RNC Day 1: The important, the interesting, and the ugly

The important

A brief moment of chaos erupted on the Republican National Convention floor when “Never Trump” Republicans demanded a roll call vote, meaning each state would cast aloud their preferred nominee for the party’s nomination. The arena erupted into competing chanting “roll call vote” to others shouting “Trump! Trump!” While a roll call vote likely wouldn’t have changed Trump’s path to the Republican nomination, it would have delayed the opening day’s proceedings significantly, not to mention embarrass Trump when particular states cast aloud their preference for a different nominee. The petition was soon quashed by the chair, paving the way for a Trump ticket come November.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-J5eZifEA

While several big-name Republicans opted not to show up for the convention, including George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, the first night’s speakers included an odd variety of TV celebrities such as Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson and Charles in Charge (remember that show?) lead Scott Baio. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani also took the stage, as did Donald Trump’s wife, Melania.

Trump is expected to speak on Thursday. A campaign aide said Trump’s acceptance speech would be heavily inspired by Richard Nixon’s 1968 acceptance speech. Nearly 50 years ago, Nixon said: “The American Revolution was and is dedicated to progress, but our founders recognized that the first requisite of progress is order.”

Nixon also said then: “And to those who say that law and order is the code word for racism, there and here is a reply: Our goal is justice for every American. If we are to have respect for law in America, we must have laws that deserve respect.”

The interesting

With Ohio polls now neck-and-neck, Clinton opted not to let Trump have the important swing state to himself this week. On Monday morning, Clinton spoke in Cincinnati at the annual convention for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The African-American civil rights organization reportedly invited Trump to speak at the convention as well, but the presumptive Republican nominee declined.

White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers that you face every day.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 18, 2016

On a week that was supposed to seal the deal for Trump as the Republican nominee, the ghostwriter of Trump’s bestselling book The Art of the Deal, Tony Schwartz, spoke out against Trump in a lengthy New Yorker article, calling Trump a “sociopath” and that “lying is second nature to him.” In his response for the article, Trump said: “He didn’t write the book. I wrote the book. I wrote the book. It was my book. And it was a No. 1 bestseller.”

 

The ugly

Rest assured, many of the attendees at the Republican convention won’t be voting for Hillary Clinton in November. That said, the buttons being sold in Cleveland won’t do much in the way of building bridges—be it domestically or abroad.

A selection of pro-GOP buttons being sold on the streets outside #RNCinCLE pic.twitter.com/Q4jFajy5uo

— Kristina Webb (@KristinaWebb) July 18, 2016

The Trumpreneurs are out in full force in downtown Cleveland, peddling some derogatory anti-Hillary buttons. pic.twitter.com/aE8ppf9eHH

— Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) July 18, 2016

But it’s not as bad as this mistake inside the arena:

https://twitter.com/ByronTau/status/754357522207604737?ref_src=twsrc^tfw