I’m taking a break from my series on Republican chaos and infighting in swing states, because the Republican National Perloo and Tribefest is too juicy to pass up. Back to North Carolina next Thursday.
The New Republic: Fearing “Chaos,” Republicans Dread Trump’s RNC Performance
As dawn breaks on Lara Trump’s Republican National Convention, not every GOP lawmaker is feeling entirely confident in Donald Trump’s ability not to alienate voters.
Really? Do tell.
Even Donald Trump’s close allies worry he will go too far off script.
I am reminded of the moral to a James Thurber fable, The Bear Who Let It Alone.
Moral: You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backward.
But please proceed, Republicans.
Before
TNR continued.
Before the assassination attempt against Trump Saturday, Raw Story asked several Republican lawmakers what they were hoping to get from the convention this week. In many ways, their milquetoast answers stood in sharp contrast to the chaotic candidate they’ve come to back.
“You know, people want stability. They’re tired of chaos and the loud noises on both sides. So if our side and President Trump can communicate stability and a moderating theme, that’s what we want. Let these other guys blow it.”
“I always try to recommend it, at the least in our area in Omaha, the Midwest—we’re called ‘Nebraska nice’ for a reason,” said Bacon. “I just say in our district, people want governance, conservative governance but decency. And that’s what we want to communicate.
As if.
Raw Story [paywalled]: Exclusive: Failed VP pick Rubio and angsty GOPers nervous Trump will mess up convention
Also TNR:
Trump’s Fake Electors Will Be Front and Center at RNC
The Republican Party is revealing exactly what it stands for by giving Donald Trump’s fake electors [from AZ and MI] a crucial role this convention.
AP, posted on DK: What to watch as Republican National Convention kicks off after assassination attempt
The theme for Monday’s program is “Make America Wealthy Once Again,” according to Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee. Focusing on economics not only makes sense because it can be a key issue for swing voters, but it’s an area where Trump might have an edge over Biden when it comes to voter views on job creation and cost of living.
👆👆😂😂👆👆
Also AP on DK: Deeply Democratic Milwaukee wrestles with hosting Trump and the RNC
Republicans say staging the convention in Milwaukee will energize their base. While the city itself is Democratic, the outlying suburbs are a battleground within a battleground state. Once deeply red, Democrats have made inroads since 2016 as suburban women, in particular, drift away from Trump and the conservative agenda.
DRIFT??!!?
How adamant are some people about not voting for Trump? Just listen to their responses!
And just how adamant were they? Very adamant.
Middle-aged Black woman: “I’d vote for two dead flies with the wings pulled off over Trump. I’d vote for Darth Vader over Trump. That’s how I feel about it . That man is going to be the ruination of this country, He’ll be the ruination of this world.”
Young Black woman: “My option is Joe Biden — old or not. I don’t care if he’s in a %$%@%% casket — dead. I’m still going to vote for him.”
Older while male: “If it’s a Biden and Trump race then I would vote for Biden even if he was dead. I’m a Republican.”
C-SPAN
You can watch as many RNC speeches as you can stand on C-SPAN, on their own site or on YouTube. I watched only until they each gave the game away.
I don’t recommend watching the whole meshugas, any more than I would want to be a reporter on this beat.
They also provide transcripts of the speeches later on.
Campaign 2024
Republican National Convention, Day 1, Afternoon Session
Republican National Convention, Day 1, Evening Session
Republican National Convention, Day 2 Review
Republican National Convention, Day 3 Review
Republican National Convention, Day 4 Preview
RNC Convention Speakers, links for all 4 days, recorded or scheduled. As I was writing this yesterday, Day 4 had not been filled in.
Too Trumpy, or Not Trumpy Enough?
This 'rap' video is the most horrific thing you'll see at the RNC
Trump Trump Baby - Forgiato Blow Co-Starring Amber Rose "Official Video"
YMMV. The competition is stiff.
Too many to list here, but I will take note of these. Not all of them have spoken yet.
- Charlie Kirk, Founder, Turning Point USA
Young people are idealists. They have seen the vision of the Biden-Harris regime. That vision is, you'll own nothing, and be happy. The American Dream has become a luxury item for the wealthy elite.
No homes, no cars, no marriage, no children.
The New Yorker: Tom Cotton Probably Hopes You Already Forgot His Convention Speech
Last night, at the opening of the Republican National Convention, in Cleveland, Tom Cotton gave the most intelligent and the most forgettable speech of the evening.
- U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)
- U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
- U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)
Sen. Tim Scott to RNC: There's no racism in America except sometimes
by Walter Einenkel
Daily Kos Staff
- U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)
A Washington Post analysis described the Texas Republican’s rhetoric as “grotesque.”
