Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans in disarray!

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Can we lighten up on the doomsday scenarios?

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

This fight is for everything.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

It’s easier to kill a dangerous animal than a man who just happens to have different thoughts/values than one’s own.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

If you’re looking for someone who’s young and athletic, go watch a fucking movie.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

“They not like us!” (that’s for sure!)

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / RNC Open Thread: The Dream of A (Nineteenth) Century

RNC Open Thread: The Dream of A (Nineteenth) Century

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The most hyperbolic salesman-candidate gets his moment in the spotlight, saying the quiet part out loud…
RNC Open Thread: The Dream of A (Nineteenth) Century

At the edge of the cordoned-off perimeter around the Republican National Convention on Monday, hundreds of conservatives filed into the ornate home of the Milwaukee Symphony to hear a parade of luminaries talk policy and Project 2025…

The Heritage event was called “Policy Fest” and was not technically part of Project 2025, but the endeavor constantly came up. Speakers both downplayed it and pumped it up. Heritage’s President Kevin Roberts called it “unprecedented in the history of the conservative movement,” but also tried to tone down his rhetoric from earlier this month when he promised it would lead to a “second American revolution.”

“How many of you are ready to very steadily, calmly and peacefully take our country back?” Roberts asked the crowd Monday…

Trump has distanced himself from the project, which is run by several top appointees from his previous administration. But he’s also spoken warmly about it, and the connection was further cemented by Trump’s selection of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate

Roberts said he’s “good friends” with Vance and that the Heritage Foundation had been privately rooting for him to be the VP pick. The Ohio senator, Roberts said, recognizes that “we have a limited time to pursue policy.”…

Sowing, reaping, things of that nature, Sen. McConnell…

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Reader Interactions

75Comments

  4. 4.

    satby

    I see the endless bickering and bad faith arguments are continuing as we move into week three. Too bad I’ve been otherwise engaged, suggest folks also stop engaging. No one is changing their minds.

  7. 7.

    Princess

    @satby: So why are you bringing it into a new thread about a completely different topic if you dislike it so much?

  13. 13.

    Elizabelle

    Anne:  you may not get a lot of comments on an RNC related post.  I don’t think many of us are watching it.

    Further, life is too short to focus on Republicans, except, with this post-Gingrich bunch, as examples of human failings and puppets for the uberwealthy.

  15. 15.

    Princess

    @Elizabelle: I really appreciate reading about it though!

    Funny, I’m a convention junkie and once I would have been glued to it. I watched all of 2016 and part of 2020. Now I can’t stomach seeing them.

  16. 16.

    Anoniminous

    I’m only interested in the final TV audience numbers.  Trump shtick is 9 years old now and I’d like to know if people are starting to tune him out.

    Night 1 in 2020 drew 16 million million.
    Night 1 in 2016 22.5 million

  20. 20.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @O. Felix Culpa: If you know anything about my opinion of clowns, you will know hard this is for me to type.  You are libeling evil clowns with that comment.

  21. 21.

    artem1s

    I don’t want to watch the dog and pony part but I am interested in reading about their platform and what parts of New Gilead they are planning on implementing in this Dream of A (Nineteenth Twelfth) Century. 

  23. 23.

    Jackie

    @Elizabelle: The clips being posted are all I need. Plus their “All Stars” line up is pitiful:

    Speeches from former GOP presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, alongside addresses from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Lara Trump.

  24. 24.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Anoniminous: Apparently even Trump fell asleep during the convention, so we’ll see.

    I do expect numbers to be higher this time, though – the media is pumping him up as the election winner, destined leader because of an assassination attempt, and look at all the moderating and pivoting he’s doing!

    It’s REALLY damn sad.

  27. 27.

    Lyrebird

    @Anne Laurie: Just logging on to thank you for putting on your mithril armor and braving this stuff.  Oppo research is essential, and I would not be very good at it, not a strong enough stomach in this situation.

  28. 28.

    Timill

    @Elizabelle: I’m going with the shattered teleprompter theory, because if it had been a bullet, pictures of the intact teleprompter would have been everywhere, and they aren’t.

  29. 29.

    Eyeroller

    @MisterForkbeard: ​Apparently we should all capitulate to the media Narrative that Trump’s win is inevitable. That seems to be what Adam Schiff was saying.

  32. 32.

    waspuppet

    but also tried to tone down his rhetoric from earlier this month when he promised it would lead to a “second American revolution.”

