RNC Night 4 Wrap-up

 

The last night of the Republican National Convention blew the past three days out of the water. The party unleashed a barrage of powerful moments, from heartbreaking to inspirational. Team Trump threw so much into it; by the end, I think I saw a kitchen sink tumbling across the White House lawn.

I’ll stick to the highlights or this post will be 5,000 words long. As with the rest of the convention, the RNC pushed hard for the African-American vote. White House advisor Ja’Ron Smith vouched for Trump’s character and the need for hard work. Alice Johnson, whose life sentence was commuted by the President, praised his groundbreaking support for criminal justice reform.

For being the most racisty racists in the history of racism, I’ve never seen a more diverse array of speakers at an RNC. It’s not even close.

The parents of Kayla Mueller, an American murdered by ISIS, gave a tearful thank you to Trump for meting out justice upon Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. An equally emotional moment was provided by Ann Dorn, the widow of retired Police Capt. David Dorn, who was killed by St. Louis rioters.

The RNC relentlessly criticized Democrat mayors and governors for coddling these rioters in blue cities across the country. As they did, DC rioters rolled out a guillotine with a Trump effigy and abused Black cops and the elderly. (Perhaps Mayor Bowser should list this as an in-kind contribution to Trump 2020.) Rudy Giuliani nuked New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s near destruction of the once-peaceful city as did the leader of the NYPD’s police union.

Several politicians were also present. The standout was Sen. Tom Cotton who recounted Democratic failures and Republican successes in defense and foreign affairs. Ivanka Trump lowered the volume with a platitude-rich speech. The remarks were pedestrian and would have worked better in an earlier segment.

Of course, the main event was President Trump himself. As with Biden, The Donald isn’t famed for stirring oratory. Nevertheless, he rose to the occasion with a well-crafted speech and minimal riffing. Where Biden’s acceptance barely hit 24 minutes, Trump’s clocked in at 70, second in length only to his 2016 convention speech.

The delivery was sober and subdued, cataloging his opponent’s failures over 47 years of public life and stressing that he was too weak to stand up to the radicalism of his party. He pounded on every weakness Biden has and assured voters he would harm our economy and our safety. Trump also bragged about his own record over the past four years with the many highlights never mentioned on the nightly news. As the speech closed, fireworks engulfed the Washington Monument in a patriotic display.

Kudos to the Republican National Committee for creating one of the best conventions I’ve seen, and doing it under the most difficult of circumstances.

While I write, totally unbiased journalists are shrieking across TV and social media with a level of hysterics rarely seen outside of a Bravo reality show. Can’t say I blame them: RNC 2020 was a complete success.

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  1. Architectus Coolidge
    Architectus
    @Architectus

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: While I write, totally unbiased journalists are shrieking across TV and social media with a level of hysterics rarely seen outside of a Bravo reality show. Can’t say I blame them: RNC 2020 was a complete success.

    So true – just for fun, I flipped over to CNN and a few other stations to see the angst and bitterness and vitriol of the Left.  Seeing their insane reactions tonight, they cannot possibly be expected to survive if Trump is reelected. 

    • #1
  2. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    It was interesting to compare the posts at the live blog for PJ Media vs. the National Review live Twitter feed. In general they’ve been pretty much the same the first three nights, and were pretty similar for the first half of Thursday night, but started to diverge wildly the closer we got to Trump’s speech. Far cooler reception for the speech at NR than at PJ — complaints were mainly about the length and low energy (with a little Hatch Act snark thrown in by Jay Nordlinger), with less complaints about the substance of the speech.

    Usually the complaints about Trump’s speeches on the Trump-skeptic right (as opposed to the Trump-phobic right) are more that there’s too much energy/riffing and not enough substance, so that was a flip from normal. Both live streams did note the Trump effigy’s guillotining outside the White House, which was one of those “Imagine the  media reaction if (name your Democrat president or presidential nominee) was guillotined by a bunch of rabid right wingers” moments.

