The last time a sitting president gave his acceptance speech from the White House, it was FDR in his shirtsleeves after midnight in 1940. He was going for his third term and conventions actually meant something and decided things. Yes, there were smoke filled rooms and decisions made without the kind of deliberation we think of today, but people watched these events because they didn’t know what was going to happen.
President Trump will give his acceptance speech from the White House this Thursday night while he is fighting a different kind of war.
Somewhere around 1980, conventions have become predictable. We know ahead of time who the nominees are. There’s nothing really in question related to the votes cast by the delegates. So they are boring. A laundry list of speakers you expect to hear from.
Last week at the DNC, it was a big snooze. No one said anything inspiring or unexpected. They set the table just as expected. There were no great speeches. I don’t know if the RNC will be any different but I’ll be listening for Rep. Vernon Jones and Congressional Candidate Kimberly Klacik from Baltimore.
I will let you know what I think. I’ve already made plans with all this is over, to meet with some very strong conservative women to talk about the way forward for conservatism. We have got to break this say anything, break anything, risk anything culture and learn how to work together again. It’s time for the ruling class of this era to step aside and let new people join the fray.