Cruz claimed not only that Democrats were encouraging immigration to gain power, but that they were callously sacrificing children to do so. What can you say about that? You can say it’s false. You can say it’s toxic. You can say it’s opportunistic or cynical or a degradation. But none of this really captures it. It doesn’t capture Cruz, standing on a stage at the convention, speaking on a night in which his party was purportedly demonstrating its commitment to safety, accusing his political opponents of letting boys and girls be murdered so that they can get a few more votes in some House races.
- U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Rachel Maddow said on air that she couldn’t believe it.
- U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake (R-AZ)
Went on about “Fake News” reporters at the convention.
- U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-4)
- U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (LA-1)
- U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), House GOP Conference Chair
- U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-1)
Under Trump we were richer, inflation was low, and there were two genders.
- U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14)-
- U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13)
I served a President who took a bullet for his country.
- Gov. Jim Justice and his bulldog Babydog
We would become totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected.
- Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR)
- Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL)
- Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND)
Who will make America energy dominant?
Fuggedaboudit, is all I can say.
Watch Kristi Noem brag about doing absolutely nothing to stop COVID
America needs a President who will secure our border.
...and not kill a border deal to avoid scoring for the other side.
- Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA)
- Dr. Ben Carson, Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
We've made enormous progress without DEI
- Kellyanne Conway, Former Counselor to President Donald J. Trump
You don´t get those policies without that personality.
Hey! That's actually true!
Kellyanne Conway tells Republicans to talk about abortion—but not this week
- Kimberley Guilfoyle, Trump Campaign Advisor
The beauty of life itself transcends all hatred.
That one went right by me. I won´t even try.
- Peter Navarro, Former Director of United States Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy
Yeah, he just got out of prison.
If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful, 'cause they can come for you.
- Mike Pompeo, Former U.S. Secretary of State
- Newt Gingrich, Former U.S House Speaker
Rudy? No.
The Man Who Would Be VP
Rachel Maddow exposes the real reason JD Vance was chosen to be Trump's running mate
Rachel Maddow reviews the remarkably sparse qualifications J.D. Vance offers both as a campaign partner and as a potential vice president (and even a senator), and points out Vance's interest in changing the American system of government, which is the qualification that most appeals to Donald Trump, confident of a win.
He became a protogé of a prominent right-wing billionaire, Peter Thiel.
A mole hunt, a secret website and Peter Thiel’s big risk: How J.D. Vance won his primary
While Vance’s rivals took the conventional route and funneled millions of dollars into TV commercials, Vance mostly outsourced his advertising to the Thiel-funded super PAC, instead focusing on winning free media attention from conservative outlets.
As the primary got underway, the super PAC took on the responsibilities typically overseen by campaigns: It built out an extensive data operation, sent text messages to supporters encouraging them to attend Vance’s events, and hosted tele-town hall events the candidate participated in. But the most striking maneuver was one that wasn’t mentioned in the memo.
The site — housed on the publishing platform Medium under the username @protectohiovaluesforms — allowed the super PAC to publicly convey information to the Vance campaign without breaking federal laws prohibiting coordination between big-spending outside groups and campaigns. By accessing the website, the lesser-funded Vance campaign was able to capitalize on the resources of the Thiel-funded super PAC.
The billionaire who fueled JD Vance's rapid rise to the Trump VP spot — analysis
In the 2022 campaign, Thiel made $15 million in donations to Vance's SuperPAC, Protect Ohio Values, a staggering amount from a single individual for a Senate race, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan group that tracks the influence of money on politics. But that wasn't all. Thiel also steered at least $200,000 to Vance's super PAC from a group he controlled called Per Aspera Policy, according to the Kansas City Star and OpenSecrets. Per Aspera is a dark money nonprofit, which means that its spending is used to influence elections, but it is not required to disclose its donors. In the same cycle, Vance's super PAC also received hundreds of thousands in contributions from the Mercer, Uihlein and Lindner families, all staples of mega-conservative political giving in recent years.
It is not entirely clear what Thiel may have wanted in exchange for his largesse. (Thiel declined comment for this story.) Thiel's philosophy has been described as "techno-libertarian," but critics say it veers toward authoritarianism, and even fascism (he wrote in an article in a libertarian journal in 2009, "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible").
A co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, and an early investor in Facebook, Thiel also has business interests with the U.S. government, which may be especially important at a time when the tech sector is under intense scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans. Whether his goals are ideological or financial, government watchdogs are watching closely.
Above the Law: JD Vance'e Yale Law School Classmates Trying To Derail His Political Career
It's not flattering to the GOP pick for Vice President.
