While most of the delegates and attendees of this week’s Republican National Convention left in a giddy mood, happy with the way they are coalescing around former President Donald Trump’s campaign–while Democrats come apart at the seams trying to get President Joe Biden off the ticket–I left Milwaukee Thursday night feeling very sad. It wasn’t because I was disappointed the whole thing was over, or because the party has once again nominated someone that I will never, ever vote for to occupy the White House again. I was sad because of what the GOP–a party for which I once ran for public office–is nothing more than a platform for con-men, grifters, and clowns.
Whereas the Republican party once had intellectuals that could articulate policy details, public servants with proud and distinguished service records, and grassroots organizers committed to clear and consistent ideals, the party that I saw up close and personal this week is populated by attention-seekers, those looking to make a quick buck, and those willing to kiss Donald Trump’s butt no matter where he may stand on the issues.
Nowhere to be seen was the old Republican guard this week. No Paul Ryan, no Mike Gallagher, no Adam Kinziger, no Mitt Romney, nobody associated with any of the Bush presidencies, no one that advised Ronald Reagan, no William Kristol to discuss the background and reasoning for Conservative policies. I was shocked to see Assembly Speaker Robin Vos appearing as some events adjacent to the convention, after Trump acolytes have repeatedly attempted to recall him from office because he would not try to de-certify the 2020 election results–even after telling the folks with the pitchforks that isn’t even legally possible.
Instead, those of us along Media Row were encouraged to talk to the likes of Mike Lindell, better known as the “My Pillow Guy”. Day after day he wandered around Panther Arena seeing if any of the dozens of outlets broadcasting there would give him 10 minutes to babble on about how “God has chosen Donald Trump to be President” and that Trump avoiding an assassin’s bullet the week before was “divine intervention, and a sign that he is the chosen one”, and to promote his new “Lindell Plan”–which he claims can ensure than someone doesn’t “steal your vote” by filing an absentee ballot in your name.
If Mike Lindell isn’t good enough, try talking with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani! “America’s Mayor” gives off the appearance of what he has become: a broken, bankrupt man who tossed away so much goodwill and political standing garnered in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by hitching himself to Donald Trump’s political aspirations. Now, he is barred from practicing law, he must pay millions for defaming the makers of ballot machines, and he is facing a multitude of felony criminal charges for trying to get local and state officials to change the results of the 2020 presidential election. The video of him falling off the raised walkway on the convention floor into the aluminum chairs this week came as no surprise after seeing his difficulty in just existing in the media center.
A big buzz was created when two of Trump’s fellow convicted felons showed up at the convention. Paul Manafort–who was convicted on charges of obstruction and witness tampering in a prior tax evasion trial, along with conspiracy to defraud the US Government for failing to file as a foreign agent in lobbying for several overseas dictators here in the US–mingled with delegates on the convention floor. Paul Manafort got a speaking gig on the stage and on TV just hours after being released from prison for failing to cooperate with the January 6th investigation and refusing to testify before Congress. He was given a hero’s welcome by the delegates.
If those Trump “surrogates” weren’t enough to inspire you, Milwaukee was also crawling with “influencers” more than happy to promote themselves. Conservative social media definitely has a type–which I like to call the “Queen B’s”, Blonde hair, Blue eyes, and Big Breasts. Their money-making credo: “Come for the boobs, stay for the recitation of Trump talking points that I don’t actually believe in, but that pay the bills.”
Those “in it for the clicks” did a fine job of making a nuisance of themselves. One woman had her media credentials pulled after accosting a man in the aisle yelling at him about the attempted assassination a few days earlier being “an inside job” involving the Secret Service and the FBI and demanding that the man provide proof it wasn’t while videotaping him on her phone. When he attempted to walk away, she cut him off repeatedly until he was able to storm past calling her a “lunatic”. He and a couple of bystanders were later seen talking with Secret Service agents about the incident.
Then there was “YouTube star” Alex Stein interrupting an on-air interview with Piers Morgan insisting that the host go along with it because “it’s gonna go viral!” He was ejected as well. Those incidents were followed by a reminder from the RNC folks that the Media Center is a place for professionalism and decorum and that we should show respect for our fellow broadcasters.
And I use the term “broadcaster” loosely here. No more than 15 streaming platforms were on-site–agencies that did not exist pre-Trump-era politics. Ben Shapiro, Breitbart, the Daily Signal, NewsMax, and OAN were joined by streamers like The Daily Signal, and America’s True Voice in setting up large broadcast facilities complete with high-grade sets and on-site production teams–all funded by round the clock viewing of those believing that is where they are getting the “real truth” about the news and politics.
Making regular appearances were members of the Trump family as well–all of whom had TV time on the convention floor every night. On Thursday, Lara Trump–co-chair of the Republican National Committee for the sole purpose to funnel campaign donations to her father-in-law’s legal fund–joined GOP TV to do an interview. But before the questioning began, she read a commercial script for a subscription-based nutritional supplement company and encouraged viewers to use the promo code TRUMP to save 20% on their first order. The head of the National Committee schlepping useless pills for a few bucks.
I’m not sure if dropping the Trump name would have saved you 20% on the infamous Trump Bibles being sold by a vendor in the Baird Center this week. The only thing that topped that was you could have your Bible signed by none other than Lee Greenwood!! He too was circling the Media Center endlessly this week, more than willing to talk about God’s plan for Trump and to promote said Trump Bibles or some CD featuring 15 different versions of God Bless the USA.
If Lee Greenwood couldn’t convince you of Trump’s greatness, why not spend a few minutes with Congresswomen Lauren Bobert or Marjorie Taylor Green? Both were more than happy to tell you about how much they agree with the former President’s stance on abortion this week and how they will support it again when it changes the week after that. I never did see Congressman Matt Gaetz. He was likely too busy following former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy around taunting him about booting him out of that position.
I will not be in attendance for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. That means I will miss out on the protesters draped in kaffiyehs demanding the destruction of Israel, the Bernie Bros demanding that their guy be the “unity candidate” to replace Joe Biden, and the guests that demand that you use their preferred pronouns of “zhim” and “zhey”. But this past week in Milwaukee has depressed me enough, and I don’t need to find out if I can go any lower.
