If I had one word to describe this past week, I would definitely say it’s been a melodramatic one. From Ted Cruz being booed to allegations of Melania Trump’s speech being plagiarized to four phenomenal speeches delivered by Trump’s four kids, it’s been a very melodramatic and action-packed week. Never has the media been so wrong about someone for so long. The Republican National Convention was held in Cleveland with over 50,000 visitors and over 16,000 hotel rooms booked for the week. A political convention is an event where the party’s official nomination for president is announced. The key takeaway from the convention was that there is only one thing that unites the Republican Party: Hillary Clinton. Yes, Hillary Clinton. Not one day went by where a speaker didn’t hurl mouthfuls against her. Every Clinton remark resulted in crowds shouting slogans at her. The most common ones were “Hillary for Prison” and “Lock her up,” among others.
Donald Trump broke the tradition and showed up each of the four days before he officially accepted the nomination. His first appearance was to introduce his wife to deliver one of the most anticipated speeches of the convention. She began by talking about her humble beginnings in Slovenia and that one has to work hard to reap the fruits of success. Allegations surfaced that portions of her speech were taken from Michelle Obama’s speech from 2008. Although denied initially, the Trump campaign later released a statement acknowledging that parts of her speech were indeed plagiarized. That wasn’t the only controversy at the convention. Ted Cruz being booed after failing to honor a pledge he signed is just awful. I see it as a political suicide, while some might argue that it was a calculated risk. If Trump fails to win the election in November, Cruz can lead the conservative movement in Washington. Regardless, it speaks volumes about his character and the reason he has very few friends in Washington.
The next big thing was Mike Pence’s introduction to the world. He described his childhood as “growing up on the front seat of the American dream.” He’s a Christian, conservative and a Republican, in that order. The current governor of Indiana talked about his achievements in the Hoosier state: tax cuts, a balanced budget, significant increase in jobs, among others. On his partnership with Trump, he added, “You know, he’s a man known for his large personality, a colorful style and lots of charisma, and so, well, I guess he was looking for someone to balance the ticket." His subtle humor was well cheered and his persona was well admired by one and all. Pence is everything that Trump lacks and seems to fit in just perfect. He operates cautiously but enforces them ruthlessly and has time and again proved that conservative principles do work if put into place the right way.
Last but not the least, Ivanka Trump delivered the most impressive and flamboyant speech before introducing her father, Donald Trump. He went on to “humbly and gracefully” accept the nomination for the president of the United States of America. His 75-minute speech was the longest in the convention history and touched every single issue plaguing the country and his proposal, if elected president. I will not get into details of his speech, as that would be an article on its own.
Stay tuned for Weekly Digest Part II next week: an article on the Democratic National Convention!