Sigh. So Yale Law School’s own J.D. Vance was selected as Donald Trump’s running mate yesterday. It’s a victory for ass-kissers everywhere, and those who haven’t spent the last few years writing about the very junior senator from Ohio are trying to figure out what the maybe vice president is all about.
Josh McLaurin, a Georgia state senator, was actually Vance’s roommate in law school, and they famously remained in contact after graduation. He posted on social media saying that Vance is “angry and vindictive” and a “perfect fit for Trump’s revenge.”
J.D. Vance: `We're effectively run in this country ... by childless cat ladies who are miserable'
In August 2021, when he was running in the GOP Senate primary in Ohio, Vance said in an interview with then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson
ProPublica: In Private Speech, J.D. Vance Said the “Devil Is Real” and Praised Alex Jones as a Truth-Teller
Vance gave the speech to the secretive Teneo Network. The GOP vice presidential nominee has been a member of the Leonard Leo-backed group, which seeks to cultivate conservative influence in business and culture.
Who is JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance?
Vance completed multiple clerkships after her graduation from Yale, according to an Axios report, including for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
She would later work for Munger, Tolles & Olson, a California law firm that described its culture as "radically progressive," the report notes.
Vance has also worked to defend the University of California against allegations it violated Title IX and the Walt Disney Company against claims of copyright infringement.
She has Indian immigrant Hindu parents, and is still a Hindu herself.
NYT [NOT paywalled]: From Yale to Newsmax, Usha Vance Has Helped J.D. Vance Chart His Path
The Ohio Senate candidate’s wife, an accomplished lawyer, remains ensconced in the milieu he now rails against.
The Platforms
I have been and will be writing about them all elsewhere on DK:
- Heritage’s Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership
- Trump’s Agenda 47
- The Party Platform
- The Trump Loyalist database
- The secret but leaked parts of the plan
- The continuing chaos and infighting
Today I am covering news about them from the convention itself.
Tony Perkins Calls GOP Platform Process ‘Despicable,’ Slams Chair Marsha Blackburn’s ‘Unbelievable’
The language rammed through the platform committee is purposefully vague on issues like abortion and marriage. That way, the Trump campaign can send two different messages. Religious-right leaders loyal to the campaign can put the strongest anti-abortion spin on the language, while the campaign encourages headlines about a new “moderate” position to appeal to the majority of voters who don’t share the religious right’s anti-choice and anti-equality obsessions.
Republican official says it out loud: our platform includes a national abortion ban
Republicans removed language about banning abortion from their platform in an attempt appear less radical. While this was intended to appease moderate voters, it infuriated evangelicals. But Ed Martin, one of the top three on the 2024 Republican National Convention’s Committee on the Platform, has assured his audience on his Pro America Report radio show that, yes, the platform really does call for a national ban on abortion.
Punditology
Trae Crowder on J.D. Vance
Liberal Redneck - JD Vance Ain't It
Democratic and Never-Trumper Responses
Bus Ads Will Blast Trump, Promote Biden During Republican Convention
57 MCTS buses will become rolling billboards for Democratic ads during the RNC.
Tale of the Tape
Trump: Convicted felon
Trump: Overturned Roe v. Wade
Trump 80K Badger State jobs lost on his watch
The Heritage Foundation's 2025 Song (We Don't Think We'll Have to Kill You)
After hearing Kevin Roberts of the right-wing think tank "The Heritage Foundation" talk about their "Project 2025" plans for America, Mangy Fetlocks feared they might have a public relations problem resulting from Americans' failure to grasp just how good Project 2025 will be for them, so Mangy Fetlocks decided a fun song to explain it might be helpful. Lyrics below:
/s
Production Note
The DK story Editor threw away my entire draft right in the middle, except for my title and tags. Well, it won’t be any harder to find my sources a second time. I took a piece of advice from the Gerald Weinberg classic, The Psychology of Computer Programming, to stop and have a cup of coffee before deciding how to respond to such an emergency.
Coffee makes the world go around,
The world go around,
The world go around.
Coffee makes the world go around,
It makes the world go round.
Buy beans green and roast a whole pound,
The grinder goes round,
The grinder goes round…
That sipping, slurping sound—
That makes the world go round!
Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee…
With real cream, please, and a good grate of nutmeg.
Aaaaah.
I feel much better now.
Right, back to work! These paskudnyaks won’t point and laugh at themselves.
Hey!
The DK Story Editor tried to throw my story away again. Well, this time I had copied and pasted the draft that it wouldn’t save, so I have most of my work, minus embedded tweets.