    • #2
  3. Architectus Coolidge
    Architectus
    @Architectus

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Ivanka Trump lowered the volume with a platitude-rich speech. The remarks were pedestrian and would have worked better in an earlier segment.

    While I agree, I believe that the thinking was that many (with jobs, families and lives to live) would only tune in for the big acceptance speech night, and they wanted a dose of the soft side in the mix to round out the package. 

    But what a package this closing night was.  Of course, the DC downtown is going to get wrecked again tonight – my wife saw many buildings getting boarded up again this afternoon in preparation.  Expecting a “mostly peaceful” night of mayhem…  

    • #3
  4. Architectus Coolidge
    Architectus
    @Architectus

    Jon1979 (View Comment):
    Both live streams did note the Trump effigy’s guillotining outside the White House, which was one of those “Imagine the media reaction if (name your Democrat president or presidential nominee) was guillotined by a bunch of rabid right wingers” moments.

    That is a very French approach, but can you imagine if a noose made an appearance?  That would have the benefit of being more in keeping with the Southern Democrat history, though…  

    • #4
  5. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Jon1979 (View Comment):
    Usually the complaints about Trump’s speeches on the Trump-skeptic right (as opposed to the Trump-phobic right) are more that there’s too much energy/riffing and not enough substance, so that was a flip from normal.

    Oh if course. The Never Trump right hate Trump. Just an example of how the people who claim to call balls and strikes always, always have something negative to say about Trump.

    I dont see how anyone claiming to be conservative could vote for Biden after these two conventions.

    • #5
  6. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    I’m going to ‘go out on a limb’ and suggest that those petty Democrats that kept rejecting RNC Convention locations probably regret that now (Ha Ha!).

    That was a fantastic RNC Convention. The organizers and speakers are to be commended. Just great.

    • #6
  7. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    I dont see how anyone claiming to be conservative could vote for Biden after these two conventions.

    That’s easy. You claim to be conservative. Although I agree with the intention of the quote. I don’t see how any conservative could vote for Biden after these two conventions.

    • #7
  8. Giulietta Inactive
    Giulietta
    @giuliettachicago

    There were indeed protests in DC afterwards. Apparently Rand Paul and his wife needed a police escort because they were surrounded by BLM activists. Other attendees like Vernon Jones experienced the same.

    Trump’s speech was a good one that was well-delivered with quick flashes of humor but no flashiness. It was a full-throated defense of law-enforcement, free speech and a fierce condemnation of mob rule. No democrat has come out so bluntly to condemn the ravages of the past few months. Biden issued a pitiful “come together, let’s heal” statement on Kenosha but stopped short of saying how, showing that he simply can’t and won’t speak about the benefits of the police. Well, Trump gave specifics and continues to offer support. I hope the moderates start paying attention. 

    • #8
  9. GrannyDude Member
    GrannyDude
    @GrannyDude

    Honest question—do the protesters actually want to be likened to Robespierre?  Do they not know that the results of all that beheading was not a socialist paradise, but…Napoleon?

    • #9
  10. Songwriter Inactive
    Songwriter
    @user_19450

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Honest question—do the protesters actually want to be likened to Robespierre? Do they not know that the results of all that beheading was not a socialist paradise, but…Napoleon?

    Pretty sure they’re not World History scholars.

    • #10
  11. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Honest question—do the protesters actually want to be likened to Robespierre? Do they not know that the results of all that beheading was not a socialist paradise, but…Napoleon?

    I think many of them know revolutions end in Napoleon, but in their hearts each believes that they are the one with Napoleon’s marshal’s baton in their knapsack.

    • #11
  12. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Honest question—do the protesters actually want to be likened to Robespierre? Do they not know that the results of all that beheading was not a socialist paradise, but…Napoleon?

    Remember, since 2008, and at the very least since Obama’s 2012 win, the far left has been convinced by the media that demographic changes have turned America in a nation at the cusp of the Glorious Revolution. They’re totally certain Trump and his supporters are merely part of an oppressive minority that won by a fluke in 2016 and will be ousted come November. So they have no reason to hide who they are or what they really believe (my question would be if Jeff Bezos and the WaPo are going to continue to be 100% on the Joementum Amtrak special, since the mob was guillotining Jeff’s effigy on Thursday before they chopped Trump’s head off).

