Republican National Convention **live commentary thread**

[Woody]

I love how the DNC had celebrities like Eva Longoria as speakers while our convention is filled with regular, everyday Americans like the McCloskeys, the Covington kid, and Alice Marie Johnson.

Don't forget that the DNC had murderer & torturer Donna Hylton speak on their behalf.

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

The roll call was so dull.

[KaiserDave]

Yawn

[WD]

Yeah, this is garbage

[Gass3268]

Its only the morning of day one and Trump has already talked twice as long as Biden did for the entire DNC.

[brucejoel99]

If anybody else is curious, Iowa cast all 40 of its delegate votes for Trump, so the 1 Weld delegate - whoever they are - chose to fall in line instead of abstain.

[Rand]

Trump seems quite low energy today.

Going through the motions; any energy expended at the point will be wasted.

[Mr. Morden]

If anybody else is curious, Iowa cast all 40 of its delegate votes for Trump, so the 1 Weld delegate - whoever they are - chose to fall in line instead of abstain.

I think that was automatic:

https://twitter.com/FHQ/status/1297913584924741635

[brucejoel99]

If anybody else is curious, Iowa cast all 40 of its delegate votes for Trump, so the 1 Weld delegate - whoever they are - chose to fall in line instead of abstain.

I think that was automatic:

https://twitter.com/FHQ/status/1297913584924741635

Welp, sad day to be that 1 Weld delegate.

[Kuumo]

If anybody else is curious, Iowa cast all 40 of its delegate votes for Trump, so the 1 Weld delegate - whoever they are - chose to fall in line instead of abstain.

I think that was automatic:

https://twitter.com/FHQ/status/1297913584924741635

Welp, sad day to be that 1 Weld delegate.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

[W]

If anybody else is curious, Iowa cast all 40 of its delegate votes for Trump, so the 1 Weld delegate - whoever they are - chose to fall in line instead of abstain.

RIP, I've really been wondering how that'd end up.

[Landslide Lyndon]

[Person Man]

I love how the DNC had celebrities like Eva Longoria as speakers while our convention is filled with regular, everyday Americans like the McCloskeys, the Covington kid, and Alice Marie Johnson.

"If you want to live like a Democrat, vote Republican."

[brucejoel99]

A separate reality.

[LabourJersey]

I love how the DNC had celebrities like Eva Longoria as speakers while our convention is filled with regular, everyday Americans like the McCloskeys, the Covington kid, and Alice Marie Johnson.

The McCloskeys are super rich people who live in a mansion and constantly sue people to get their own way. On what planet do you live on where they are "everyday Americans"?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I love how the DNC had celebrities like Eva Longoria as speakers while our convention is filled with regular, everyday Americans like the McCloskeys, the Covington kid, and Alice Marie Johnson.

The McCloskeys are super rich people who live in a mansion and constantly sue people to get their own way. On what planet do you live on where they are "everyday Americans"?

Everybody can relate to protecting their property. Their wealth and mansion have nothing to do with George Floyd. Most white middle class Americans, even those who are slightly sympathetic to BLM, saw a scene that has nothing to do with a protest outside a police station or courthouse.

[brucejoel99]

I love how the DNC had celebrities like Eva Longoria as speakers while our convention is filled with regular, everyday Americans like the McCloskeys, the Covington kid, and Alice Marie Johnson.

The McCloskeys are super rich people who live in a mansion and constantly sue people to get their own way. On what planet do you live on where they are "everyday Americans"?

Everybody can relate to protecting their property. Their wealth and mansion have nothing to do with George Floyd. Most white middle class Americans, even those who are slightly sympathetic to BLM, saw a scene that has nothing to do with a protest outside a police station or courthouse.

You'd be right if you weren't just so wrong:

So it turns out the idea that the protesters tore down the McCloskey's gate to enter their property is false. The gate belonged to the neighborhood, and there is also video confirmation that they just opened it up and walked through without breaking/entering. The gate did end up broken so, maybe someone near the back of the line vandalized it or something, but it's a little different than the way the narrative is portraying it.

Next, it turns out that the idea that the protesters trespassed on the McCloskey's property is exaggerated and potentially false. Yes, they did trespass in the neighborhood since they weren't there by invitation, but they were walking on the streets and sidewalks. The crowd was in the neighborhood to protest at the mayor's house and no one knew or cared who the McCloskeys even were. The only connection is that they happened to walk by their house. I obviously don't have access to the property deeds to ensure that no protester set foot on any McCloskey property before the confrontation, but if they did it was inadvertent and inconsequential.

