The Surreal Republican Convention
in Dallas
"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.
Published in the
Jamestown Post-Journal
September 19, 2026
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