    • #12
  13. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Jon1979 (View Comment):

    Both live streams did note the Trump effigy’s guillotining outside the White House, which was one of those “Imagine the media reaction if (name your Democrat president or presidential nominee) was guillotined by a bunch of rabid right wingers” moments.

    You don’t have to imagine it.  Remember when the rodeo clown wore an Obama mask?

     

    • #13
  14. Architectus Coolidge
    Architectus
    @Architectus

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Honest question—do the protesters actually want to be likened to Robespierre? Do they not know that the results of all that beheading was not a socialist paradise, but…Napoleon?

    It really is too bad that historically there already was a party referred to as the Know Nothings, because that would be the best name for the BLM/Antifa/Democrat crowd as they are constituted today.  

    • #14
  15. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Songwriter (View Comment):

    GrannyDude (View Comment):

    Honest question—do the protesters actually want to be likened to Robespierre? Do they not know that the results of all that beheading was not a socialist paradise, but…Napoleon?

    Pretty sure they’re not World History scholars.

    If they used Zinn’s book in high school, they’re certainly ignorant of our history . . .

    • #15
  16. Eleanor Member
    Eleanor
    @Eleanor

    Thank you Jon G for that wrap up. 

    The convention was wonderful; the ending well worth staying up late to see live.

    Thank you Ricochet for the live c-span cast; I do not have the cable (intentionally) except for internet streaming.

    • #16
  17. EJGorman Coolidge
    EJGorman
    @EJGorman

    Terrific, and concise analysis Mr. Gabriel.  Now, can the 45th President do something he’s been mostly unable to do for the next two months?  Be disciplined.  If he can, the media shrieks won’t matter.  Debates being canceled won’t matter.  Discipline will equal being presidential to voters beyond the base.  Here’s hoping what was accomplished the past three nights will be the beginning of the optimistic, sober, and focused campaign of the only party remotely attached to common sense.  Fingers crossed.

    • #17
  18. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    I went to bed after the speech and a couple awesome fireworks. I just watched that opera singer  outstanding! Uplifting. The juxtaposition between that guy in dress singing the Buffalo Springfield retread is hilarious.

    I really do love the Lee Greenwood song but it’s the only thing in the GOP playlist. That was just fantastic!

     

    • #18
  19. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Of course, the main event was President Trump himself. As with Biden, The Donald isn’t famed for stirring oratory. Nevertheless, he rose to the occasion with a well-crafted speech and minimal riffing. Where Biden’s acceptance barely hit 24 minutes, Trump’s clocked in at 70, second in length only to his 2016 convention speech.

    Great wrap up and I largely agree, but this sentence about oratory got me thinking. When was the last time we had a great orator in the White House and to what effect? Maybe I’m getting jaded in my old political age but that’s not much of a concern to me anymore. 
    Obama was supposedly a great orator, but I never got that. Sure he delivered a speech well, and if you didn’t pay to much attention to his haughty delivery, and remembered that his speechwriters spent days crafting and editing, and it was mostly platitudes, empty promises and sly political posturing, they were great speeches. Oh yeah, and because he was a black man was meaningful, until you remember he grew up with his white mother and grandparents in Hawaii and went to the best schools.

    Of course, it’s very important who gives a speech, or perhaps more, the perception of the man who is speaking. 

    I also wish the oppositional focus was more on Democrats in general rather than Joe Biden the candidate. That is, even if Biden was fully competent and had 25 more IQ points he’d still be very bad for America, and that he’s much more the symptom of a failing party than a cause.

    There were several phrases I would have edited or modified. China “owning us” – to me that denigrates our strength as a nation, that China wants Biden for President- leave that to low-level surrogates, and a couple other cringes… Giuliani was a bit unhinged, but so what… Ivanka was just too lovely (wow) and controlled in delivery and she should have broken the Pavlovian applause rhythm. Her pacing encouraged the audience to applaud, which broke continuity and slowed her even more. 