    “How many of you are ready to very steadily, calmly and peacefully take our country back?” Roberts asked the crowd Monday…

    That’s not toning it down. He said it would be bloodless “if the left allowed it to be.” This doesn’t say anything that doesn’t.

    And I really wish our wealthy media class would realize what “take our country back” sounds like. I mean, right there, that’s the ballgame.

  33. 33.

    Trivia Man

    Gov Justice is an ass. Scripps news has a chryon: BabyDog makes triumphant RNC debut!

    A dog on stage is pretty low effort pandering.

  36. 36.

    M31

    people are digging into the Project 2025 paper and finding more and more absolute but unsurprising insanity: abolish the Federal Reserve and return to the gold standard.

    “abolish” is maybe part 2, from what I can tell, part 1 is make the Fed’s mandate only about inflation — currently its mandate is to limit inflation and also work toward full employment. That is, encourage crippling recessions with high unemployment, which will keep wages low and workers desperate, just as CEOs like it.

    then go back on the gold standard, the longtime wish of weirdos, and guaranteed to be a deflationary uncontrollable disaster

  37. 37.

    trnc

    Project 2025 shifts taxes from the wealthy to the middle class— a family of 4 earning $100K would suffer a $2,600 tax hike, while a family earning $5 million would get a $325,000 tax cut.

    And that doesn’t even get into the secondary tax impacts, such as local property taxes going up because federal funding to municipalities is diverted to the millionaires.

  39. 39.

    Ohio Mom

    A lot of times I go to Aaron Rupar’s Twitter to catch highlights of these sorts of big events. He does a great job of showcasing the pivotal moments.

    But not this year. I skipped the debate and I am certainly skipping the Republican convention. I’m not torturing myself.

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    @Trivia Man

    A dog on stage is pretty low effort pandering.

    “it’ll be okay. We double checked and Governor Noem is off doing interviews with her home state press.”

  42. 42.

    Ohio Mom

    @trnc: And everyday people voting against school and other levies in reaction to the steep increase in federal taxes. Of course, that’s a feature, not a bug to republicans, just another, albeit relatively small, beast to starve.

  43. 43.

    Trivia Man

    @M31: Very clever countermove from Heritage – the details were getting so much press with page number citations, they changed the formatting so that the page numbers keep changing. Then they can be coy and say “Page 475 doesn’t say anything about that! Liars!”

  44. 44.

    Trivia Man

    @M31: And Checkers wasn’t willing to stoop low enough to appear on camera IIRC. Name checked only. Along with a “good republican cloth coat”.

  45. 45.

    Geminid

    @Jackie: Gaetz thinks McCarthy instigated the Ethics Committee investigation into his personal life and he is likely right. This investigation is a real threat to Gaetz. He hopes to be Florida’s next Governor and the Ethics Committee could derail that plan. Sad!

  48. 48.

    Harrison Wesley

    So Dubyuh’s observation on Trump’s inaugural speech is transferable to the whole Republican convention.  That was – and is – some weird shit.

  49. 49.

    stinger

    @Geminid: I didn’t understand why he kept asking McCarthy if he (McCarthy) was speaking tonight. Isn’t there a speaker schedule? Wouldn’t a GOP Representative have access to it?

    I mean, I realize he was making a point, but that seemed an odd way to go about it.

  51. 51.

    cmorenc

    …and I thought that Trump wants to substantially lower income taxes for everyone in every bracket…by replacing income tax revenue with revenue from substantially increased tariffs.  Which would filter down to lower, middle, and upper-middle class families as an effective huge sales tax hike, because that would trickle down (actually, more of a downpour) into higher prices on everything, particularly the sorts of goods those strata of people regularly buy, but upper-income folks would effectively pay a substantially smaller portion of their income on regular sorts of goods.  And to the extent the tariffs are intended to shift production back onshore – the reason corporations were importing goods and materials was because the cost of doing so within the US was higher than abroad.

  52. 52.

    Geminid

    @stinger: Sounds as if Gaetz is rattled, like he’s scared of something

    Ed. Gaetz used to show a lot of self-confidence.

  53. 53.

    Eolirin

    “The Ohio senator, Roberts said, recognizes that “we have a limited time to pursue policy.”…”

    This is the tell that they know they’ve lost the culture and they’ve got one last shot at instituting their vision for America, and they can only do it by putting an end to Democracy right the fuck now. Because if they miss it, they’ll be buried by the demographic shifts. This is an extinction burst, the only question is whether they take the rest of us down with them.

  54. 54.

