Trending
"Surreal" is a subjective term describing something that is beyond normal reality…like something out of a dream. That is the way it seemed with the special Republican Convention called by President Donald Trump last week in Dallas.
It wasn't a serious political convention with any real substance. It was a Trump pep rally--a call to the MAGA troops not to look at the price of gasoline or the ongoing war in Iran…but to think about all of the good things going on like the new ballroom at the White House, a new arch near the Potomac, or the U.S. getting oil from Venezuela as "the biggest deal in our nation's history,"--the Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson apparently not being considered.
It seemed to be primarily a convention of political deflection combined with self-aggrandizement. Stay away from the real issues like the cost of living, inflation and the price of groceries.
For sure, it was nothing like political conventions from the past where nominees for President and Vice President are made, and a party platform is presented for the general public to consider. This was a "pep rally" pure and simple. "Tell the people to vote as if I were on the ballot…" was the general message from the President.
That is what made the whole Dallas event especially "surreal" to me. That is exactly what the Democrats want the election to be about…the President and his policies. Why would the President even mention that? Either he is a political "genius," as he claims to be…or he just sprung a Democratic trap on himself.
It has to be one or the other. It made no sense to me.
Okay, I am not a particular fan of Mr. Trump. But, still, it was hard to make much sense out of his nearly two-hour rambling speech other than, in his view, he is the greatest President of all time. He promised not to make such a long speech the next night as he had given the convention delegates enough "material" to digest in his comments during the first night.
To me, it all seemed to end up in the category of "you can't make this stuff up!" Yet, it actually happened.
What concerns me more is what the President didn't say…especially as to why the federal government is trying to restrict voting by mail and is demanding to get voter information from the Boards of Election in the various states. The aim here is not to encourage voter participation but to suppress it.
He did propose that if the Republicans win in November that the federal government would send a $5,000 check to all Americans. It is estimated that would cost about a trillion dollars. Who would pay for that was not mentioned…but it would have to be paid for either through increasing debt or taxes upon the same Americans receiving it. Surreal?
There was one other promise made which stretches incredulity, and that is that gasoline prices would come down after the election in November. How that would or could happen was not explained. I doubt that the Iranians were consulted in that regard.
So what was accomplished in Dallas? Many Republicans in tough election races did not attend. For them, the President's negatives now outweigh his positives.
But, maybe he did energize others to get out to vote despite all of the bad news. Only the election results will tell that story.
Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.