Final thoughts on RNC Class at JCU

    After wrapping up the three week 2016 RNC class at John Carroll University, I have many things to reflect on. First, I learned a lot. I learned more than I was anticipating on learning. Politics was always second nature to me, so learning about journalism was really cool. I watch, read and share media everyday, but never really gave a thought as to who was behind it, until now.
    When I learned I would have to blog in this class I was a little bit intimidated. Being someone who had never even read a blog, I felt hopeless in the beginning. After blogging the first two weeks my confidence and ideas started to build. My self conscious kicked in when I tended to be bias in one of my blogs, which is one of the seven deadly sins as a journalist.
    Dr. Swearingen and Dr. Buchanan lead this course wonderfully. Political science and communications do not seem to have a ton of overlap at first thought, but after taking this course I have learned one would fail without the other. Politics would have no publicity and journalist would have no story. Although this Summer course was fast and super condensed, I took a lot away from it. This class gave me the opportunity to be more involved with the RNC than I would have been on my own.
    This RNC course has made me think critically about conventions. I think more analytically of the speeches and platforms of the parties. I look more into media and how it is either portraying the truth or a hidden agenda. I realize how hard it is being a journalist and a politician. Due to human nature, everyone tends to sway a certain way on certain issues. The journalists and politicians that can put their own feelings to the side for the greater good of the community gain my highest respects. The most important overlap I would love to see between the two is telling and reporting the truth.
    I went into this course not knowing what to expect, and I left this course with more knowledge on subjects I didn't even know I was interested in. I have nothing but the biggest thank you for the professors and my classmates that have shared so much with me over the last few weeks and have given me new experiences and new ideas to think about. Seeing and hearing other people's perspectives and thoughts on things really makes an individual think different. I think about all things from both sides, and try to find an overlap if there is one. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the history that was made in Cleveland!

Final Day of the DNC

Today was the final day of the DNC. The balloons fell in Philly right after Mrs. Hillary Clinton made history giving her acceptance speech as the first ever woman presidential nominee.

Hillary's acceptance speech included her platform, her goals, and of course, some anti-Trump rhetoric. Clinton paved the way for Democrats who are still on the fence about this election. Following Obama's speech praising Hillary in every aspect, it is hard for someone not to feel better about voting for someone who had so much controversy swirling around her and her emails.
Hillary is really going after Bernie Sander's voters after her formal acceptance of the Democratic nominee. According to Matt Flegenheimer of New York Times, he shares an observation of the night. Flegenheimer says "Demonstrations inside and outside the convention hall this week made clear that Mrs. Clinton had some work to do to persuade at least some die-hard supporters of Mr. Sanders.
On Thursday, she seemed to acknowledge as much, quickly addressing them directly with a simple message: I hear you. 'Your cause is our cause,' she said, thanking Mr. Sanders for placing issues of economic and social justice 'front and center, where they belong.' Total unity has been elusive, and could remain so. As Mrs. Clinton accepted the nomination, some Sanders delegates stood stone-faced, occasionally booing or silently protesting" (Flegenheimer 2016). Bernie Sanders really held out through the entire campaign with many supporters following faithfully behind him. In my opinion, if Hillary can gain these supporters, the race would be more in her favor.

Bill Clinton loves balloons... too much. The majority of articles I have read and seen all include Bill Clinton playing with balloons as compared to the actual speeches and milestones that have went down at the conference.

Hillary's daughter Chelsea also spoke at the convention today. The majority of the articles I have found talk about post-baby body for Chelsea, instead of the important things, such as the context of her speech. Chelsea talks about her mother and the leader she has always been. This is very similar to Ivanka Trump's speech about her father, Donald Trump. Chelsea discusses why her mother would be a great president and how she has served our country.

Hillary made history tonight. Hillary Clinton is the first ever woman in history to ever accept the nomination of any political party. Sierra Marquina of US weekly shared this. "Clinton addressed her historic accomplishment, saying, 'Tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march toward a more perfect union: the first time that a major party has nominated a woman for president. Standing here as my mother's daughter, and my daughter's mother, I'm so happy this day has come. Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between. I'm happy for boys and men because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. 'After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit. So let's keep going, until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves'" (Marquina 2016). Hillary spoke in her speech how she has helped lead this country, and how she will continue to lead it through her term as President if she gets elected. Of course, no speech would be good without throwing a little shade on the enemy. Clinton of course made several comments about Donald Trump. But in her defense, Trump did the same to her.

