Some people might not like the Republican National Convention. I’m not a big fan of the extended music breaks, and some speakers gave lackluster speeches. Yet, no event is perfect. What is noticeable is the change the Republican Party has undergone since Donald Trump became the 2016 nominee.
Pollster Frank Luntz tweeted about what he saw at this year’s convention:
Last night, voters saw a Republican Party that they (and I) have never seen before.
A stage filled with hardworking taxpayers, African-Americans, working women, union members, and delegates dancing in the aisles. Speeches bashing Corporate America and the status quo.
We witnessed the realignment of American politics, Trump-style.
And to the shock of no one, the “everyday Americans” speeches, which outlined those struggling to make ends meet in Joe Biden’s America, were not aired by the major networks:
Luntz highlighted what others have noted about the GOP base. It’s becoming comprised of members who sport bluer collars. The trend of non-white working-class voters entering the ranks is also prevalent here. It’s a new day for the GOP, one that fails to be pigeonholed by the liberal media who will not know what to do when they attack Republicans in the future if these trends hold.
The neo-populist takeover is a winner, though not everyone is pleased. Amber Rose delivered a solid speech Monday night about starting out being anti-Trump but later understanding the MAGA movement and finally becoming someone who will back the former president in 2024. The social conservative tenets are virtually no more, like the planks about abortion, though Roe v. Wade has been overturned.
We’ll revisit those for sure, but for now, we must win first in November. Having heartburn over the party’s changes, the old guard needs to get a grip because the old ways aren’t coming back. The McCain-Romney-Ryan days are over. It’s ‘Donald Trumps’ from here on out.
