Well, and it turns out Your Humble Blogger did watch/listen to the RNC afternoon show today. I'll pass along my largely unedited notes:
Steve King: quotes Newt. Tries to get applause for Jesse Owens, but no-one was listening. Applause for RWR, though. "We are the thumping sound of an American heartbeat, pounding for change." Let’s make some noise!
Frank Jackson (mayor of Cleveland) Not a big round of applause for the Cavs. I find his accent odd and not very Cleveland, but I don’t know exactly why. Wikipedia tells me he’s got an African-American father. I wouldn’t know to look at him. Talk about community.
Armond Budish, Cuyahoga County Executive. A Democrat. SwatAlum.
The band is playing "Cleveland Rocks". They’re not bad, actually, although of course they’re a blues band of middle-aged white guys. I feel like I should know who they are. Now, they’re playing Eminence Front; I assume because it was the WWF theme back in the day. Maybe. Maybe it’s the only song they could think of with a "come and join the Party" repeat. Now the house is a-rocking, so I won’t bother knocking.
Jeff Larson, CEO of the Con. Did a nice bit thanking his family for supporting him as he spent all the time on work.
David Gilbert, host committee. Actually a pretty good speech, tbqh.
Resolution from the floor to thank and appreciate the RNC’s work, a young African-American man from Virginia. Kinda sweet.
Larry Householder. Former OH Speaker of the House, speaking to honor Voinovich and Bob Bennett (the Ohio one, not the Utah one). Worth doing. Now a video in their honor. Now a moment of silence and an In Memoriam name scoll. (Sharon Day, hosting)
Michigan AG Bill Schuette (pronounced Shootie). Talking about Flint, MI. "Justice is coming to Flint!" He’s running for Gov, I guess.
Matt Walter, Republican State Leadership Committee. So young. Must be older than he looks, though. Lots of states-v-DC stuff.
Linda Lingle, former HI-Gov. "The last eight years have been a wake-up call to American Jews." Says that Dems are divided on the legitimacy of Israel. Says that in four out of the last five elections, American Jews have voted for the Republicans "in increasing numbers".
David Avella, GOPAC. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is about local/state elections, seems to follow on from Matt Walter, not the previous speaker. Very shouty, this guy.
AZ State Senator Kimberly Yee. First Asian-American woman elected to the AZ State leg. Values of everyday hard-working Americans. Citizen legislator. Quite sing-songish, with awkward gestures. First mention of ’protect life’ that I caught.
CO state rep Libby Szabo (Latino) My American dream. Seems very serious, in contrast to last one who was more smily. "Never given to us; we earned it." Mention of Hillary Clinton’s pantsuit.
Alexandra Smith, Chair College Republicans. Wow, high energy, blinding smile. We are the new face of the Grand Old Party. Millenials cost us the White House four years ago. We are some crazy freedom-loving people! Too much old and not enough grand. Another mention of "top-down", there have been a lot of those.
Charlie Kirk, founder and exec director of Turning Point USA. Most diverse Presidential candidate field ever. Latino candidates, South Asians… young governors. Who is the party of youth and diversity? We are the party of youth and diversity. Not the democrats. He’s a white guy, by the way. Believes in meritocracy. Didn’t mention Trump.
National Federation of Republican Women video. Nicely diverse and so forth. Physical diversity. And then a whole bunch of white women in expensive-looking suits. In the final image of a bunch of folk, apparently all white. But mostly, just a clumsy ad.
Carrie Almond, president of NFWR. Donated such and so million volunteer hours. "Hillary Clinton does not speak for all women."
Missed Dennis W. Cook, head of Young Republicans. He’s married, has a kid. Just saying.
Mick Cornett, mayor of Oklahoma City. Republican mayors in 150 cities. Republican mayors are restoring the middle class. Republican mayors are restoring the American dream.
Ray Valdes, National Conference of Republican County Officials. I love his necktie. Not sure about the red jacket, though. More emphasis on the most effective government being local—sorry, closest to the people.