Finally, the idea that it was a violent, angry mob who threatened the lives of the McCloskeys appears to be false, at least almost entirely false with vanishingly few exceptions. The crowd was by all accounts peaceful until the McCloskeys revved it up by threatening them and pointing guns. Some protesters said some ugly things in response, including at least 1 threat on the level of what the McCloskeys were throwing at the protesters. However, had the McCloskeys just stayed in their house, the protesters would have just kept on walking by and everything would have been fine for everyone, because as I pointed out, the protesters weren't there for the McCloskeys. They were walking past that house to get to the mayor's house.

I'm just not seeing anyway for the McCloskeys to be in the right on this. The protesters had nothing to do with the McCloskeys until the McCloskeys decided to have something to do with them, and it was the McCloskeys who escalated the encounter to include threats and pointing guns. The fact that the Trumpist side has to make up a fake narrative about them in order to have a competent-sounding defense speaks volumes.

[President Johnson]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere, but doesn't Mike Pompeo addressing the convention technically violate the Hatch Act? No matter whether his address is in person or via video message. Not that anyone in Trump's orbit or the self-proclaimed party of law & order would bother, but still a valid question.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere, but doesn't Mike Pompeo addressing the convention technically violate the Hatch Act? No matter whether his address is in person or via video message. Not that anyone in Trump's orbit or the self-proclaimed party of law & order would bother, but still a valid question.

The Hatch Act has been null & void since January 20th, 2017.

[New York En Marche!]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere, but doesn't Mike Pompeo addressing the convention technically violate the Hatch Act? No matter whether his address is in person or via video message. Not that anyone in Trump's orbit or the self-proclaimed party of law & order would bother, but still a valid question.

The State Department claims he is doing it in a personal capacity. Pretty meaningless, obviously, but that's what they're using to try and justify him and Ivanka.

[wbrocks67]

Even in a scenario where the McCloskey's were right to protect themselves... why are they milking it and speaking at the RNC when they know they're being exploiting? and even worse, they are now exploiting their own situation. If anything, the fact that they're now speaking at the RNC makes me believe that they're just terrible people to begin with, as we suspected when the incident happened.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I love how the DNC had celebrities like Eva Longoria as speakers while our convention is filled with regular, everyday Americans like the McCloskeys, the Covington kid, and Alice Marie Johnson.

The McCloskeys are super rich people who live in a mansion and constantly sue people to get their own way. On what planet do you live on where they are "everyday Americans"?

Everybody can relate to protecting their property. Their wealth and mansion have nothing to do with George Floyd. Most white middle class Americans, even those who are slightly sympathetic to BLM, saw a scene that has nothing to do with a protest outside a police station or courthouse.

You'd be right if you weren't just so wrong:

So it turns out the idea that the protesters tore down the McCloskey's gate to enter their property is false. The gate belonged to the neighborhood, and there is also video confirmation that they just opened it up and walked through without breaking/entering. The gate did end up broken so, maybe someone near the back of the line vandalized it or something, but it's a little different than the way the narrative is portraying it.

Next, it turns out that the idea that the protesters trespassed on the McCloskey's property is exaggerated and potentially false. Yes, they did trespass in the neighborhood since they weren't there by invitation, but they were walking on the streets and sidewalks. The crowd was in the neighborhood to protest at the mayor's house and no one knew or cared who the McCloskeys even were. The only connection is that they happened to walk by their house. I obviously don't have access to the property deeds to ensure that no protester set foot on any McCloskey property before the confrontation, but if they did it was inadvertent and inconsequential.

Finally, the idea that it was a violent, angry mob who threatened the lives of the McCloskeys appears to be false, at least almost entirely false with vanishingly few exceptions. The crowd was by all accounts peaceful until the McCloskeys revved it up by threatening them and pointing guns. Some protesters said some ugly things in response, including at least 1 threat on the level of what the McCloskeys were throwing at the protesters. However, had the McCloskeys just stayed in their house, the protesters would have just kept on walking by and everything would have been fine for everyone, because as I pointed out, the protesters weren't there for the McCloskeys. They were walking past that house to get to the mayor's house.

I'm just not seeing anyway for the McCloskeys to be in the right on this. The protesters had nothing to do with the McCloskeys until the McCloskeys decided to have something to do with them, and it was the McCloskeys who escalated the encounter to include threats and pointing guns. The fact that the Trumpist side has to make up a fake narrative about them in order to have a competent-sounding defense speaks volumes.

Go to the McCloskey thread, Bruce. I like you, but you're wrong on this one. I responded to you and Harry there.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/stevenportnoy/status/1297933227114598406

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/AlexWardVox/status/1298013457405620224

[Progressive Pessimist]

https://twitter.com/stevenportnoy/status/1297933227114598406

*Hip hop air-horns*