Good News for Democrats: Trump's Bad Speech Wrecked the Republican Convention | Washington Monthly
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
On Thursday, July 18, I felt more hopeful than I have in months about the future of this country. Actually, I should say on Friday, July 19, because Donald Trump's horrible 93-minute speech—which literally put some Trump-loving delegates to sleep—didn't end until after midnight.
Trump shattered his own record—76 minutes—for the longest acceptance speech in the history of conventions. He made Fidel Castro look like e.e. Cummings.
But the length was the least of it. Trump had a good thing going in the first 25 minutes or so. His story of the shooting was vivid and gripping, though I didn't believe him when he said it's the last time he'll tell it. I didn't like him kissing the dead man's helmet, but I had to concede that it was a moving moment.
If Trump had stopped there—with "The discord and division must be healed,"; "We rise together, or we fall apart"; and "There is no victory in winning for half of America"—he would have been in tune with his well-managed convention and in a commanding position to win the election and destroy America.
But just then, God intervened and sent Trump back to his petty, divisive, and no longer entertaining rally speech. It might be red meat for the base, but the independent women in the suburbs who have abandoned Biden and tuned in to see if they could stomach Trump, um, they don't actually like red meat that much. If they aren't vegetarians, they aren't caveman carnivores, either. They remember that Nancy Pelosi's husband was attacked, too, and didn't have a lot of use for "crazy Nancy Pelosi," "witch hunts," "DeFace the Nation," "the late great Hannibal Lecter," and Trump's other moldy oldies.
Voters who aren't worried about threats to democracy have to ask themselves if they're cool with chaos. Do they want to see Trump's mug for another four years at State of the Union addresses? Do they want to see the leader of the United Auto Workers "fired immediately"? Do they want to ban all Chinese imports into the United States, including a lot of the clothes they wear and appliances they use? (And pay more than $2,000 a year for his trade policy?) Do they believe that "there has never been an invasion like this" at the border? My own sense is that swing voters might be quite open to the argument that Trump had a chance to join with Joe Biden and conservative senators to actually address the problem and backed out for crass political reasons.
Trump is so undisciplined that he couldn't help slamming Biden after he promised everyone he wouldn't, and he knows perfectly well that Biden is unlikely to be his opponent. "If you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States, they will not have done the damage that Biden has done," said the man whom historians unanimously rated the worst president since the founding of the republic—behind James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson.
About 40 minutes in, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. It had been a good day, as the leadership of the Democratic Party moved en masse against Biden staying in the race.
By 75 minutes in, with another 20 to go (Yay! I wanted him to go for three or four hours), I was thinking that if Democrats can get it together and make this a campaign about the future, they can win comfortably and put the horrifying Trump Era in the rearview mirror.
For those of you like my wife, Emily, who could not bear to watch—yes, Trump's speech was that bad—it essentially broke the spell that his near-assassination had cast. It's true that the iconic bloody photograph will continue to have power, and the raised fist and defiant "Fight! Fight! Fight!" chants—however fascistic to my ears—will help whip up enthusiasm in the Trump base.
But the effect will wear off. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in Milwaukee, just a mile from where the GOP Convention took place. The assassin's bullet went through Roosevelt's eyeglass case and the text of a 50-page speech (TR was long-winded, too, but not as bad as Trump) and lodged in his chest. Because he didn't cough up blood, the former president finished his speech before receiving medical attention.
Roosevelt, too, was attempting a comeback four years after he left the presidency—in his case, voluntarily. He was the popular candidate of the Progressive "Bull Moose" Party, and many of his supporters believed his life had been spared by divine providence.
Here's how the story ends: The shooting took place less than three weeks before the election. By the time Americans went to the polls, it was old news, and Roosevelt finished 14 points behind the winner, Woodrow Wilson.
The reason I have a spring in my step is that I believe Kamala Harris, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Witmer, or just about anyone else can whip Donald Trump in November. He's old, nutty, and has no ideas for the country. Thank God.
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Trump's speech was AWFUL!
trump's disjointed and rambling 93 minute unity speech created disunity in the GOP. gee, that's too bad...
It was his typical unhinged 90 minute or so rally rant
with some variations
Trump is awful. The GOP has lost its collective mind by casting aside decent human beings in the primary who were younger, experienced, grounded and normal to select this scoundrel as their nominee.
I suspect if the candidate was either DeSantis or Haley, you would be saying the exact same things about them. Don't forget that Trump is just a figurehead and has limited powers. It's up to Congress to agree or disagree with what he might want to do.
How dare you Sir! trump is all powerful, it is only democrats that can't do anything because the mean old republicans stop them.
I would have given Nikki Haley a chance but the GOP blew it
I am sick of your constant absurd presumption about me. You seem unable to realize that there are people who do not make their decisions based strictly on party affiliation. It seems that to you, one either votes D or R and the specific characteristics and intent of the candidate are irrelevant.
That is not reality, Greg. I know other GOP members on this site understand that I was financially supporting Haley and was happy to vote for her for PotUS. Prior to that, I was hoping for Chris Sununu to run. He would have had my vote. Although both have since endorsed Trump and thus have lost severe credibility in my eyes, I would have absolutely voted for either had they won the GOP primary.
You do not know what you are talking about regarding my voting strategy and no matter how clear I have been for over a year now, the fact that you still post utter crap like @1.2.1 shows that it will likely never sink in. Reality is not merely black or white (or red v. blue).
The PotUS is substantially more than a figurehead; what an utterly naive comment.
Yet, all those "decent human beings" kissed Trump's ring and got in line behind him...
Or, they are just being opportunistic pols!
Not all of them JBB.
And they are all decent human beings compared to Trump (which, of course, is the person to which I compared them).
And those who endorse Trump are, by definition, being opportunistic politicians.
Easily triggered I see. And I don't really care what you think.
Take your concerns to the RA.
Wait, are you serious? How is calling you by your name a personal attack?
It is up to you to fix your failure to pay attention or to view all things political through a purely partisan lens.
I am still trying to imagine, how indecent their decency could be in comparison with Trump's?
The gop of today is not your Pop's GOP!
True. Not even close.
Nor should it be...
I think you might have that backwards...
The GOP of every prior Republican PotUS would never have nominated a proven scoundrel who tried to steal a presidential election with fraud, coercion, lying, and incitement.
Politicians used to be discarded for relatively minor character flaws; this ‘GOP’ has become a cult where their fictionalized leader can and has done no wrong.
The disintegrity of the ‘GOP’ is off the charts.
You do not realize this??
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the republican party is now extinct...
I would say that it is the GOP in name only at this point.
What is remarkable is how many do not recognize this and blindly remain loyal simply due to the name regardless of what the party now stands for.
they've been flirting with fascist variations for the better part of a century and have finally jumped into bed with it.
What policies or legislation from 1925 - 2020 do you consider fascist?
They are always awful, that's why I never watch them. I suspect most sane Republicans did likewise. Can't understand why some lefties sit and watch his long-winded blathering. Puts normal people to sleep. But his rant was effectively balanced out by the breadth and depth of the speeches overall. Very good convention, the Republicans are starting to pull together.
Wonder if we'll see such unity during the Dem disaster coming in a few weeks
If trump stood there and babbled for 90 minutes and shit his pants you would say what a great job he did.
comment of the day
Trump stayed true to form.
he unified the country for 5 minutes, and then defaulted to the unfinished pennsylvania pep rally speech for moronic sycophants.
It was his usual 90-minute rally rant with some variations
Reviews Are In - Worst Acceptance Speech Ever!
Can we see those results?
anything but left wing loon sources
please.