This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/25/republican-convention-rnc-donald-trump

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Convention's base-rallying first night hit the spot, say Republicans Convention's base-rallying first night hit the spot, say Republicans
(about 2 hours later)
While Democrats mocked the at-times shrill tone of Trump’s re-election pitch, party loyalists hailed it as a successWhile Democrats mocked the at-times shrill tone of Trump’s re-election pitch, party loyalists hailed it as a success
Many Democrats laughed off the first night of the Republican national convention but Republicans said mission accomplished.Many Democrats laughed off the first night of the Republican national convention but Republicans said mission accomplished.
Monday’s speakers at the RNC were a mix of fan favorites to the Republican base, longtime Trump allies and family members, with a sprinkling of statewide elected officials with presidential aspirations of their own.Monday’s speakers at the RNC were a mix of fan favorites to the Republican base, longtime Trump allies and family members, with a sprinkling of statewide elected officials with presidential aspirations of their own.
All together, the speakers described a parallel universe where Donald Trump had competently muzzled the coronavirus pandemic from the beginning and governed an era of economic peace and prosperity. The speakers warned, though, that that could all disappear quickly if former vice-president Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris replaced Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence in the White House. All together, the speakers described a parallel universe where Donald Trump had competently muzzled the coronavirus pandemic from the beginning and governed an era of economic peace and prosperity. The speakers warned, though, that that could all disappear quickly if the former vice-president Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris replaced Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence in the White House.
Democrats panned the first night as a disjointed series of remarks pegged to jolt conservative voters to come out in droves while alienating the rest of the country. The senior Trump campaign adviser and fundraiser Kimberly Guilfoyle gave a sometimes hollering speech that sparked an internet meme and mockery online.Democrats panned the first night as a disjointed series of remarks pegged to jolt conservative voters to come out in droves while alienating the rest of the country. The senior Trump campaign adviser and fundraiser Kimberly Guilfoyle gave a sometimes hollering speech that sparked an internet meme and mockery online.
But the first night was not designed to win over solid Democratic voters, and for Republicans that was OK.But the first night was not designed to win over solid Democratic voters, and for Republicans that was OK.
“Ultimately rallying the base has been the Trump political doctrine from the very beginning,” the Republican strategist Nick Everhart said. “The foundation to the house is the GOP base, they have been first and foremost every step of the way, and that’s why they are remarkably durable and loyal no matter what takes place. You can argue with that as an electoral strategy in a changing America, you can’t argue, though, that his base is as strong a base as any president in modern history.”“Ultimately rallying the base has been the Trump political doctrine from the very beginning,” the Republican strategist Nick Everhart said. “The foundation to the house is the GOP base, they have been first and foremost every step of the way, and that’s why they are remarkably durable and loyal no matter what takes place. You can argue with that as an electoral strategy in a changing America, you can’t argue, though, that his base is as strong a base as any president in modern history.”
During their convention, Democrats paraded moderate or disillusioned Republicans on to the stage to argue that Trump’s takeover of the Republican party had made it untenable for them. The first night of the RNC featured only one Democrat, a member of the Georgia statehouse whose speech was more a denunciation of the Democratic party than an olive branch to anyone curious about Trump.During their convention, Democrats paraded moderate or disillusioned Republicans on to the stage to argue that Trump’s takeover of the Republican party had made it untenable for them. The first night of the RNC featured only one Democrat, a member of the Georgia statehouse whose speech was more a denunciation of the Democratic party than an olive branch to anyone curious about Trump.
And publicly, Republicans hailed it as a success.And publicly, Republicans hailed it as a success.
“It really helped us build momentum for the next three nights leading up to the president’s acceptance speech of course,” the Trump campaign’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said during a Tuesday conference call with reporters. “We drew a very clear contrast and we will continue to draw that.”“It really helped us build momentum for the next three nights leading up to the president’s acceptance speech of course,” the Trump campaign’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said during a Tuesday conference call with reporters. “We drew a very clear contrast and we will continue to draw that.”
Sarah Isgur, who served as a deputy campaign manager for Republican Carly Fiorina’s 2016 presidential campaign, said “the Trump campaign has obviously moved to increase turnout among voters who are already supporting the president”.Sarah Isgur, who served as a deputy campaign manager for Republican Carly Fiorina’s 2016 presidential campaign, said “the Trump campaign has obviously moved to increase turnout among voters who are already supporting the president”.
There was some encouraging metrics for Republicans as of early Tuesday. The first night of the RNC got more views on C-SPpan compared with the DNC, according to TV ratings from Nielsen Media Research. But overall viewership of the first night was lower than the first night of the DNC. There was some encouraging metrics for Republicans as of early Tuesday. The first night of the RNC got more views on C-Span compared with the DNC, according to TV ratings from Nielsen Media Research. But overall viewership of the first night was lower than the first night of the DNC.
Scott Jennings, a former adviser to the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who also served in George W Bush’s administration, argued that the first night showed Republicans were prioritizing portraying Trump’s as a normal presidency overall.Scott Jennings, a former adviser to the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who also served in George W Bush’s administration, argued that the first night showed Republicans were prioritizing portraying Trump’s as a normal presidency overall.
“I just think, to me, this thing is about presenting Trump as a normal center-right Republican president. And I think the back end of the goal here is to present Democrats as an extreme radical leftwing faction and they’re just trying to hide it. So I think that’s the whole deal, it’s that ‘yeah there is a question of normalcy on the ballot, but we’re not the abnormal ones. It’s the Democrats, they just don’t want you to know about it,’” Jennings said.“I just think, to me, this thing is about presenting Trump as a normal center-right Republican president. And I think the back end of the goal here is to present Democrats as an extreme radical leftwing faction and they’re just trying to hide it. So I think that’s the whole deal, it’s that ‘yeah there is a question of normalcy on the ballot, but we’re not the abnormal ones. It’s the Democrats, they just don’t want you to know about it,’” Jennings said.