► The Republican National Convention kicked off on Monday with a lot of anger and bluster. The big story of the RNC is more about what’s missing — like previous Republican elected officials (such as former President George W. Bush) and a party platform. That’s right! Republicans literally don’t have a party platform in 2020. Nothing. Nada.
As Greg Sargent writes for The Washington Post, the public portion of the RNC got off to quite the “culty” start:
It has now become widely accepted that President Trump has essentially hollowed out the Republican Party and turned it into little more than a personality cult. But no level of appreciation of this state of affairs could possibly have prepared us for what we’re witnessing at the GOP convention.
What was truly striking about the convention’s first night, in addition to the widely expected parade of white grievance we’re seeing, is the sheer unbridled messianism that’s been on display.
In this telling, Trump’s performance as president hasn’t just been infallible on every front, though of course it has been that. His personal qualities, too, have been a divine gift to the nation, one that should keep us bowed in deep reverence and thankfulness at all times.
Check out this example provided by Sargent of an “elderly nursing supervisor” speaking directly to Dear Leader Trump:
I am so in awe of your leadership. Honestly, I know many people have said often interesting things, but it takes a true leader to be able to ignore all that stuff and do what is right, and not be offended by all the words being said.
Monday night’s festivities were a remarkable demonstration of how the Republican Party at this moment is less a collection of like-minded people gathered around a set of common principles and much more a cult of personality built around the man one GOP delegate called “Donald J. President.” Virtually every speaker — Sen. Tim Scott was a notable exception — dedicated at least some chunk of their speech to fawning praise of the President, often in terms that would make the average person blush.
Colorado Congressman/State Party Chairman Ken Buckstuck to the script from the beginning, praising the Trump administration because “they’ve protected us from a worldwide pandemic.” Just for reference, there have been nearly 6 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States and nearly 180,000 deaths. So, yeah, bang up job!
► We’ve discussed in this space the disgusting political tactics used by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), who is pretending to run a bill protecting pre-existing medical conditions even though his entire career has been about eliminating things like pre-existing medical conditions. 9News dismantled all of this in a must-watch “Truth Test” on Friday.
More political (and coronavirus) news is available right after the jump…
Now Only Partially Coronavirus-Related…
► The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has launched a major overhaul of existing regulations in the state.
► Oh, good. The University of Colorado has a visiting conservative scholar at the school who happens to be the same legal genius who claimed that Kamala Harris isn’t qualified to be Vice President even though she was BORN IN CALIFORNIA.
► Postmaster Louis DeJoy is facing new calls for his resignation after he testified — poorly — in front of a House committee on Monday and revealed that he really has no idea what he is doing in his job. From Vox.com:
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified before the House Oversight Committee Monday that he came to the United States Postal Service to apply his experience in logistics to help the USPS “grow and evolve in the path of sustainability.”
But during the hearing, he revealed that he’s still a tad unfamiliar with the agency he is set to reform.
That came out in questioning from Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), who used her time to quiz DeJoy about postal service basics.
► Democratic Congressional candidate Diane Mitsch Bush is up with her first General Election television ad of the cycle:
►President Trumpwas apparently “impressed” with a private fundraising effort to raise money for a border wall the pockets of people such as former top adviser Steve Bannon.
► It was one year ago this week that Elijah McClain died after being roughly detained by Aurora police officers. Governor Jared Polissays that he “hopes” for criminal charges in the investigation into McClain’s death.
► Hundreds of people gathered in Denver on Monday in response to the police shooting of a black man in Wisconsin. From Denver7:
Hundreds gathered at Manual High School Monday evening to pray for Jacob Blake. Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot in the back by white police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He remains in critical condition.
“You can not justify shooting somebody in the back at point blank range,” said State Representative James Coleman.
Video of Blake’s shooting created outrage across the nation. The video showed Blake walking around a car his car, opening his driver side door, reaching into the car and then shot multiple times in the back by officers. Blake’s children were in the car.
Blake’s father says that his son is now paralyzed from the waist down. The video of the shooting can be viewed below:
►Black leaders in Denver are speaking out against destructive protests that took place on Saturday.
► The St. Louis couple that got into trouble in June for threatening Black Lives Matter protestors with firearms spoke on the opening night of the RNC:
Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters, declare that if Biden is elected, “no matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America.” pic.twitter.com/MhhOSPO8F8
► The Onion savagely destroys former Democratic Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
ICYMI
► If you missed this POLITICO story about the Republican Party, stop what you are doing and read it immediately. If you don’t have a chance to get through Tim Alberta’s story, at least read this part:
I decided to call Frank Luntz. Perhaps no person alive has spent more time polling Republican voters and counseling Republican politicians than Luntz, the 58-year-old focus group guru. His research on policy and messaging has informed a generation of GOP lawmakers. His ability to translate between D.C. and the provinces—connecting the concerns of everyday people to their representatives in power—has been unsurpassed. If anyone had an answer, it would be Luntz.
“You know, I don’t have a history of dodging questions. But I don’t know how to answer that. There is no consistent philosophy,” Luntz responded. “You can’t say it’s about making America great again at a time of Covid and economic distress and social unrest. It’s just not credible.”
Luntz thought for a moment. “I think it’s about promoting—” he stopped suddenly. “But I can’t, I don’t—” he took a pause. “That’s the best I can do.”
When I pressed, Luntz sounded as exasperated as the student whose question I was relaying. “Look, I’m the one guy who’s going to give you a straight answer. I don’t give a shit—I had a stroke in January, so there’s nothing anyone can do to me to make my life suck,” he said. “I’ve tried to give you an answer and I can’t do it. You can ask it any different way. But I don’t know the answer. For the first time in my life, I don’t know the answer.” [Pols emphasis]
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters at an event in Kentucky that he thinks people should be wearing hemp-based face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The McCloskeys said "no matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats' America." Sounds like another case of projection to me.
his father largely wrote him out of the will in 2008, sparking a family feud that would last eight years.
Mark McCloskey filed a defamation case against his father and sister in 2011, dismissed it in 2012, and refiled it in 2013. By the time of the final filing, Bruce McCloskey was living in a memory care unit in Ballwin; he died in 2014.
In March 2013 McCloskey sued his father and his father's trust over a gift of five acres, promised in 1976, which never materialized. A judge ruled against him in 2016.
August 25, 2020 10:42 AM UTC
2 Comments
Moddy….you might want to sit down for this one.
Mitch McConnell Recommends Hemp-Based Face Masks
The McCloskeys said "no matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats' America." Sounds like another case of projection to me.