    But I’d give the 4-day convention just short of an A+…an A. Well done!

    • #19
  20. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Franco (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Of course, the main event was President Trump himself. As with Biden, The Donald isn’t famed for stirring oratory. Nevertheless, he rose to the occasion with a well-crafted speech and minimal riffing. Where Biden’s acceptance barely hit 24 minutes, Trump’s clocked in at 70, second in length only to his 2016 convention speech.

    Great wrap up and I largely agree, but this sentence about oratory got me thinking. When was the last time we had a great orator in the White House and to what effect? Maybe I’m getting jaded in my old political age but that’s not much of a concern to me anymore.
    Obama was supposedly a great orator, but I never got that. Sure he delivered a speech well, and if you didn’t pay to much attention to his haughty delivery, and remembered that his speechwriters spent days crafting and editing, and it was mostly platitudes, empty promises and sly political posturing, they were great speeches. Oh yeah, and because he was a black man was meaningful, until you remember he grew up with his white mother and grandparents in Hawaii and went to the best schools.

    Of course, it’s very important who gives a speech, or perhaps more, the perception of the man who is speaking.

    I also wish the oppositional focus was more on Democrats in general rather than Joe Biden the candidate. That is, even if Biden was fully competent and had 25 more IQ points he’d still be very bad for America, and that he’s much more the symptom of a failing party than a cause.

    There were several phrases I would have edited or modified. China “owning us” – to me that denigrates our strength as a nation, that China wants Biden for President- leave that to low-level surrogates, and a couple other cringes… Giuliani was a bit unhinged, but so what… Ivanka was just too lovely (wow) and controlled in delivery and she should have broken the Pavlovian applause rhythm. Her pacing encouraged the audience to applaud, which broke continuity and slowed her even more.

    But I’d give the 4-day convention just short of an A+…an A. Well done!

    I thought Giuliani’s delivery showed a strong but controlled emotion. He was angry that all the effort he had put into “his” city was being destroyed in just a few short months. I would have liked to seen that kind of emotion from the President.

    • #20
  21. Brian Watt Inactive
    Brian Watt
    @BrianWatt

    I was up late last night after the President’s speech to watch the thuggery and violence of the fascist “protesters” just outside the White House as the RNC guests and delegates were swarmed as they walked back to their hotels or other ways to get home. I’m not sure why there was such a diminished security presence but that should be looked into.

    Several people were surrounded and screamed at or pushed and shoved. One elderly man was shoved to the ground and at one point Senator Rand Paul and his wife and two other women were surrounded by a mob of at least one hundred raving idiots and initially only two policemen stood next to them for their protection. After about 20 minutes more police officers, some with bicycles showed up and established a barrier and got them to safety as the crowd pushed and shoved police in the process. 

    There are so many flash points that could spark a civil war in this country and beating or perhaps even killing a sitting US senator (who had already been attacked by an unhinged neighbor in Kentucky) and his wife might certainly be one of them.

    Over 2 million firearms have been sold to people who have never owned a gun this year. That is a kind of poll that polling organizations don’t track but my guess is that every one of those purchases represents a Trump voter or perhaps two Trump voters if the purchasers are married. 

    There are more demonstrations scheduled for today. For some strange reason, I received an email from the Leftist group Change.org this morning about racial injustice. Not sure how I got on their list. I’m tempted to send them a very colorful response. According to the email, more crowds will descend on D.C. this morning and in the coming days. Hopefully DHS is ready to protect the nation’s capital because the Democrat mayor has shown she’s incapable of doing so.

    Amidst President Trump’s message of hope and the message of other RNC speakers to call for peace, Americans who love their country should also think about preparing to save their country if this violence gets even worse than it already has. I’ll be perusing gun dealer websites and local gun dealers in my area today and in the coming days.