With Katy Perry performing, I felt as if I was watching a concert on tv or the super bowl, not a political event. I found it very interesting the amount of celebrities that came out and endorsed Hillary Clinton, and not as many political speeches as I would have thought.

Compared to Cleveland, Philadelphia in terms of protests was much more something to report about. More people got arrested and more violence broke out. Both cities handled the convention well, but from what people have been saying, Cleveland is just simply better.

Works Cited
Flegenheimer, Matt. "Democratic Convention Day 4 Takeaways: Over? She’s Just Starting." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 July 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.
Marquina, Sierra. "Democratic National Convention Day Four: Everything That Happened During Hillary Clinton's Speech." Us Weekly. N.p., 28 July 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

DNC Day 3

    Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention was held 7/27. Tonight was the night of bashing Donald Trump.

    President Obama spoke tonight at the convention. Obama's speech was the most anticipated of the night, and also received the most attention and praise. According to Barney Henderson and David Lawler of the Telegraph they share the major theme of Obama's speech. They say "Barack Obama lent all of his oratorical talents to the cause of electing Hillary Clinton as his successor on Wednesday night, imploring America to choose hope over the fear-mongering of Donald Trump. He painted Mr Trump as dangerous and unworthy of the presidency, and said he was ready to 'pass the baton' to Mrs Clinton. 'This year, in this election, I’m asking you to join me – to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what’s best in us, to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation,' he said. His speech was met with rapturous applause in the convention hall, and he was himself met on stage after its conclusion by a beaming Mrs Clinton"(Henderson/Lawler 2016). Current President Obama made the statement that Hillary Clinton was the most qualified person for this job, even over himself and Clinton's husband, previous President, Bill Clinton. Barney Henderson and David Lawler go on to say "But it was Mr. Obama whose speech will be replayed over and over again by the Clinton campaign between now and November. 'Even in the middle of crisis, she listens to people, and keeps her cool, and treats everybody with respect. And no matter how daunting the odds; no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits,' he said of Mrs Clinton (Henderson/Lawler 2016). President Obama really gave Hillary Clinton a huge boost in the election in my opinion. Barack Obama is considered the greatest President America ever had, according to some people. During Obama's speech, people in the audience were in tears and the applause was much more tremendous compared to the speeches at the Republican National Convention.
    Vice President Joe Biden also spoke tonight. Biden said about Trump "His cynicism and undoubtedly his lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in that phrase he is most proud of making famous: 'You're fired',"..."This is America" Biden yelled pounding his fists on the podium. This act of anger and frustration looks more like a beacon of hope for America to Democrats. With the great emotion provided by Biden, there is still the sense of hope for Democrats. Biden, in my opinion is implying Donald Trump is not America(n), or his policies and ideas at least. Jonathon Tamari of Philly.com says " Biden noted that Trump made the phrase 'you're fired' famous and called his paeans to the middle class 'malarkey.' Trump has put states like Pennsylvania in play because of his strong appeal to working class workers. Democrats say they plan to undercut that strength by shining a light on Trump's record. Biden began that work in a forceful way Wednesday night" (Tamari 2016). The battle between Republicans and Democrats is really starting to boil over. These conventions have turned into anti the opponent and never pro the respected candidate. 

    Many delegates, protesters, etc. have expressed their feelings in wanting to come back to Cleveland. From Twitter to local papers, the National Conventions are raving about Cleveland. Cleveland has turned into the city of peaceful nature and has given the sense of calm and organized, compared to Philadelphia. 

Works Cited
Biden, Joe. "DNC Day 3." DNC Day 3. Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia. 27 July 2016. Speech.
Henderson, Barney, and David Lawler. "Democratic National Convention Day 3: Barack Obama Implores America to Chose Hillary Clinton and 'hope' over Donald Trump and 'fear'" The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 28 July 2016. Web. 28 July 2016.
Tamari, Jonathan. "DNC Day 3 Takeaways: Obama, Biden Come out Swinging." Philly.com. N.p., 27 July 2016. Web. 28 July 2016.

DNC Day 2

    The second day of the DNC was held on 7/26 in Philadelphia. Today history was made. Hillary Clinton, after formally accepting the Democratic nomination, is the first woman in history to ever hold a nominee position.

