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stanleybmanly's avatar

Did the first night of the GOP convention meet your expectations?

Asked by stanleybmanly (24153points) July 19th, 2016

These things vary in their sophistication, but such gaffes as Mrs. Trump’s speech imbroglio portend grave consequences for amateur nights.

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39 Answers

elbanditoroso's avatar

Absolutely. It was just as ugly, offensive, disorganized, and repellent as I expected. In fact, Giuliani’s speech was perhaps even more disgusting than I was expecting to see.

And to top it off was the Madame Plaigiarist herself…

One couldn’t ask for a better first day.

stanleybmanly's avatar

The shunning of the affair by SO many first string Republican notables is a major hurdle for Trump to clear. The formidable resources in the Republican armory obviously are not behind Trump, otherwise his wife’s plagiarism would have never reached the dais. If there is any element of public relations the party machine has been forced to master, it is in the vigilance required in vetting amateur dummydom.

MollyMcGuire's avatar

I have no expectations and didn’t even know it had started. I not watch any convention coverage for either party. I am completely disconnected from all of the sh*t that is collectively called “the election.” I will vote in November because I believe we’ve no room to complain if we don’t even vote.

Jaxk's avatar

I thought it was quite good. The charge of plagiarism is so trivial as to be laughable. The act to change the rules was a known quantity and it failed which was also predictable. Basically I thought the whole thing was quite enjoyable and entertaining. The democrats have to try and find fault but had little ammunition to do so.

kritiper's avatar

It far outdistanced my expectations! Wow! The RNC (Republican National Circus) just keeps getting better!

stanleybmanly's avatar

The ONlY reason the charge of plagiarism may be trivial is that the people in attendance along with the preponderance of Trump’s supporters lack the sense to appreciate both the significance of the theft and the implications of the bungling. When you consider that the words are not only stolen verbatim, but stolen from the VERY capable wife of the arch devil himself, those Republicans choosing to stay home managed to avoid cameras panning their smiling faces as Mrs. Trump parroted Michelle’s elegant lines to their considerable embarrassment. Has it occurred to anyone else that there are good reasons for Republicans with any hope of a political future to avoid the circus besides a distaste for the Donald? For those Republicans astute enough to understand that both they and their party are better off with Trump defeated, that defeat is far more likely with Trump left to his own devices. The stolen speech tells us that Trump has either been denied “professional” help, or is so arrogant as to believe it unnecessary. In either case, it would be difficult to imagine an individual more in need of sophisticated spinning than our hero.

rojo's avatar

@Jaxk, trivializing it don’t make it right. What is just as disconcerting is the knots they are twisting themselves into to deny it, marginalize it, accept it and, yes, trivialize it. And just as sad is the way they immediately found a way to, in their mind anyway, make it Clintons’ fault. thanks to @zenvelo for the link

Also I don’t think the Dump Trump crowd is through yet, more fireworks to come.

Jeruba's avatar

I thought the Utah delegation’s tantrum was hilarious. And when the chairman walked off the stage, leaving it vacant, Utah sputtered: “There are no rules for this situation!” I could actually sympathize with their frustration. Wonderful drama.

As for Ms. Trump’s speech, it was about the highest concentration of cliches in short sentences that I’ve heard in a while. I couldn’t help noticing how carefully her appearance was calculated, though. And I do remember how eager a segment of the population was to see young, glamorous Jackie Kennedy in the White House after sweet, dowdy old Mamie Eisenhower and instead of poor charmless Pat Nixon. I’m not sure it mattered much what Melania said; she did her part.

I must say, I couldn’t resist writing this part down: the general who spoke after Melania made the observation, “Our country, America, has a unique place in American history.” Damn right.

Jaxk's avatar

What is laughable is the idea that the phrase ‘your word is you bond’ is an original line thought up by Michelle. I’ve heard that said a thousand times. It wasn’t original when Michelle said and it’s not original now. It’s a common colloquialism we’ve all heard many times. It doesn’t belong to anyone.

johnpowell's avatar

http://i.imgur.com/Yzri1KH.png

It is a lot more then just a few words. That shit would have got me kicked out of college.

gondwanalon's avatar

I listened to a few of the speeches on the radio. It had the typical high energy that I expected. It was a bit disappointing that it was so negative. Instead of pointing out how terrible Hillary was as Secretary of State and how bad she would be as President it would have been better to hear how Trump would make things better, and hopeful.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I haven’t watched. Fill me in on the ” Utah delegation’s tantrum” please.

Seek's avatar

Representatives of Queen and The Turtles have come out to say the use of their music for the convention was without permission.

stanleybmanly's avatar

The wife brought up the possibility that the plagiarised speech was an act of deliberate sabotage by a speech writing mole. It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s true. It makes more sense than the thought that anyone could think they might pass off an actual speech by the wife of a sitting President as their own work.

rojo's avatar

Anybody else notice that while Pence claims he is “a Christian, a Conservative and a Republican in that order” he fails to mention that he is an American?

And that, folks, is in a nutshell what is wrong with the Republican party.

rojo's avatar

@Jaxk You are cherry picking. Now let us include ALL of the plagiarized portions and see what we can make of it?

Pachy's avatar

G.O.P. ... Guilty of Plagiarism.

Jaxk's avatar

I haven’t heard much from either the Obamas nor Clintons. That may be because Hilary was accused of plagiarizing from Obama, Michelle was accused of plagiarizing from Saul Alinski, Barrack was accused of plagiarizing from Gov. Deval Patrick and of course Biden had his mishap. I give Melania a pass just because there is nothing new in what she said. Neither in imagery or prose, they were phrases I heard many times and in no way unique. If you choose to scream plagiarism, that’s your call. Let he/she who is without sin, cast the fist stone.

elbanditoroso's avatar

@Jaxk – was that a Freudian slip? “Cast the fist stone”?

