What if you were casting a play and nobody wanted the leads? In fact, nobody really wanted to be a part of it at all? I don’t know of any parallel to the 2020 Republican National Convention in the history of the theater, so I can’t answer. But we should all know the answer by the end of this week.
Donald Trump is the thwarted diva of the ages. He wanted his nomination to be a coronation, with him performing to screaming MAGAts jammed together on the floor, and packed all the way to the rafters. Coronavirus preempted that dream. The governor of North Carolina said no way, and since he’s a Democrat, that was seen as partisanship, and then the convention was moved to Jacksonville. But even the Republican governor there couldn’t find a way to pull it off, because he had his hands full hiding the stats on COVID-19 deaths in Florida. So then, in desperation, the RNC floated the idea of Trump accepting the nomination from the Rose Garden — which has been recently defenestrated by his third wife. It now looks barren and bereft of character, so, ironically, it provides the perfect background for its speaker.
In all events, this opus goes before the cameras, in whatever form, Monday night. And here’s what we know. Spoiler alert: star studded this ain’t. Intelligencer:
Bloomberg has a rundown of the rumored speakers:
President Donald Trump’s Republican National Convention next week will feature a number of rising stars in the party as speakers, including former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Senators Tim Scott and Joni Ernst, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, according to a person familiar with the schedule.
Other speakers will include Nick Sandmann, who sued several media outlets for libel over the portrayal of his role in a confrontation with a Native American group on the National Mall in 2019 when he was a high school student, and Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a Missouri couple who face charges from a local prosecutor after brandishing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters marching in their neighborhood last month.
Each night will also feature “a speaker who lived under socialism.”
Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, had expressed interest in speaking at either the Democratic or Republican convention. Per Fox News:
Reade said her offer to speak at the GOP convention next week is “absolutely” on the table, saying she would be “more than happy to do so.”
“I think survivors need a voice and I would be humbled and honored to help raise and lift that voice if that’s possible,” Reade added.
Alice Marie Johnson, whose life sentence was commuted by Trump following intervention by Kim Kardashian West, has confirmed that she will speak.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will deliver taped remarks. A previous report suggested he would skip the convention, but his campaign said that was a “miscommunication.”
While Jared Kushner was not originally scheduled to speak alongside Trump’s adult children, CNN reports that “it’s now under consideration.”
McConnell is going to throw a bone to the GOP, the same one that Ted Cruz threw in Texas earlier this week, which is, “look, we’re packing the courts, don’t rock the boat, okay? We know he’s a jerk, too, just vote for the agenda. What do you think being a Republican is, anyway?” I think the “rising stars” of the GOP are going to shoot their own feet off if they show up. As to the McCloskeys and Sandmann, that’s grievance, and Tara Reade is shock value, if they decide to do it. The grandmother with the commuted sentence is risky, because that’s going to bring up Joe Arpaio, Roger Stone, and other abuses of power — but that may be the way this goes down.
Lastly, there is Trump and Trump’s beloved family. Or, at least the ones that haven’t published books or released tapes graphically depicting what a mental incompetent and a scumbag he is. Right now, it appears that they’re carrying the load. Trump himself is supposed to speak every night, as a bonus of some sort, we guess.
As of publication, it is unknown who will be the keynote speaker for the “Land of Promise” portion of the convention, Monday night. It was TBA as of August 21, then on the 22nd Donald Jr.’s name was put up because they had to say somebody. Maybe they could ask Steve Bannon? He’s out on bail.
Probably the keynote speaker for Monday is being decided, as we speak, by a game of rock, paper, scissors and the loser has to address the nation.
This is not how these things are done. The dysfunction in Trump world runs sewer deep — which for the swamp presidency, is appropriate.
Must Flee TV.
HAHAHA!! That’s primo!! Must flee TV!! I’m going to steal that. This is going to be a shit show for the ages. Junior as the first night keynote speaker? That’s got to be lame — if that’s what happens. And I cringe thinking about the McCloskeys or that SOB high school kid (now slightly older) who disrespected the Indian man. I guess we’ll see, but it sounds depressing on the one hand and morbid as hell on the other.
Got that one from Mad Magazine (RIP) back in the 1990s. And it fits, doesn’t it?
So they have nothing. That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to come up with cheap, flashy, wachadoodle fabrications and conspiracy theories. They have the capacity to do that until the cows not only come home, but have had a good night’s rest and are ready to go out again.
Lol, of course he is speaking every. single. night! His ego would settle for nothing less.
If that’s the case, then it’s going to be like the coronavirus “briefings.” Just an opportunity for him to make an idiot out of himself. Sometimes less is more.
Great way to convince people he’s competent – not.
Please let Tara Reade speak! Opens the door for a fantastic rebuttal.
