Overall, not great. I mean that in the normal sense as in, some very bad people talked badly about bad things. But I mean it also in the broken-brained political punditry sense as in, the bad people didn't put on a particularly compelling show likely to move voters. At least, as far as I can tell they didn't. I realize none of this is for my benefit.
What even happened? Let's see.. Don Jr.'s girlfriend yelled really loud at us. Don Jr., himself, appeared to be crying the whole time. Steve Scalise and Nikki Haley spoke in fake southern accents for some reason. Herschel Walker was there. So were Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones and Maryland congressional candidate Kim Klacik in order to make the, "Ha ha who is the real racist now?" joke over and over.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott was supposed to bring that theme home at the end but his speech sounded like it would have put the audience to sleep had there actually been one in the room. Although, it should be said, the Republicans' decision to stage their speakers as though they were addressing a full hall come off a little bit better than the Democrats' hodge podge of Zoom videos filmed from a series of half-lit elementary school rooms.
As for the content, neither side has an edge. The Democrats' message last week was, essentially, empathy.. but helplessness. Everyone's life is hard right now. It feels like it's getting harder. The Democrats get it. But they aren't necessarily promising to do anything about it. The Republicans are selling helplessness too.. but also resentment. While the Democrats feel really bad about the bad things that happen to the poor and vulnerable, Republicans show them open hostility. Either approach amounts to a denial of serious structural problems. Americans prefer to blame individuals for their problems. Our political leaders can either empathize with you or they can yell at you, but don't expect much help.
Is either side "winning" right now? Who knows. I know I'm not the intended audience, but last night the Republicans bored the hell out of me. Guilfoyle's speech was loud and nutty but, on a scale of recent GOP nuttiness, it probably rates about a 5 out of 10. It doesn't even approach Rudy Giuliani's 2016 performance, for example. This Louisiana doctor showed up to tell us about the fantastic job Donald Trump is doing. But who could think that makes any sense?
The United States has failed to contain the coronavirus as effectively as many other developed countries. After experiencing a surge in cases in many parts of the country this spring, the virus roared back in the South in the summer. As of Monday the virus had killed 177,176 people in the U.S., and the country had logged 5.7 million cases.
Support for Trump’s handling of the pandemic has lagged as infections and deaths continue to climb, dropping from 44% approval in March to 31% in an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Monday.
Similarly, Republican speakers talked about all the jobs Trump has brought us. But checking back in with reality, we have to ask, who is this message for?
But nearly half a year later, many of the jobs that were stuck in purgatory are being lost forever. About 33 percent of the employees put on furlough in March were laid off for good by July, according to Gusto, a payroll and benefits firm whose clients include small businesses in all 50 states and D.C. Only 37 percent have been called back to their previous employer.
There were 3.7 million U.S. unemployed who had permanently lost their previous job as of July, according to the Labor Department. That figure doubled from February to June, held steady in July, and is expected to hit between 6.2 million and 8.7 million by late this year, according to a new analysis from economists Gabriel Chodorow-Reich of Harvard University and John Coglianese of the Federal Reserve Board.
Again, I know the audience isn't me but it can't possibly be anyone experiencing the agony of job loss or death of a loved one by COVID either. Can it? Likely both parties are talking to a narrow strip of voters who see themselves as insulated from the worst of the pandemic; the wealthy, sure, but also middle class people with relatively secure jobs they can do from home. Only that population is likely to see any of this empty showmanship and mistake it for substance. Anyone else can only despair.
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