07-22-2016, 10:51 AM
(07-22-2016, 05:38 AM)Duchess Wrote: I didn't watch the speech and this morning I went straight to the fact checking that is done by a number of sites. He's a lying cocksucka and I'm ready with the facts for anyone who chooses to engage me on this today. *flexes*
I think you have to listen to the speech, from the mindset of those who see things differently than you, in order to gauge it's effectiveness.
It was dark and full of absolute promises with little detail on the "how" and no acknowledgement that Trump would have to transfer some state powers to the Executive branch of the Federal government to do what he promises he'll do. It was very authoritarian dictatorish, in my opinion.
But, if you listen to people from around the country, especially disgruntled blue collar white people, there are millions who absolutely vote based on their immediate fears/emotions. Facts don't matter to them and they'll write facts and stats off as 'liberal talking points' or 'PC rhetoric'. Trump is reflecting and exaggerating their fears. That's music to their ears; he's legitimizing their fears and biases (largely irrational fears and biases, in my opinion, but they don't give a crap about my opinion any more than they care about facts and realistic policy discussion).
In his speech and attempt to brand himself the "Law and Order Candidate", Trump also pandered to the NRA, gun-enthusiasts and police officers. I think many in those groups believe that the government is against them and Trump really is "their voice".
Before his speech, two remarkable things happened in the context of a modern-day Republican convention. First, a gay Silicon Valley CEO billionaire got a round of applause for saying he's proud to be gay and that where people go to the bathroom is not an issue anyone should care about. I'm familiar with that CEO, he's a nutbag who doesn't believe in democracy because he believes it cramps Capitalism and he's focused on live-forever technology. But, he was right about the establishment Republicans putting off too many Independents and moderate/young would-be Republicans with their anti-gay and anti-diversity obsession. Trump himself bucked the GOP establishment and its agreed-to platform by reinforcing the CEO's point and directly appealing to the LBGTQ communities and their supporters in his speech.
Between the speeches of the gay CEO and her father, Ivanka Trump took the stage and told a room full of Republican zealots that she's an Independent. She spoke about how Trump's companies have more female than male executives, how they're paid equally, and how they're supported rather than left behind if they become mothers. She promised that her father would change the labor laws to make equal pay for women across the country a reality and affordable/accessible childcare available to all. She was trying hard to position the Trumps as "blue collar billionaires" and not elitists. From my perspective, she was obviously targeting Republican women who haven't been able to get behind Trump, and targeting female Sanders' supporters, and targeting undecided women, and targeting people in the hold-your-nose-and-vote-for-Hillary camp. I don't know if she was successful or not.
Clinton, in my view, needs to modernize her approach and work some excitement into her campaign. I can see some young women/people viewing Ivanka Trump as a Hillary Clinton alternative, even though I personally think that's naive and I'm very turned off by the thought of a Trump dynasty running our government. The 'Trump kids' thing is rubbing me way wrong, but apparently it's hitting the spot for a lot of Republicans who were previously Trump hold outs.