The Republican Party is having a series of adventures putting its national convention together. One major obstacle is now out of the way: Republicans now have physical access to the arena where the convention will be held, thanks to the NBA finals drawing to a close. That means a tight timeline for setting up a stage and the appropriately classy and luxurious patriotic trappings, but at least Republicans know what they’re working with on that front. They face other challenges, though:
The convention’s host committee is short of its $64 million fund-raising goal. Shortly after Mr. Trump became the presumptive nominee in April, one major sponsor rescinded on a contribution of about $1 million. Though the committee said it had since made up that amount and more, it still had to collect $7 million, as of last week. [...]
As for the convention program, the lineup of speakers is still very fluid. During meetings last week, staff members for the Trump campaign and the national committee sat down to draft a wish list of celebrities and prominent political figures they would contact. They broke it down into ones Mr. Trump should call himself (Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice, for example) and those who would be left for aides to handle (Kenny Rogers, Jack Nicklaus and Diamond and Silk, the African-American sisters who gained notice after making YouTube videos praising Mr. Trump), convention planners said.
Can’t you just picture Condoleezza Rice reading that she’s going to be getting a call from Donald Trump and starting to screen her calls? Even if she’s a loyal enough Republican to put her reputation on the line for Trump, what are the chances Trump makes it through that phone call without saying something really creepy to her?
Also, Kenny Rogers, Jack Nicklaus, and Diamond and Silk. What a lineup of ultra-hot celebrity names Republicans have got there! Please tell me at least one of them will share the stage with Clint Eastwood’s chair. Shoot, at this rate maybe the chair should have its own spot in the lineup.