Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
RNC Night 1 Wrap-up
The first night of the Republican National Convention wrapped up and, despite its virtual nature, the party has to be happy with the result. Where last week’s Democratic convention felt like a glorified Zoom chat, the RNC created a seamless presentation. The vast majority of speakers — politicians and everyday Americans — spoke in front of the same background, interspersed with video packages touting President Trump’s record. The tone was sober, patriotic, and positive — a cohesion sorely missing from last week’s confab.
Kim Klacik, a Maryland Republican running to represent a deep-blue, mostly African-American district hit the highpoints from her viral campaign ad. Vernon Jones, a Democratic state representative from Georgia, hit similar themes asking Black Americans to support a president who has delivered for his community.
School choice was another common topic, most ably presented by Rebecca Friedrichs, a California teacher who took on her powerful union and won. Several other speakers stressed the importance of the issue.
A doctor and a nurse praised Trump’s handling of the Coronavirus, while a Montana espresso shop owner thanked him for the Paycheck Protection Program.
Former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley endorsed Trump’s leadership and the night closed with a masterful presentation by Sen. Tim Scott. (That ticket in 2024 would be a steamroller. Maybe one can change their residency?)
The most compelling speaker of the evening was Maximo Alvarez, a Cuban immigrant and now-successful Florida businessman who warned of the dangers of socialism. You really need to see this:
The only speech that felt off was Kimberly Guilfoyle, who shouted like she was at a noisy rally and not in an empty hall. (Can’t speak for the content, I had to mute that one.)
Sean Parnell, congressional candidate for Pennsylvania, and Donald Trump Jr. both delivered classic conservative messages with potent digs at Joe Biden.
As much grief as Trump gets for not being presidential, Monday night’s event was vastly more respectful, patriotic, and … well, classy … than the DNC’s offerings last week. Where the Dems went for snark and mockery, the Republicans spoke to the best of America. They featured celebrities; the GOP featured We the People.
Well done, RNC.
Published in Elections
Coming to this late and couldn’t join the chat but Maximo Alvarez was simply grand. I am of the belief that only those who immigrate here can probably give perspective on how wonderful this country is.
Yes, Maximo Alvarez was fantastic! I saw some of the chat about him but finally watched his speech on this post. That was really the highlight of what I’d seen of it. There were a lot of very good speeches. Guilfoyle was not good at all, I muted it after a couple minutes.
Good, solid kick-off!
Tim Scott had a terrific one-liner that summed up the American dream when speaking about his own family’s experience: “Our family went from Cotton to Congress in one lifetime.”
It was a fantastic opening night that made the DNC look even more like a funeral than before.
I tried to add the video to my “Watch Later” list. YouTube informed me that the action is “turned off for content made for kids.” As someone who occasionally uploads videos to YouTube, I know that means the video owner specifically marked it as safe for kids.
It’s a little inconvenient, since many use the feature to bookmark videos for later viewing. But good for them if the hope is to educate teenagers about the dangers of socialism.
This could be one situation where not having a ton of Hollywood and pop culture elites all wanting to be parts of The Resistance could have been a net plus for the GOP, because not having them also meant not having to pander to them by giving away air time that can be better spent promoting your cause to voters (the Democrats of course would argue its the pop culture acts that help bring younger voters to the show, but those same younger voters are so attuned to simply watching highlight clips via YouTube or social media, they weren’t coming from last week’s DNC event, and the ratings showed it. We’ll see if four nights of Trump + other speakers who stick closer to the issues produces better ratings for the RNC this week).
That ticket would be more than a steamroller – it would be a nuke!
Jon,
Ditto.
Regards,
Jim
That was some powerful stuff.
Overall very good.
Highlights
Sean Parnell
Herschel Walker
The humanizing Trump clips ( I think most people have been shielded from anything depicting DJT as calm, caring and listening)
Lowlights:
Kimberly Bigmouth and her addled boyfriend.
I’ve been against political dynasties generally, then in 2015 with the attempt by the Bush clan to insert yet another of its progeny into the Oval Office, vehemently so.
Who is Tom Nichols? I only see him in my Twitter timeline when someone I follow is making fun of him for some inane comment that he made. I know that he wrote a book on experts because most of the jokes are of him demonstrating his lack of knowledge on a subject and “expert” is usually part of the joke. What publications has he written/current writes for? I can’t ever remember seeing his stuff.
Rufus,
Don Jr performed very well. I sincerely doubt that if he was using cocaine he could have done such an excellent job. I am sorry that I must say this but those who continue to delude themselves about the lack of real values in the Democratic Party often project this lack of discipline onto conservatives. It is their only way to hold onto their illusion.
