33 Comments - 360 Degree TurnAround - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 9:57 am: I agree with Pat Brady, the Trump campaign is not organized at all…and it shows. Why would you let Cruz speak? They are testing the theory that all news publicity is good publicity. - ZC - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:00 am: I don’t think Trump can cross the finish line on an overwhelmingly negative, let’s-sort-of-jail-Hillary message. The economy isn’t that bad (no, it isn’t) and Obama’s actually back over 50% approval (in no small part probably due to Trump and Hillary). Trump needs something positive about himself to lure the half-brained voters (in Lucchese’s words above). He’s solidifying his 45% or so of the two-party electorate, but it’s a long climb from there to those last few percentage points. - kimocat - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:06 am: Do not kid yourself — the disgusting Hillary bashing with it’s slimey misogynistic tones — is deeply offensive to thinking women — the ones in short supply in Cleveland. - Bronco Bahma - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:07 am: The want to “Make American Great Again,” but the only thing they’ve offered to make than happen is “Lock Her Up.” They know what they don’t like, but it would seem they don’t know what they want. Except maybe a wall. That’s no way to win an election. - Ghost - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:09 am: I guess the question is whats the goal? this is pure ted meat to the converted. if the goal is tomfire up your existing base, it makes sense. If your goal is to move the needle on undecideds; it looks like a major fail. Let me add, ohio is a major swing state with a faily well loved Gov in Kasich. They opened up the comventiin by blasting him; then they double down in the anti latino message and go for broke alienatng women voters… and call women who dont support Trump brainless??? I think Trump read Kafka as a how to manual - wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:09 am: Once the nominations were locked up, the contest moved between the 40-yard-lines, where the remaining persuadbles reside. The convention show is for them. From what I’ve read (I can’t watch that stuff), I’m not sure they got that. Best to rip your opponent with some humor, rather than raw anger. If Trump has a positive, coherent, rational speech in him, tonight’s the night for it. But first, he has to put out the fire he started about NATO. That’s just scary bizarre, that the GOP nominee could be so flip about something so grave. - The Captain - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:11 am: In order to keep from losing their third consecutive presidential election the Republican party is going to have to come from behind, according to the latest polling averages. They seem to be attempting to do so using messaging that’s hard to distinguish from the ones that were used when trying to win the Republican primary. I’m not exactly sure why they’re doing this, it seems kind of baffling to me, but I’m skeptical that the best way to win a general election is to use a red-meat Republican primary message. - The Muse - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:13 am: Trump has done the unthinkable - made a third party candidate relevant enough to have a chance at being in the presidential debates (a Libertarian polling at 13%?!!). Chanting “Lock her up!” might work for those true believers of the Trump Cult, but I don’t see it working on independents. At what point do we just start calling out Trump for being the charlatan that he is. Luckily for Trump, the bar has been set so low on this convention given what has already taken place, any uninspiring garble of him using the phrases “really, really” or “great, it’s going to be fantastic” will be considered a boost. - Illinois bob - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:13 am: @ZC =He’s solidifying his 45% or so of the two-party electorate, but it’s a long climb from there to those last few percentage points.= You do realize that Hillary is at about the same 45%, right. Her problem is that she’s dropping while Trump is staying steady. She’s got a steeper hill to climb than Trump. I still think that it’ll primarily come down to the debates. Whoever seems to be a better leader there will tip the scale. - JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:19 am: As someone who was going to vote for the Green or Libertarian candidate, the over the top negativity and fear mongering is pushing me toward Clinton. I would never have voted for her but this whole “the Muslim hoards are coming for you” shtick is getting on my nerves. In that regard it has already backfired on them because at least one person may vote for Clinton that wasn’t before. (I am sure they are worried now!/s) - Illinois bob - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:25 am: @JSMILL C’mon, JS. You were always going to vote for the candidate who would kick the most money into education, regardless of whether or not it benefits the students and nation, and who wants to grow government as much as possible. That’s obviously Hillary. Don’t pee on our legs and tell us it’s raining… - Stones - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:31 am: This election has a long way to go and self admittedly I have Democratic leanings, but most of my Republican friends don’t know what to think. They hate both Trump and Hillary. And I think many are appalled at what they are going on in Cleveland. - Doug Simpson - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:34 am: Paul Ryan himself said it best (paraphrasing) at least Trump isnt Clinton. Clinton outclasses Trump by a zillion degrees. She is not perfect, but not even in the same league. In my heart and mind I cannot believe Paul Ryan believes what he is saying. To Ted Cruz’s credit, he had the courage to stand up for himself after Trump viciously attacked his family. - JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:40 am: @ Illinois bob - I have refrained from feeding your nonsense for some time, but I will make an exception today. First, don’t ever call into question my integrity. You are a one trick pony (hates public education and the people involved) and everyone that reads the blog with regularity knows that. =Don’t pee on our legs and tell us it’s raining…= You are such a fool, the best you can do is try to pin a specific political label on someone (liberal, conservative) because you lack capacity to understand that some people do not fit in one of those two categories and you cannot compute. So…Forrest, what is your new expertise today? Did you have an experience as a shaman? Did you scale Everest? Where you there in Selma? Who is peeing on whose leg, with all of your obviously false claims? - A guy - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:41 am: All these conventions on both sides are a lion feeding festival at times. Then Gov. Ann Richards gave a very strongly worded speech targeting the Bush family (who she personally didn’t like at all) People chuckled and moved on. All the constant coverage has turned politics into NASCAR or the WWF. What really amazes me is how many people who openly despise Trump are glued to this coverage. Conventions went from “must see” to “why bother” back to “can’t miss”. Maybe that part is good. I guess we’ll see. It will be interesting to see if the other side is as glued to the sets next week. The ratings comparison will be an interesting stat. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:45 am: ===Then Gov. Ann Richards gave a very strongly worded speech targeting the Bush family (who she personally didn’t like at all) People chuckled and moved on=== She said, as I recall, “He was born with a golden foot in his mouth.” Bush was enraged by that and amped up the heat on Dukakis, resulting in the Willie Horton ad. They didn’t “move on,” they made it a rallying cry and used it to excuse some pretty nasty behavior. And, really, that was pretty darned tame compared to “Lock her up!” - Doug Simpson - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:49 am: @illinois bob: The official platform of the Republican Party has a provision for McCroryCare. You know, a takeover of the bathroom by the Government. Who is paying for these Government Bathroom Monitors? What about the added costs to adjudicate violators in the Criminal Justice system? Will there be separate McCroryCare prisons? - JS Mill - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:49 am: = What really amazes me is how many people who openly despise Trump are glued to this coverage.= Because it is like watching a slow-motion train wreck or dumpster fire. - 47th Ward - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:49 am: The only thing uniting these Republicans is their absolute hatred for Hillary Clinton. And the tone and rhetoric is over-the-top and downright dangerous. Lock her up? It’s one thing to have a spontaneous crowd chant that phrase, it’s something else entirely when signs are printed to egg it on. If someone truly believes Clinton should be in jail, how on earth can that person stand by and watch her take the oath of office? This is the dangerous part of this kind of angry rhetoric, it almost encourages a lone-wolf, true believer type to take matters into his own hands. Further, it is an attempt to de-legitimize Clinton in an effort to cripple her administration should she win in November. No Guy, this isn’t like Ann Richards’ speech at all. Not even close. - Juice - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 10:58 am: Rich, It was a “silver foot” not a “golden foot”, but otherwise, what you said. - Amalia - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:20 am: they should just have yelled “burn the witch.” they are that party. - A Jack - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:26 am: The hatred coming out of this convention toward Clinton and others such as BLM, is not what this country needs to bring it together. The hatred didn’t inspire me and won’t make America great. - Wensicia - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:28 am: I can’t sit through coverage of the convention and keep my sanity, but from the highlights I see on the news I’m watching Jerry Springer’s show on steroids. This will attract minorities, women and independents? They better come up with a game plan explaining how this country would benefit with Trump over Clinton if they’re serious about winning. “Trump has a problem only with women who would never support him in the first place.” Yes, and that percentage is more than high enough to keep him out of the White House. - Chicago Barb - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:30 am: Besides, the Ann Richards remark was funny as hell. I don’t think there has been a single funny line in all the speechifying and bombast. - ZC - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:34 am: I see no evidence if I look at a broad averaging of polls that Hillary is “dropping.” It’s the usual crazy quilt of findings so you can cherry pick lots of trends but it’s mostly stability. And she’s doing better than her national average (no surprise) in the average of the states that will decide this race and where’s she’s been burying Trump in ads for the last month or so. Yes he is doing ok in Iowa and Ohio. Doesn’t matter. She can lose both of those and still win the White House. - @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:37 am: What was the goal of this convention? The primary goal of the 2016 Republican National Convention should have been to reassure white, suburban moms that Donald Trump isn’t *really* an erratic, intolerant, bigoted egomaniac. Nothing that has transpired in Cleveland has advanced that cause. Not one thing. That misstep alone is enough to judge this Republican National Convention a complete failure. – MrJM - Ratso Rizzo - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:42 am: Slightly off topic, but today I had a Trump supporter call me from Wisconsin (?) asking me to volunteer for Paul Ryan’s opponent, Paul Nehlen, today. I thought the axe was buried? Supporter stated we had to “make things easier for Trump.” - Archiesmom - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 11:44 am: - I think that if the nominee has a very good night tonight, much of that might be forgotten. - In the immortal words of Sarah Palin: “You betcha!” Expectations are low, so anything remotely Presidential will be a home run, at least in the eyes of the media, and those are the guys who drive the sentiment for a large portion of the population. I have not watched a minute of the convention, and have been repulsed by a lot of what I see in the headlines. I normally am glued to conventions, and just can’t stomach this one. And I assume Trump will gain five percentage points out of it if he performs competently tonight. Call me jaded. I am. - Ghost - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 12:31 pm: There have been many elections where i strongly disagreed with canidates policies; but this is the first election that has me truly afraid. it has so much hate; and they just keep piling it o. and adding to it with reckless disregard. Take for example the question of immigration policy. a legitimate topic. but how did they adress it? By brining in people to tell stories about loved ones killed by illegal immigrants! and several of those where just car accidents! The death rate from illegal immigrants is statisticsly insignificant…. but they want people to hate and fear immigrants so much that they bring out these tales of death…. just frighteningly thoughtless and evil stirring of hate. - Bobbysox - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 12:47 pm: “It won’t hurt with any woman who’s got half a brain,” she said. ——- Agreed. The problem you’ll have is with women who have whole brains. - Kathryn - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 1:21 pm: Any woman with a fully functioning brain will never vote for Trump. There were a lot of half brains at the convention. Repubs are all for small/limited government until it comes to women’s healthcare and then they want total government control. Never Trump. - Albany Park Patriot - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 1:43 pm: Wow. ILGOP sounds like they really know what’s best for the ladies. - Fairness and Fairness Only - Thursday, Jul 21, 16 @ 3:55 pm: I expect the crowd to hate Hillary and I’m not surprised when they show it. I didn’t expect them to turn on Heidi Cruz to the point that she needed a security escort out for her safety, per the news this morning. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.