The balloons have all fallen in Cleveland. The confetti is on the floor. The delegates are filing out of the hall. The GOP convention is over. It was an amazing final night. Donald Trump gave his acceptance speech which overshadowed everything else. Before we get to that speech, however, it is worth taking a moment to talk about the speech that preceded it. Trump's daughter Ivanka introduced her father. She is the fourth Trump child to speak, and it's clear that they saved the best for last. She was an amazing presence. I kept wondering how Donald Trump would be able to concentrate on his own speech after the inevitable burst of pride at seeing his daughter perform so well.
Trump's speech had more detail in it than usual. It lasted over an hour (mostly due to a lot of cheering.) There were high points and some times when it seemed to drag. Most of all, however, it had one message: Donald Trump pledged to go to Washington as the representative of everyday Americans, ALL Americans. And he is going to Washington to CHANGE things. He promised that he would do more than talk about problems; he would actually fix things. That may not be a unique political position, but in 2016 it is an essential one. Indeed, since Trump's opponent is Hillary Clinton who only lists 1) talking and 2) failing on her resume, his self portrayal as a man of accomplishment and of action is even more important than normal. If it is believed by the American people, it will be a winning message.
It's going to take a while to see the reaction from across the country. I think it's going to be a happy one from Trump's perspective. The Democrats have a tough assignment in Philadelphia at their convention next week. After eight years of disasters, they have to somehow convince America that their tired policies will suddenly start working after failing to work in the past.
Trump's speech had more detail in it than usual. It lasted over an hour (mostly due to a lot of cheering.) There were high points and some times when it seemed to drag. Most of all, however, it had one message: Donald Trump pledged to go to Washington as the representative of everyday Americans, ALL Americans. And he is going to Washington to CHANGE things. He promised that he would do more than talk about problems; he would actually fix things. That may not be a unique political position, but in 2016 it is an essential one. Indeed, since Trump's opponent is Hillary Clinton who only lists 1) talking and 2) failing on her resume, his self portrayal as a man of accomplishment and of action is even more important than normal. If it is believed by the American people, it will be a winning message.
It's going to take a while to see the reaction from across the country. I think it's going to be a happy one from Trump's perspective. The Democrats have a tough assignment in Philadelphia at their convention next week. After eight years of disasters, they have to somehow convince America that their tired policies will suddenly start working after failing to work in the past.
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