Now that Democrats and Republicans select their candidates for president via primaries rather than back-room deals among delegates handpicked by party leaders, the entire point of a national convention is to sell your newly minted presidential candidate to voters. In a dramatic reversal of intentions, however, Gallup shows that this year’s Republican convention actually did the opposite: A majority of respondents said that the GOP spectacle made them less likely to vote for Donald Trump. Far fewer said they were more likely to vote for Trump.
As a result, this is the first convention ever recorded where the net effect was negative—see the red bar descending down at the far right of the figure above. Congratulations, Mr. Trump! You’ve set a record!