If he does that, then he’ll spend a lot of time screaming about Hunter Biden’s Chinese connections, and that level of drivel. Maybe that’s how it will go down. Nobody knows. Trump needs to rev people up to vote for him, and the only way he knows how is to play shock jock.
Ursula, tRump could write a book (or better yet READ one!) on Content Marketing For Narcissists. He has lots of content (all of it full of hate for others and love for himself) rattling around in his very large brain.
His big message is that he’s saving the country. Without him, we’re toast. The truth is, with him we’re toast.
Burnt toast.
I really think this is an awful format for them.
I think there’s every chance this convention will fall square on its ass. But what else could it do? He’s got no platform. So he has to complain and entertain for four days.
With no Big Names but the Trmp family, that’s not going to go well.
I can hardly wait not to watch it because I don’t want to spend the next four days constantly throwing up.
I agree, I seriously doubt they will get any kind of decent ratings.
They don’t have any compelling speakers to sell their message of hate. Trumps public need the interaction with the other convention attendees. What fun is it to “own the libs,” while sitting in your own living room.
I’m with you. No way can I even imagine watching a minute of the American Carnage Convention and the hateful spewing that it will consist of. I don’t think my TV would survive the barrage I’d lob at it. I had a Nerf dart gun during the Bush years that helped tremendously to take the edge off. It’s going to take heavier armament this time around. I feel sorry for my MSNBC faves who WILL have to endure this awful, awful garbage.
If he’s speaking everyday for four days, why would people tune in for the entire thing? Seems to me that could depress ratings. I mean, do people really want to hear stellar speakers like Matt Gaetz and Donnie Jr?
I wonder hos much of the donations are going to end up in the pockets of the Adams, whoops, Trump family seeing they comprise half of the keystone – I mean keynote speakers?
Hey, Gomez and Morticia were two of the nicest, most welcoming people you could ever meet (once you got past the morbid interests and lethal hobbies). Trump’s idea of hospitality is building a wall.
Very fortunate I am this coming week. Our son is going to watch all four nights. Not because he is a foaming-at-the-mouth Republican, but because as he told some FB friends, he believes he should keep his enemies close and Trump in his opinion is enemy #1. More power to our son I say. I couldn’t bear to watch four nights of as Bareshark says, Must Flee TV.
I’d rather pour salt on paper cuts than watch this lunatic shit show.
With respect, your son needs to learn the virtues of long distance observation. But I say as someone who has spent his entire life surrounded by our mutual enemy.
I think we must be prepared for some dark surprises too, like painting Biden as the “high priest of abortion,” and other such things that will have wide appeal for undecided voters to go republican in the south in particular. Also MSNBC has this segment, which can cetainly serve as an alert for ehat to expect,. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJq63fndOkY&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1xFXFqjZOKpjsGFuoyg_2WZGOSt8H0vEXtyQBXoMyFBam5VvnUHKD2gKY
Meh…the last shriek on the retreat.
“High priest of abortion” is tired and ineffective. I still have my 2004 emails from Alan Keyes calling Obama a “baby-killing sodomite lover.” That stuff is done.
Given that they’ve had only a month to put this together, and Himself insists that it be “live!” TV, and that half the speakers are “who TF is that?” level…it’s going to be bad.
There is absolutely no one of substance that will speak for Drumpf and the cabal. He’s alienated almost everyone in the Republican party except for the enablers in the Senate. And even THEY don’t want to speak because they don’t want to be tied to him in perpetuity.
This sh*tshow is going to be a complete disaster. There’s not a single soul in this bunch that has any creativity or intelligence, and even if there are, Drumpf’s not going to give up the spotlight to anyone else. I refuse to watch, and will wait for MSNBC and CNN to report on the “highlights.”
Joni Ernst is tying an anchor to her campaign by appearing. She should have stayed home in Iowa, using the recent destructive storms as an excuse.
Hellspeak is the sound of the Island of Dr. Moreau, a combo of animal savagery with human sounds of rage, loss, & suffering. I decline the cable channel from Hell. Already know the sound of suffering. The grief & weeping of the American people. So when the demons get prime time, I’m going back to Romans. Do not be overcome with Evil, but overcome Evil with Good. The first good I’m going to do is keep myself free of their hate in all it’s subtle & blatant manifestations. I’m PROUD the folks in my home state are out on the streets to protest the gathering of the death cult of Trumpism. Bye, bye ms American Pie…
“That is the Law? Are we not Men?
Right.they tend to forget the no spill blood part.
If they wants speakers who lived under socialism, they should talk to their Russian-American donors.
Low expectations. But the Democrats were able to clinch second place already with that vapid display of canned speeches bereft of any consequential ideas. No matter how poorly the Republicans do, the opposition has created an impregnable floor.