    Bill Clinton was one of the many speakers that spoke today. New York times share in their article, Democratic Convention Day 2 Takeaways: History is Made, an understanding of Bill Clinton's speech. New York Times says "Former President Bill Clinton’s speech offered an intimate tribute to Mrs. Clinton, describing for a rapt audience their courtship and early marriage — and their upward climb together in politics.His most telling praise, however, was about Mrs. Clinton’s grit as a reformer. With Donald J. Trump casting the 2016 election as a choice between drastic change and an unhappy status quo, the former president insisted that Mrs. Clinton, rather than her opponent, is best prepared to wrest change from an unwilling system"(New York Times 2016). This speech in comparison to Trump's spouse differs a bit, but not by much. Clinton shared more personal stories than Trump did in her speech about her spouse. Since Clinton is one of America's most loved former presidents, this is hard to look at the comparison of spouses. Melania Trump got hell for a plagiarized speech, while Clinton exaggerated and gave inaccurate information in his speech, but yet, no one really bat an eye over it. 

However, some of the speakers were not exactly accurate or truthful in things they have said in their speeches. According to NBC's article Fact Check: DNC Day 2, they share the following:

• Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean claimed that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “whole” health care plan was to replace the Affordable Care Act with “quote, ‘Something so much better.'” In fact, Trump has released a seven-point health care plan
• Bill Clinton said that the United States’ approval rating soared 20 percentage points during the time that Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. But analyses of the U.S.’s global ratings don’t support such a claim.
• Former Attorney General Eric Holder said “1 in 3 black men will be incarcerated in their lifetimes,” an outdated projection based on the incarceration rate for black males as of 2001. That rate has declined since then.
• Bill Clinton said that Arkansas schools went from “worst” when he started as governor to one of two “most improved,” and he gave Hillary Clinton much of the credit. The record is mixed: An expert did say in 1992 that the state had made progress, but the The York Times reported then that the state was “still near the bottom in most national ratings.”
• Sen. Barbara Boxer repeated a convention talking point, claiming that Trump said that “wages are too high.” He was talking about a $15 minimum wage being too high.
• Dean said that GOP vice presidential candidate Mike Pence “voted to end Medicare as we know it.” Pence did vote for a budget plan that called for a major change to Medicare, but it would have retained a health insurance system for seniors.      

Source: Fact Check: DNC Day 2 | NBC Bay 

These various exaggerations about multiple issues is absolutely unacceptable. Lying to promote a candidate is absolutely disgusting, but, that is the only way you can win. Everyone is so quick to talk about all the great things Mrs.Clinton did, but yet all the bad falls on deaf ears.

    Many people that did speak today were celebrities or actresses; very different from the RNC. The RNC did struggle for speakers, but in my personal opinion, filling speaking roles up with people who are simply in movies is not a great way to get a point across. I felt like I was watching more of an award show compared to a political event. 

Many people have complained about Philadelphia and raved about Cleveland in comparison. Many people are saying the logistics in Philadelphia are nothing compared to Cleveland. The people of Cleveland have also made a lasting impression. Day 3 will include President Barack Obama talking. More to come tomorrow.
Works Cited
Burns, Alexander. "Democratic Convention Day 2 Takeaways: History Is Made." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 July 2016. Web. 27 July 2016.
Kiely, Eugene. "Fact Check: DNC Day 2." NBC Bay Area. N.p., 27 July 2016. Web. 27 July 2016.

Day One of the DNC

Monday July 25th was the first day of the Democratic National Convention. The DNC this year is being held in historic Philadelphia.

According to Glenn Thrush of Politico, he elaborates about Bernie in his article, 5 takeaways from day 1 of the DNC. Thrush shares "Bernie is pro-Hillary (But he’s a little more anti-Trump). The Vermont senator, who appeared at a joint rally with Clinton in New Hampshire earlier this month (long after he was mathematically eliminated from contention) was passionate in his summons to defeat the surging GOP nominee. He was thunderous in his praise for the millions of Americans who backed his revolution — and in attacking what he called 'the grotesque level of income inequality in America.'"(Thrush 2016). While the RNC was all about anti-Hillary and not so much pro-Trump; the DNC is turning out to be very pro-Hillary. Bernie Sanders is very interesting to me. This election is no longer about the betterment for America, this election is simply a battle of the parties trying to gain more momentum in the government. As most elections are like this, I feel in the past that the nominee's actually somewhat cared about the American people, but now, we the people are disregarded.