    Captain C

    @Geminid: I would hope Qevin said something like, “What are you complaining about?  You got what you wanted.  Besides, even though you like ’em young, perhaps a little too young, Daddy’s friends will probably keep you out of jail.”  Not holding my breath, though.

  55. 55.

    Jackie

    @stinger: Gaetz was stirring up 💩 trying to get Kevin to react. He’s fully aware Kevin doesn’t have a speaking spot. I’m kinda surprised Kevin is there.

  56. 56.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Eolirin:

    I remember talk about that extinction burst when the Tea Party arose during Obama’s presidency. I had no idea it would take so long for them to actually go extinct.

  57. 57.

    Trivia Man

    I’m limited to Scripps, I have no cable now and that is the only over the air station I have broadcasting the convention. They talked over Johnson but it did not seem to be a very popular speech. Ramasmarmy is getting full coverage, he is pleasing the rubes. Lots of bumber sticker phrases and sound bites.

    Drops in his smirk in the rght places. “If we can get all of that, “ill put up with a few mean tweets.” Smirk.

    Definitely angling for a cabinet spot or Chief of Staff. EPA or Treasury probably his goals.

     

    Maybe PBS has it. I also missed the interview with Scott Walker and the Ron Johnson speech.

  58. 58.

    gene108

    @satby:

    No one is changing their minds.

    This is true.

    I think the election comes down to if Trump or Biden does a better job in getting their irregular voters to vote for them, instead of leaving the presidential line on the ballot blank or vote third party.

    Large groups of possible voters are unhappy with this rematch and do not have confidence in either candidate.

  59. 59.

    Jackie

    @Geminid: I’m aware, and if Gaetz’s future plan gets derailed…🤭

    It’s too bad he has a safe seat – unless the ethics committee derails that!

  60. 60.

    Soprano2

    @Princess: I can’t imagine watching any of it. I heard part of the Teamster guy’s speech in the car last night, that was it.

  61. 61.

    Geminid

    @Captain C: In an ideal world Gaetz and McCarthy would keep beefing, maybe throw some hands Thursday night.

    Ed. They might. These guys really hate each other.

  62. 62.

    gene108

    @Eyeroller:

    Apparently we should all capitulate to the media Narrative that Trump’s win is inevitable.

    Trump’s like an 80’s slasher movie villain, who just won’t stay dead.

    He’s worn a lot of people out by constantly being in the news for nine years straight and is still popular after an attempted coup, criminal convention, a highly publicized affair with a porn star, and never facing any consequences.

    Because of Biden’s debate performance, IRL people I know think he’s either senile or one step away from full blown dementia. As someone put it, when I tried to point out Trump’s endless lies, “at least Trump seemed alive”.

  63. 63.

    rmjohnston

    As repeal of the Magna Carta appears to be the top item in the Trump 2025 agenda, the RNC has more of a twelfth century vibe than a nineteenth century vibe.

  64. 64.

    Anne Laurie

    @stinger:  I didn’t understand why he kept asking McCarthy if he (McCarthy) was speaking tonight. Isn’t there a speaker schedule? Wouldn’t a GOP Representative have access to it?

    Yesterday, McConnell got boo’d so long & loudly nobody could hear him report Kentucky’s votes for TFG.  I’m assuming Gaetz was telling McCarthy that he would also be boo’d as a filthy RINO, now that the party is fully in the hands of the Poo-Flinging Monkeys Battalion.

  65. 65.

    Eolirin

    @O. Felix Culpa: They won enough during Obama’s term to give them a little more life than they’d otherwise have had. We lost a lot of state races and the resultant gerrymandering has enabled a ton of voter suppression.

    They’re close to tapped out with their 2022 losses in the Midwest though. If they lose the ability to win in PA, WI and MI, that’s it for ever winning the White House. All three states are either at or on their way to Democratic trifectas. I really think those three states, if they’re able to continue on the path they’re on, will reach a tipping point that’ll make them unwinnable in the next decade.

    And they haven’t won the popular vote in a Presidential election since 2004.

    If we had a less stupid system for electing Presidents they’d already be toast.

    Without the 2010 and 2020 gerrymandering, we’d have a lock on the House already too. While the Senate will continue to be a thorn in our side for a long time, it’s going to take a lot for them to gain control again if we can keep them out for another two or three cycles.

  67. 67.

    O. Felix Culpa

    @Eolirin:

    it’s going to take a lot for them to gain control again if we can keep them out for another two or three cycles.

    From your keyboard to the FSM’s orecchiette.

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