any margin for error on either side, so that’s gonna hurt Trump. But even if Trump wins, which I don’t think will happen, at least it ain’t Cruz! (As an aside, my spellcheck does not like aint unless it has an apostrophe! What a very proper way to spell a word that my teachers refused to recognize in the first place.) ---
**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, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/731 "2016-07-20T19:21:56Z")
> [@C3](#): > > Has the speechwriter made an appearance anywhere? I wonder if she’s even a real person. It gets better. Not bad enough that they’re sacrificing a woman in the name of The Donald, she’s African American. [https://www.everipedia.com/meredith-mciver/](https://www.everipedia.com/meredith-mciver/) Hm, well, maybe not, the page says she’s Caucasian. ---
**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, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/732 "2016-07-20T19:25:19Z")
[She’s a long-time Trump Org employee that co-wrote five of his books.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/20/who-is-meredith-mciver-the-trump-staffer-who-took-the-fall-for-melanias-speech/) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/733 "2016-07-20T19:28:41Z")
Stephen Colbert thought it would be funny to put a camera on the condiments station next to one of the concession stands at the RNC. [Turns out he caught Fox News anchor Bret Baier surreptitiously filling a water bottle up with mustard.](http://uproxx.com/tv/stephen-colbert-fox-news-hoarding-mustard-rnc/) Just another highlight of how absurd this whole thing has become. ---
**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, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/734 "2016-07-20T19:29:42Z")
Having looked more closely at this Everipedia, which I had never heard of before, they are hardly neutral. Their facebook page is trumpeting “The woman who sabotaged Melania’s speech”, and “The woman who sabotaged Melania is a registered Democrat!” And below that, trumpeting the movement to “Free Milo!” I noticed that the first item in Google for Everipedia is an interview with Breitbart. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/735 "2016-07-20T19:48:01Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Having looked more closely at this Everipedia, which I had never heard of before, they are hardly neutral. Their facebook page is trumpeting “The woman who sabotaged Melania’s speech”, and “The woman who sabotaged Melania is a registered Democrat!” And below that, trumpeting the movement to “Free Milo!” I noticed that the first item in Google for Everipedia is an interview with Breitbart. The plot thickens… ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/736 "2016-07-20T19:49:08Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > I don’t know about Alaska’s rules, but here’s why DC had to vote for Trump (and presumably, once a similar provision in Alaska’s delegate selection plan was found, DC didn’t challenge it): > > **[DC Delegate Selection Plan](http://dcgop.com/dc-state-convention/dc-gop-delegate-selection-plan/), Section V, Paragraph 8:** > _“However, notwithstanding the above, **if only one candidate’s name is placed in nomination at the Republican National Convention, all delegates shall be bound to vote for such candidate on the first ballot** provided that the candidate received votes in the DC presidential preference poll.”_ > > In other words, it’s all Ted Cruz’s fault for not letting his name be placed into nomination. > Something else I noticed (unless I missed it happening): traditionally, each convention asks that the Presidential nominee be “elected unanimously” once the actual vote is over. I didn’t see them do this for Trump. The Alaskan delegate said that their convention had a similar rule and had specifically suspended that rule, so it should not apply and they wanted to record their votes the way the Alaskan people had actually voted. ---
**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, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/737 "2016-07-20T19:49:19Z")
> [@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? 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). Great catch! > [@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. He isn’t quite “full retard”. He is clever and canny in some ways. But he is pretty stupid and incompetent in so many more. > [@DigitalC](#): > > So do we expect any “convention bounce” out of this farce? I don’t. Not an unambiguous one, anyway. I do think Hillary will get a modest but statistically significant one after the DNC though, settling into a 5-6 point lead. ---
**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, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/738 "2016-07-20T19:50:11Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Stephen Colbert thought it would be funny to put a camera on the condiments station next to one of the concession stands at the RNC. > > [Turns out he caught Fox News anchor Bret Baier surreptitiously filling a water bottle up with mustard.](http://uproxx.com/tv/stephen-colbert-fox-news-hoarding-mustard-rnc/) > > Just another highlight of how absurd this whole thing has become. He took two squirts. Perhaps he was taking mustard to someone, like guys get women drinks at parties. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/739 "2016-07-20T19:53:04Z")
On police shootings: “I don’t know why they’re complaining. That Castile guy was pulled over like fifty-two times and they only killed him once.” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/740 "2016-07-20T19:54:27Z")
> [@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. You don’t actually need God to forbid it.\* I already have. Also any other Republican. \*Although, if he decides to start actually existing, I’m okay with him forbidding it too. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/741 "2016-07-20T19:57:43Z")
I don’t think Mike Judge and Seth McFarland combined could come up with shit weirder than what’s coming out of Trump’s run. I swear, I’m starting to like the guy. He is bringing the entertainment like nobody’s business. Can you imagine how fucked up this country would be if he were actually the goddamned President? Holy shit it would be one big glorious hot mess. I mean, I just don’t remember laughing this hard, this often, with the last couple of presidential elections … and we had a Palin in there, ferchrissakes! Long live the dumpster fire. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=36) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=38)