Michelle Obama spoke for the first night of the convention. Sunlen Serfaty and Eric Bradner of CNN Politics share a quote from Mrs.Obama's speech. Michelle Obama says "'Don't let anyone tell you that this country isn't great. This right now is the greatest country on earth,' the first lady said" they go on to say "Obama electrified the crowd at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, taking the stage just after 10 p.m. ET and -- in a departure from the political attacks on display all day -- making the case that, because of her character and temperament, Clinton is the role model she'd like her daughters to see in the Oval Office. Even Trump, who Obama was implicitly criticizing, praised her remarks"(Serfaty/Bradner 2016). Unlike Melania Trump's speech, Michelle Obama made her speech very personal. Obama shared personal stories and memories of her family in the White House, while Melania shared nothing super personal. Her statement about America being great is something I would have to disagree with. When was there ever a period in time that America was great for every single individual? Every minority, majority, and group? Never. I think America is great in comparison to other countries, but we as a whole still have a ton of work to do.

The media is also focusing a lot on the protesters of Philadelphia. Unlike Cleveland, there are hundreds more people in the city outraged at the current political situation the United States is currently in. Just as in Cleveland, there was also a flag burning in Philadelphia. Many people are at a dismay now that Bernie Sanders is officially out of the race and has endorsed Hillary Clinton. I feel there is more tension at the DNC simply for this fact.


It is also truly interesting that while the RNC was having to put in music to fill gaps due to lack of speeches, the Democrats are facing the opposite problem. The DNC is worried about having to make more time due to the over abundance of speakers. As Hillary Clinton is almost as unpopular as Mr. Donald Trump, the Democrats have an outpouring of support.


Works Cited
Serfaty, Sunlen, and Eric Bradner. "Michelle Obama: 'When They Go Low, We Go High'" CNN. Cable News Network, 26 July 2016. Web. 26 July 2016.
Thrush, Glenn. "5 Takeaways from Day 1 of the DNC." POLITICO. N.p., 26 July 2016. Web. 26 July 2016.

Final day of RNC

     The final day of the RNC was held Thursday. With Trump being the only Republican left running, he was the obvious choice to be the nominee. Ted Cruz, although talking at the RNC, did not endorse Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. I respect Ted Cruz's stance and he has also gained a higher respect from me by supporting the party, not the person. Trump talked about unifying the party in his speech, and the first step in doing so is to respect the GOP in every aspect.
    Donald Trump gave his acceptance speech for the Republican nominee. According to Michael D. Shea and Nick Corasaniti of New York Times, they share a personal view of Trump's acceptance speech. The two writers describe the speech by saying "With dark imagery and an almost angry tone, Mr. Trump portrayed the United States as a diminished and even humiliated nation, and offered himself as an all-powerful savior who could resurrect the country’s standing in the eyes of both enemies and law-abiding Americans" (Shea/Corasaniti 2016). I have to agree with these two writers on this view of Donald Trump's acceptance speech. The speech was somewhat predicted, in a way. Trump basically took everything he has been saying and just reiterated it in a longer format.
    Ivanka Trump shocked me as well as sparked my interest. As compared to Step Mom Melania Trump, in my personal opinion, I think Ivanka Trump is a great role model for women and young girls. Ivanka Trump embodies what it is for hard work for females. TIME Magazine shared a snip it of Ivanka's speech. Will Drabold of TIME reports from the speech "I’ve learned a lot about the world from walking construction jobs by his side. When run properly, construction sites are true meritocracies. Competence in the building trades is easy to spot and incompetence is impossible to hide. (APPLAUSE) These sites are also incredible melting pots, gathering people from all walks of life and uniting them to work towards a single mission. There have always been men of all background and ethnicities on my father’s job sites. And long before it was common place, you also saw women" (Drabold 2016). Ivanka continues on to share her own desire for entrepreneurship through her own clothing business. Ivanka Trump wore a dress from her own line costing about $138. Compared to step-mom Melania, who was wearing a 2,000+ designer outfit. This to me shows just how down to Earth Ivanka is and just how great of a role model she is. Ivanka also gave personal insights into her life growing up with Donald Trump as Dad. I think it is very noble of Ivanka to have written her own speech, and not relied on someone putting her own feelings into words. After the scandal with Melania Trump, I think this was a very safe, and smart choice. Ivanka Trump has gained my highest respect and interest of the night. Talking especially about the gender wage gap, and how she makes sure her father will follow through if he becomes president makes me believe in the words she has said. Bravo to Ivanka Trump for the night
    As for the city of Cleveland, we did an excellent job in keeping order. There were no huge protests or riots, there was no killing or inappropriate treating of anyone, the city was peaceful.

Works Cited
Drabold, Will. "Read Ivanka Trump's Speech at the Republican Convention." Time. Time, 21 July 2016. Web. 21 July 2016.
Shear, Michael D., and Nick Corasaniti. "Republican Convention Night 4: What You Missed." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 July 2016. Web. 21 July 2016.

