Republican consultant recaps Trump’s speech, convention on Think Tank
Aug 28, 2020, 1:28 PM
This week it was the Republicans’ turn as they nominated Donald Trump for another term as president.
Republican consultant Paul Bentz spent the week culling the convention speeches for the most illustrative audio clips.
We start with the question: To what extent will the story of the Trump speech be that the president held a nearly 2,000-person event on the front lawn of the White House in the middle of a pandemic? No masks, no virus checks, no social distancing? He no doubt fed off the applause of the adoring crowd. But how will this play with a population that is being admonished wear a mask in public?
Paul identified several recurrent themes in the convention:
- Racial justice and racism. Were they really trying to appeal to minorities, or just giving permission of whites to vote Republican?
- Socialism? Can they make the charge stick against Joe Biden?
- The economy? Can Republicans get the country to ignore the last six months of the pandemic recession when evaluating Trump’s performance in this area? Clearly, they are trying to do just that. Will it work?
- Defund the police? Biden has said he does not favor defunding the police but numerous speakers claimed otherwise. Can they make this stick?
- Other issues: “cancel culture”, appeals to women (notably those wavering Republican suburban women) and more.
The Think Tank airs on KTAR 92.3 FM on Saturdays 3-4 p.m. and Sundays 9-10 p.m.
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