Band playing Rush’s "Limelight". I can’t even.
Video with Republican governors signing a poster saying "American Comeback". Pretty good, actually. Edited like an ad, but whatever. I know the theme that the answers are not in Washington is a long-standing one, but under the circumstances it really sounds like they are saying don’t look at the guy at the top of the ticket. Very long, but in the context of the convention it scarcely matters, since it’ll be followed by another speech anyway.
NRSC Chair Roger Wicker (Sen-Mississippi) Americans deserve to see greatness again because we live in the greatest country the world has ever known. Thirty-something Senate Bills signed into law this session. We’re connecting with young people on social media platforms which Democrats are ignoring. Opioid addiction. Zika. Repeal and replace! Refused to settle for gridlock. Stakes are high. Introducing Senator Pat Roberts.
Senator Pat Roberts. Talking about something I missed. John Wesley Roberts? Something to do with Bleeding Kansas, I think. His Great-grandfather? Wish I had followed it. Talked about Benghazi. Talked about, I think, gay marriage, identity politics, BLM as dividing the nation. Nice words for Pence. "We need a builder and a doer. We need Donald Trump." I’m afraid that’s the Old White Guy stereotype of everything going to hell these days, not like in the good old days. His great-grandfather’s days, I suppose.
Band again. Dunno what the first song was, but they’re doing "My Sharona" now. Putting tweets (I guess) up on the big screen, which is cool. Also much video of middle-aged white folk dancing to the band.
Greg Walden (rep-OR) . Chair NRCC. Talking about the House Republicans. ObamaCare. Democrats are the party of the failed status quo, especially on healthcare. Complains about public land stewardship.
Band is back with Bowie’s "Station to Station". "How Sweet it Is", mostly an instrumental, sax and B3. Then an instrumental I totally recognized but can’t think of what it is. Then "Stay with Me." Oh, of course, the bandleader/guitarist is G.E. Smith. I didn’t recognize him. Weak.
Priebus introducing the Credentials committee guy. I missed who it was. Not terribly interesting stuff. They aren’t refusing to seat big chunks of people. Makes some serious-faced criticism of some balloting and does some business. Priebus comes back and brings on Mary Buestrin (?) national committeewoman to do a resolution to adopt the recommendation of the committee on Permananent Organizations. Then she brings up Hayley Barbour.
"Stay with Me" "You Shook Me All Night Long" "Eight Days a Week". In truth, I don’t hate this band.
Steve Womack introduces chair of the rules committee, Enid Mickelsen. There’s a lot of shouting on the floor, but of course Womack says that the ayes have it, and then when they ask someone to make the resolution, there’s quite. Now there’s chanting of "Roll Call Vote", but it dies down after a while. Picks back up. Others chant "U-S-A". There’s a legit demonstration on the floor of the convention. CO delegation walks out. Band starts playing again. Well, that was fun. Womack comes back. Reminds the hall that it is absolutely critical that we are able to discern the ayes from the nays. Doing the voice again. Ayes sound like they are in majority, but who knows… Womack says the ayes have it. A break. Womack asks if anyone is seeking recognition. Bill Ryan (?) chair of Utah delegation moves for a roll call vote. Womack says 9 states requests, but 3 states dropped out. Chair finds insufficient support for a recorded vote.
Now to the platform committee. John Barrasso (Sen-Wyoming) "Who’s proud to be an American!" and the floor demonstration was over. "People are the ultimate resource." Mmmmmm, soylent green.
Virginia Foxx, on the platform. We the people, be the people. I like this speech. I mean, not the content, but the form. Ends with "May Gd continue to bless us all".
The picture. That’s a strange moment.
Mark Burns (a pastor from South Carolina) gives the benediction. A black man. Loves Donald Trump. "That we together can defeat the liberal Democratic Party that keeps us divided and not united because we are the United States of America and we are the conservative party under God to defeat every attack that comes against us." "Protect the life of Donald Trump." Much fiercer than I think of a benediction as being, but whatevs, you know?
Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.