How could someone educated, accomplished, and brilliant be supporting a senile bigot and a shallow soulless trollop whose only policy positions are now a pure Marxist agenda? A mystery wrapped in an enigma.
Regards,
Jim
You always say what I want to say much better than I could say it. lol
I love Don Jr. and she is way, way out there these days. Don Jr. is the best guest on talk radio right now.
I put that more up there about Berlinski, but yeah I get what you’re saying. He is really strange. He literally calls himself a conservative that is for strict gun control. He’s really easy to make fun of on Twitter but I honestly don’t catch his stuff anymore.
This was another fun situation yesterday. Martha just destroyed him. It’s on YouTube. All of these guys effectively want to single payer shoved down our throats. Putting Kamala Harris anywhere near the justice system is completely nuts.
I understand, Trump has really damaged Claire, but seeing Tom’s tweet triggered a question that I’ve had. Most of the big, former conservatives being touted by the media now I’d heard of before they came out against Trump, Max Boot, David French, Claire, Bill Kristol, Jennifer Rubin, etc. This Nichols guy is someone I hadn’t heard of before he started hating Trump. Kind of like those Christian “leaders” who have a falling out and the media portrays them as speaking for all Christians in America when most people beyond their congregations haven’t heard of them.
Sorry but I didn’t find her all that impressive even before the NeverTrump stuff. She really likes to prattle on and on about herself while rattling her tin cup about not finding paying work. She has ctually turned into a nutty ‘Cat Lady’. Even worse because she’s in Paris, hasn’t lived in the US in years and therefore thinks that makes her musings even more prescient.
Tom Nichols began popping up on the Podcast Circuit, lauded by the “Expert Class” for writing a book that was essentially “Why do you stupid deplorables refuse to listen to us experts.” He was also a big promoter of Russia-palooza, and is still a Collusion-Truther.
Ironically, the last decade or so has demostrated exactly why we don’t listen to self-proclaimed experts. And here in 2020, the experts haven’t exactly been covering themselves in glory.
The fact that he’s mostly seen as a target for mockery now is a good sign. Mock away!
See comment #8.
Rufus,
Yep, the most trusted voice in late-night sophomoric moronic humor taking his usual cheap shot. “Hey, it’s only a joke man. Defamation?? Com’on lighten up man. So I defamed him to an audience 10 or 20 million people. Big Deal!”
Gee, is it OK if I call Colbert a moronic @ssh0le? Well, maybe I’d get redacted for it. Whose gonna redact Colbert?
Regards,
Jim
Yeah, Claire broke herself on President Trump.
While the guy from Cuba was good, I thought the best speech of all, the most inspiring and impressive, was given by Tim Scott. His speech was for right now in this moment in time and spoke across all color lines to the very heart of an attitude this nation badly needs.
Goldwaterwoman,
I’m right with you on this. Both Nikki Haley and Tim Scott were absolute standouts. Let’s get Trump elected for another 4 years. That will give them both time to season their abilities even more. Two great possibilities for the post-Trump Party.
We’re just getting started.
Regards,
Jim
‘Decorum conservatives’ value comity over effectiveness, which includes the ability to get elected. Claire seems to be George Will on steroids, in that both are horrified by the crudeness of Trump and the fact that he’s soiled ‘their’ party, and want him gone at all costs, and want any of his Republican enablers to be punished as well (it’s sort of the equivalent of coming home and finding a bat flying around your house, and smashing every window and wrecking the furniture in an attempt to get him back outside).
The Lincoln Project grifters are slightly different, in that they may not like Trump’s crudity, but they also hate the fact that they see him as a better con artist than they are, and their egos are deeply damaged by the idea that he won the White House and virtually every effort they made in the past to get their candidates elected failed. That group has no problem going into the gutter to attack Trump, because they really don’t have a problem with lowering the level of discourse, as long as they’re the ones doing it (see Wilson, Rick, and his various tweets as examples).
The overnight Nielsen ratings will come out late today but Cspan revealed that 440,000 people downloaded their live stream of day 1 of the RNC while only 76,000 people watched day 1 of the Cspan stream of the DNC.
SP,
Yeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Jim
I’ve come to think of them as Royalists. The Presidency is a kind of Kingship and largely a ceremonial position. These people don’t want any change! That’s why they are conservatives! They want everything to stay the same – whatever it is, doesn’t matter because they are protected. That’s the kind of “ conservative “ they are. And they never had any respect for those of us who wanted policy changes. They just patted us on our heads and pretended the entire time. Now they resent us because we are no longer playing their game.
I read something today you might appreciate as much as I do… paraphrasing: The upperclass is using the lower classes to attack the middle class.
Journalist accuses president’s son of using cocaine. Classy.
And these are the same people who clutch their pearls if the President makes fun of Jim Acosta.