RNC Day 3

    Today was the third day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Donald Trump made a grand entrance by helicopter entering the city of Cleveland. I find this very odd. For someone who has a convention here, and is trying to gain the vote of middle and lower class citizens, why is Trump not staying in Cleveland? It is very interesting that Trump is talking about rebuilding America up, but has not visited any of the surrounding neighborhoods to Cleveland. The surrounding cities of Cleveland have some of the worst house blight in the countries. Most presidential nominees, I feel would take somewhat of an interest in the city they are staying in, and not just flying back to New York every night and not worrying about the little people. Those people who there are votes wanted from, but takes no interest in their lives or living conditions.

    Ted Cruz, former hopeful Republican candidate, spoke at tonight's meeting. According to David Graham of the Atlantic, he shares his thoughts from the night. Graham says "The applause was Cruz’s reward for appearing at the Republican National Convention hosted by Donald Trump. The boos were his penalty for refusing to endorse Trump during the speech. It was the latest stunning turn at a convention that remains stubbornly fractured, despite pleas to paper over differences on three straight nights. The GOP simply isn’t ready to unify" (Graham 2016). This is a very interesting statement because of the last line, "The GOP simply isn't ready to unify". I find this very interesting because over the past few months, all the Trump campaign has been saying is how they are ready to unify the party. My question to this is 'Do we really need every single person in the party to agree (which is almost impossible), or will the majority be sufficient enough'? Cruz's speech was a very highly anticipated speech due to the constant tension between Trump and Cruz during both of their campaigns. From the arguing on stage during debates to calling each other out on multiple things in private interviews, these two were never at peace. The fact that Ted Cruz even showed up at the convention gains my highest respect. The tremendous hatred between Trump and Cruz is almost palpable. John Kasich was never a major competitor in this election, and was never a direct enemy of another candidate. I still find it utterly embarrassing that John Kasich can't even represent his own home, while someone who was at a constant battle with Donald Trump can still stand up in front of everyone and give a speech. It's not supporting the person, it's supporting the party. John Kasich has embarrassed Ohio by his own petty childishness. Party support, in my opinion is the most important thing. If the party has a majority, things will go in that way in which the party wants, the representative/person will have to oblige as it is the majority of the party in favor. 

    Another major highlight of the night was the final speech by Trump's running mate, Mike Pence. Pence formally accepted the nomination as the Republican candidate for Vice President. Ted Cruz in his speech made a comment about LeBron James bringing a huge comeback victory, just as Cruz believes America will. I find this comment to be so appropriate, and that Cruz shows an actual interest in the city. Cruz was most concerned about the party, not the nominee, which I believe is the number one priority. Nothing out of Mike Pence's speech I can think of that really stood out or was super prominent in my opinion. Donovan Slack of USA Today shares "After Mike Pence delivered a well-received debut speech as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Donald Trump joined him on stage and engaged in what MUST be one of the most awkward such encounters in recent history" (Slack 2016). Which he is right, this was a very awkward encounter. Trump goes in almost to kiss Pence but ends up kissing the air right next to Pence's face. Donald Trump and Mike Pence are a very different couple when it comes to running mates. Pence behaves and speaks well, while his counterpart is all over the place. Pence almost makes it embarrassing for Donald Trump to even talk. Pence knows how to handle himself in front of thousands or people or in a private interview, while in contrast, compared to Pence, Donald Trump just looks like a baboon.


Tomorrow is the last day of the convention. Donald Trump will give his highly anticipated speech tomorrow. As far as protests have gone, Cleveland is still pretty quiet as nothing major or dangerous has happend, which is a wonderful thing.



Works Cited
Graham, David A. "Ted Cruz Steals the Show." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 20 July 2016. Web. 21 July 2016.
Slack, Donovan. "GOP Convention Day 3: Cruz Booed, Teleprompter Freeze and That Kiss." USA Today. Gannett, 21 July 2016. Web. 21 July 2016.