    • #21
  22. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    cdor (View Comment):
    I thought Giuliani’s delivery showed a strong but controlled emotion. He was angry that all the effort he had put into “his” city was being destroyed in just a few short months. I would have liked to seen that kind of emotion from the President.

    Yes, I felt that too. He definitely had a right to be angry. However I think Trump expressing that kind of emotion would scare people, and it would simultaneously make him look weak, it would look like they’ve gotten under his skin.

    I believe Trump is angry when you can hear him breathing. I could be wrong, it’s just a theory. 

    • #22
  23. DrewInWisconsin, Doormat Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Doormat
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Jon1979 (View Comment):
    (with a little Hatch Act snark thrown in by Jay Nordlinger)

    Of course. Cities burn, the country is coming apart and the Nevers are all yelling “Hatch Act!”

    Useless morons. Nordlinger included. They should all go back to selling apples on street corners. At least then they’d be doing something worthwhile and earning an honest living.

     

    • #23
  24. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Franco (View Comment):

    cdor (View Comment):
    I thought Giuliani’s delivery showed a strong but controlled emotion. He was angry that all the effort he had put into “his” city was being destroyed in just a few short months. I would have liked to seen that kind of emotion from the President.

    Yes, I felt that too. He definitely had a right to be angry. However I think Trump expressing that kind of emotion would scare people, and it would simultaneously make him look weak, it would look like they’ve gotten under his skin.

    I believe Trump is angry when you can hear him breathing. I could be wrong, it’s just a theory.

    Yea but…don’t you feel that he has become monotone while delivering speeches, especially this one. He needs some peaks and valleys and crescendos. But that’s just the picky stuff of little importance.

    • #24
  25. Brian Watt Inactive
    Brian Watt
    @BrianWatt

    • #25
  26. DrewInWisconsin, Doormat Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Doormat
    @DrewInWisconsin

    cdor (View Comment):

    Yea but…don’t you feel that he has become monotone while delivering speeches, especially this one. He needs some peaks and valleys and crescendos. But that’s just the picky stuff of little importance.

    ’Hant likes this foodie on YouTube that talks in a constant sing-songy peak/valley cadence that drives me absolutely bonkers. Listening to it is like a form of mental torture.

    • #26
  27. DrewInWisconsin, Doormat Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Doormat
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Shouting “Breonna Taylor!” at Rand Paul as if to shame him makes no sense. Do these idiots know about his “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act“? Well, of course they don’t. Because the media they consume doesn’t want them to know.

    • #27
  28. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    cdor (View Comment):
    Yea but…don’t you feel that he has become monotone while delivering speeches, especially this one. He needs some peaks and valleys and crescendos. But that’s just the picky stuff of little importance.

    Yes. I agree. I think he may be trying to avoid going into full “rally” mode sometimes. But there are  other ways of making speeches. 
    But he’s more the doer than the talker anyway…

    • #28
  29. Brian Watt Inactive
    Brian Watt
    @BrianWatt

    • #29
  30. Matt Bartle Member
    Matt Bartle
    @MattBartle

    I may be in the minority here but I wasn’t a big fan of night 4.

    • A couple of times speakers used the phrase “the murder of George Floyd”. I know they’re trying to attract more blacks to vote Republican, but this is giving in to the narrative, and presuming the guilt of the officers involved.
    • One harrowing story is enough. Ann Dorn was very good and was given a long time to speak. But bringing out the parents of Kayla Mueller seemed like piling on the misery, and we don’t know the whole story of what Obama did or didn’t do. Saying that if Trump had been President she would still be alive is just too much to claim. We can’t know that. It’s not responsible to say that.
    • Ivanka went on way too long.
    • Trump went on way too long. I admire that he can do it, but speaking that long is a lot to ask of listeners, especially for those who were already up past their normal bedtime.

    I think toward the end Trump was getting wistful. I think he loves the job and wants to keep it, but knows it might end in Jan. It felt to me like he wondered if he would ever get this setting, this audience again, and couldn’t bear to let it end. He tried to do too much.

     

    • #30
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