Seek's avatar

I’m pretty sure Melania wants no part of being First Lady and is doing what little she can to sabotage the Donald from the inside. She probably hasn’t been allowed to make a decision on what she eats for breakfast since she agreed to marry the troll.

Jaxk's avatar

Good catch. I don’t know if it was Freudian but certainly a slip. Make that ‘first’.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I’m still out as far as my impression of her intelligence. Michelle’s was obvious in 10 seconds. Melania hasn’t needed to be intelligent in the past. I think the comment, “I wrote it myself with as little help as possible…” could mean anything. Could mean she wrote on sentence and that’s all she could do.

I have to give the woman credit, though~She was poised and she did well even if she lacked passion and conviction. It was quite interesting to see the glances she threw around the room. From habit, they were suggestive and flirty, which has always held her in good stead in the past. She was WAY outside of her comfort zone, and I agree with @Seek. The poor woman has absolutely no say in any of this.

I feel sorry for her. When / if Trump loses, he’ll probably blame it on her.

stanleybmanly's avatar

@Seek You crack me up!

stanleybmanly's avatar

I hadn’t considered that Trump’s wife might actually sacrifice herself to save her new country. But this mishap isn’t just a casual coincidental matching of words or phrases. All that is necessary to appreciate this is a single view of the clip where the 2 women speak simultaneously. It might as well be a recitation of the pledge of allegiance. Nope! If Mrs. Trump isn’t out to embarrass her old man, someone did Trump’s wife a great disservice. And when you consider just WHO the speech was stolen FROM, only 2 conclusions are possible. The gaffe is either deliberate or a very great fool is in the employ of the Donald.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@stanleybmanly… were you referring to @Seek‘s comment about Melania having become a robot sex show slave when she married Trump, as the comment that made you crack up?

stanleybmanly's avatar

@Dutchess-III Yes! Only your characterization is equally funny. I doubt if the sex thing figures much in the relationship. The donald is all about “flash”. As a study he’s fascinating. Here’s a guy from old line money with all the taste and refinement you’d expect in some characterization of a cheap gangster. Everything about him is gaudy, crude and tasteless. I mean from his language to his collection of overpriced garish “whorehouse” antiques, the man is unsurpassed for sheer insensitivity to ANYTHING bordering on understatement or refinement. His life amounts to an unending loop recitation on how great he is accompanied by his unyielding predilection for slapping his name on shit.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Well, I don’t find it the least bit funny. It’s probably correct to say it’s her own fault for marrying an asshole, probably just for his money, but she’s suddenly found herself in the middle of something she never, ever expected and certainly never wanted. She’s going to have to rely on giving an impression of intelligence thoughtfulness, which is much harder than just wandering around being pretty and sexy.
I’m thinking of the total lack of respect Trump probably shows her. She could probably deal with it, in the “normal” world, and figured it was worth the trade….but this is different.

stanleybmanly's avatar

I swear if I didn’t live here or have people I care about living here, I would almost wish Trump on the country for the sheer spectacle of it.

Jeruba's avatar

If he’s elected, I wonder how long the law will last that prevents us from putting a living person’s likeness on our currency.

Dutchess_III's avatar

SNORT! True dat! And his face on every billboard in the country. And monuments dedicated to him, and statues of his likeness everywhere.

The man must have NO penis.

stanleybmanly's avatar

@Jaxk The reason you’ve heard nothing from Clinton or the Obamas regarding the purloined speech is not because they also steal the words of others. The truth is that all 3 of them have such mastery of the language that it is ludicrous to even suggest that they might require the need for such stupidity. Stupidity! That’s the other reason the 3 of them are NEVER going to plagiarize anything. No, the reason Clinton and Obama aren’t dogging Trump’s wife is because she’s a civilian. Unlike their opposition, the 3 liberals have the cognitive restraint and class to appreciate that wives and kids are not fair game in political contests. It’s a lesson on decency that is sadly over the heads of what passes for today’s conservatives, and it really is too bad.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Oh, man. It would appear Melania did it herself. She was given a speech by professional writers, and proceeded to tear it apart, herself, and re-write it.

I have so many questions…Did she do it on purpose to sabotage her husband’s bid because she does NOT want to be First Lady? If so, I have to admire her cunning and back bone, plus the fact that she outwitted The Penisless Orange guy.

Or…did she just Google “speeches by famous women,” and thoughtlessly go from there? How is it no one caught it before she gave it? How is it that Donny didn’t catch it? Is it possible that she did rehearse it in front of him and he just didn’t recognize it?

Jaxk's avatar

As it turns out the similar passge came from a conversation between Melania and her speech writer. The speech writer didn’t check it and it got put in. The speech writer has offered her resignation and Trump has refused it. As I said initially, trivial. I don’t expect any facts to change the conversation here, so carry on with your screaming and yelling.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I read that too. I’m glad some one stood up to apologize. Now I bet Melania is just mortified and I feel sorry for her again.

Jeruba's avatar

Maybe she viewed it as an homage and didn’t see anything wrong with it. The line between plagiarism and tribute might be drawn in a different place for some people, maybe depending on where they come from.

Dutchess_III's avatar

That’s a good point @Jeruba. But that takes me back to why in the hell didn’t someone have her back on this? How did everyone miss it? Even if Melania meant well, and didn’t know better, it was a stupid mis-step for others who DO know better to over look.

rojo's avatar

@Jaxk Nobody is screaming and yelling, they are just laughing at the absurdity of it.

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