US Presidential Election 2020

Superficial looks might impress, the words spoken by the various GOP speakers were vitriolic & hysterical portents of actual apocalypse. That's not so impressive. Words matter, doubly so in politics and there was nothing to be impressed about during that GOP conference.

The Nal wrote: »

His disrespect for the office came across very well to reasonable people with sense but thats not who they are targeting.



Again, this is something that baffles me. As above, they're targeting hysterical people who are easily manipulated by this sort of vitriolic rubbish. Influenced by post truth. It was the same in 2016. The Democrats just can't seem to comprehend this. They're playing a little nastier this time out but still on the "we go high" message.

I'd worry about Bidens chances even more now after this week. The inability of people to be able to accept that this is what the modern GOP do is their greatest strength. Nothing solidifies the right than the lefts sanctimonious repetition.

Trump won in 2016 by swinging Undecided, moderate voters tickled by an "anti-establishment" ticket and the resting distrust of Hillary Clinton. By all accounts Trump appealed to the centrists, moderates by promising quantifiable (albeit fantastical) actions: restore the Rust Belt (with "clean coal"); Build a Wall; Repeal Healthcare; MAGA. It may have been pipedream stuff but it was policy, and appeals towards a project for America. There was a plan, however nebulous.

Firstly, none of these have come to pass even before CoVid walloped the country. So there were no speeches of policy or plan this time around: instead the 2020 convention consisted of screeching, literal declarations that death would be a welcome relief in Biden's America. That's not even partisan, that's borderline Death Cult rhetoric; or a direct appeal to not just contest the election - but resist it. Couple that with Trump's repeated and very public lies that Postal Voting is fraudulent or that he may not accept a losing result and that's a cocktail for violence at worst, or another 2000 election at best. Admiring pomp and ceremony (that flew in the face of social distancing) is missing the substance of the convention and the groundwork it could yet be laying.

I don't wish for violence in November, that's patently insane and sadistic, but the manner in which Trump and his supporters are whipping the base into believing America as a nation is under threat goes beyond even post 9/11 frenzy. And we're arguably already seeing this with Kyle Rittenhouse shooting protestors; I hope it's aberrant and not sign of things to come. I worry for actual violence at the polling stations; I see nothing in the content of the GOP conference that suggests they're not trying to stir the pot and see where it goes