Republican Nat'l Convention open thread #2

Women view anti-FDR sign on car during the 1936 Republican Convention in in Cleveland, then the nation's sixth largest city.

The last time the Republicans held their national convention in Cleveland was 1936, 80 summers ago. But many of the ideas they’re offering up this year are older than that.

Alf Landon won the presidential nomination and Frank Knox was picked for the vice presidential slot. 

Stick with our continuing coverage of this freakshow of fighting and fuzzy-mindedness, and offer up your own analysis below. Even though you may be choking with uncontrollable laughter half the time, take care not to spill your drinks or caramel corn in the comment thread.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:49:58 AM +00:00 · kos

Picture this: two special ops guys essentially hawking their Benghazi book, telling the story about what happened this night. Now, they’ve likely told this story, so you expect it to be tight, concise, and engaging. Of course, it’s none of that. It’s a rambling mess, full of irrelevant info (“that’s when the fourth mortar hit”), lame attempts at humor, and macho braggadocio (“I pumped three rounds into him and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.” “If I’m going out, I’m going to go out in a blaze of glory!” Audience: “woo!”). 

And then picture that the story never ends. It. Never. ends. It keeps going on going. A round-by-round exposition. The audience appears bored, clapping half-assedly at the awkward applause pauses. And as I type this, I realize, “holy shit, this thing will NEVER end!” And it won’t. Ever. 

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:50:51 AM +00:00 · Laura Clawson

Dana Bash just asked Scott Baio if he regrets calling Hillary a c*nt. He has no regrets.

— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) July 19, 2016

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:50:51 AM +00:00 · kos

The Benghazi movie didn’t last as long as these guys.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:51:31 AM +00:00 · Meteor Blades

What was the outcome of the investigations of 20 terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies/consulates resulting in 66 deaths during G.W. Bush’s presidency? Oh. Yeah. No such investigations. 

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:53:43 AM +00:00 · Laura Clawson

These Benghazi guys are really underscoring the point that this convention is disorganized and under-rehearsed. If the Republican Party had its act together to do anything beyond quashing the Never-Trumpers, these guys would have been rehearsed and edited down to about three minutes.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:53:48 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Donald Trump now saying on Fox that the convention is in Ohio because that's where he wanted it to be.

— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) July 19, 2016

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:55:24 AM +00:00 · kos

So the special ops is, for some reason, describing the ambassador’s autopsy report. “There were no signs of mutilation, he died of smoke inhalation.” And the audience claps. 

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:57:16 AM +00:00 · kos

For the record, the timing for the Cleveland convention:

On April 2, 2014, the Republican National Committee announced that Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City and Las Vegas were the finalists for hosting the convention.^[9] In late June 2014, Cleveland and Dallas were announced as the final two contenders to be the host city.^[10] Cleveland was selected on July 8, 2014.^[11]

Why the fuck would Trump claim that he had any say in the location of the convention TWO fucking years ago?

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:57:21 AM +00:00 · Laura Clawson

Apparently Benghazi has become a four-letter word for the left but it’s not about politics. This is the segue to the Trump pitch. 

I can’t speak for the entire left, but I think President Obama did in 2012 with three words: “Please proceed, governor.”

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 12:59:03 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

The video update tells us that we’re now in the immigration portion of the night. It might not have as many gory details as the Benghazi part, but I wouldn’t take any bets.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:03:57 AM +00:00 · Laura Clawson

Next up, soap opera actor Antonio Not-a-Latino Sabato Jr. knows what socialism looks like and doesn’t want it for his children.

(Actual New York Times correction: “An earlier version of this article incorrectly included the actor and model Antonio Sabato Jr. among Hispanics speaking at the Republican National Convention. Mr. Sabato is a native of Italy; he is not Hispanic.”

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:07:30 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Grisly crowd of delegates there. They love their blood and guts.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:08:18 AM +00:00 · Meteor Blades

A piece of me would rather hear 10 more blood-and-guts stories than any more paragraphs from Chris Matthews.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:12:38 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

When Trump is elected, we'll only die from being hit by CITIZEN drunk drivers

— Doktor Zoom (@DoktorZoom) July 19, 2016

 

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:14:26 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Wheh. Republicans feeling better now. For a moment there they had to think about someone being killed because he was black. Made their little head-cogs turn backwards.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:14:28 AM +00:00 · kos

So lots of blood and death and gory details.  The first could’ve been a story about the scourge of DUI, or about those damn "illegals". Guess which it was?

The second could’ve been a story about the scourge of guns, or about those damn “illegals”. Guess which it was?

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:17:22 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

So, Texas. You elected this guy. This guy who not only is okay with being at this convention, but says “Trump was sent from God.” Texas, we have a problem.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:20:20 AM +00:00 · kos

In case you were jonesing for someone to articulate the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have purposefully weakened America so that terrorists can take over, you’re in luck! Rep. Michael McCaul, chair of the Homeland Security committee, delivered!

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:21:41 AM +00:00 · Meteor Blades

Sabine Durden accuses Black Lives Matter of failing to use a time machine to travel back to 2012, a year before the group was founded, to protest her son’s death.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:22:15 AM +00:00 · kos

McCaul asks: "Is America still respected?” Crowd answers, “NOOO!” Reality:

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:28:47 AM +00:00 · Meteor Blades

I hate these cop uniforms that make the top brass look like they have offices in the Pentagon.

Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016 · 1:29:46 AM +00:00 · Laura Clawson

New thread here.