What Went Down On Night 2 Of The RNC

RNC responding to the DNC’s Rhode Island calamari chef with a Maine lobsterman.

A little more context on the relationship between the president-party relationship. Balancing the party politics and the governance aspect of the job is always tricky, of course. Until the 1930s, presidential nominees usually stayed away from conventions, letting others in their parties make their cases for them. For incumbent presidents, there are reasons to emphasize their status as a national leader rather than a party figure. While their opponents campaign, they can look presidential. That might be what Trump is trying to do by signing a pardon during the convention. But it seems like it might be received as bringing party politics too close to the president’s role as a Constitutional officer, rather than infusing the election with the seriousness of the presidency.

Yeah, Clare. Politico published leaked audio a few days ago from 2016 where Trump said that, “Many Blacks didn’t go out to vote for Hillary ‘cause they liked me. That was almost as good as getting the vote, you know, and it was great.” That same strategy seems to be on full display here in 2020.