Day 2 of the RNC

Today was the second day of the Republican National Convention. Today Donald Trump claimed the position as the Republican nominee.
Ohio cast all 66 delegate votes to Ohio Governor, John Kasich. In my personal opinion, I found this to be very embarrassing. Since John Kasich could not even muster up to respect or courage to even attend the RNC held in his own state, I see this as very childish. Just the fact alone John Kasich did not show up to the RNC shows just how much he cannot and should not become president as he is too much of a child to get over the fact he lost. John Kasich reminds me of the child that throws a temper tantrum due to not getting their own way.
On day one, Donald Trump used the song "We are the Champions" as an opening entrance song. According to CNNMoney, Queen is not happy about their association to Mr.Trump. Frank Pallotta of CNNMoney shares "At Monday's opening of the RNC, Trump walked on stage at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena to the band's "We Are the Champions" before introducing a speech by his wife, Melania. On Tuesday, the legendary British rock band tweeted, 'An unauthorised use at the Republican Convention against our wishes' This isn't the first time that the band has been upset over Trump using one of its songs without its permission" (Pallotta 2016). I believe it is not so much Trump used the song, but the band in no way wants to be affiliated with this campaign. Pallotta goes on to share in his article "Many argued that former lead singer Mercury, who died in 1991 from AIDS-related complications, would not have been been a supporter of Trump. 'My guess is that Freddie Mercury would not likely have been a Trump supporter,' tweeted Chris Cillizza, a political commentator for The Washington Post" (Pallotta 2016). As far the unknown support from one who is deceased, the band is very uneasy about being affiliated in anyway with Mr.Trump, especially if they, personally are not supporting him and then in turn their song is ultimately indicating Trump is a champion.
The featured speakers of today's conference include: House Speaker Paul Ryan, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Donald Trump's Daughter Tiffany Trump, and Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr.
Chris Christie had quite a few negative words towards the Democratic's nominee, Hillary Clinton. NBC-2 shares this from Christie's speech. "Christie, one of Trump's closest allies and a former federal prosecutor, said that Clinton's policies while secretary of state had helped an al Qaeda-affiliated terror group abduct 300 young schoolgirls in Nigeria and accused her of abetting President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, enabling Iran and Cuba's Castro brothers along with lying to Americans about her private email server.
"Is she guilty or not guilty?" Christie asked after every charge he laid before the crowd. "Guilty!'
The delegates responded with a resounding: "Guilty!"
'We don't disqualify Hillary Clinton to be the president of the United States,' Christie said. 'The facts of her life and career disqualify her'" (NBC-2 2016). I personally think trying to shed positive light towards Trump should be more based on his traits and not so much the downfall of others, but then that wouldn't be considered politics.
The only major things in my opinion that happend tonight was the delegate pledges towards the Republican nominee, along with the various speeches. Thursday's speech from Donald Trump is defiantly the most anticipated moment of this whole RNC.
As far as outside the arena, downtown Cleveland regarding protesters is still very quiet. Being downtown there was nothing more happening at Public Square than a few women jumping in the fountain holding Black Lives Matter signs. I am very curious to see if anything heats up in the last two days of this unconventional convention.


Works Cited
At Monday's Opening of the RNC. "Queen Upset Donald Trump Used 'We Are the Champions'" CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 19 July 2016. Web. 20 July 2016.
"Highlights from Day 2 of RNC." NBC-2.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.

Day One of the RNC 7/18

    Today was the very first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Today was also my first day volunteering with the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County (RPCC). My intial thoughts going into downtown were something spectacular. Upon driving downtown, my expectations rapidly changed. I was comparing what the RNC would be to what the Cleveland Caviler's 2016 NBA Championship parade was. I was expecting thousands of people and unattainable streets due to the overabundance of people. But, I was dead wrong. The streets were more clear at 4pm during convention week compared to the 4pm rush hour Cleveland normally has.
    Upon arriving to Gray's Armory for the RPCC event, I was eager and excited to get the night underway. As the night progressed, the party died slowly. There was no more then 30 people there at any given time, especially at their "big" event of the night, the ice cream social. I was somewhat shocked by the outcome by how little the party actually was. I must remember that it is only the first night and many people wouldn't go out and do things also because of the fact Donald Trump did not make his speech until around 8pm.
    While watching Melania Trump's speech, I couldn't help but feel like a child. Mrs.Trump said nothing more intelligent than something a second grader could comprehend. Melania was also very redundant. Saying things such as "ever since we met Donald has loved this country". I also found it very interesting that Melania had said "I have had a love for this country (United States) upon meeting Donald Trump". I find this very interesting since the United States is not her place of birth, but also the fact that Donald Trump and Melania had been together for 8 years prior to her getting legal citizenship in the United States. My biggest question is "How can you have a burning love and passion for somewhere you've never lived for extended periods of time"? According to the New York Times, Melania Trump's speech and Michelle Obama's 2008 speech were very similar. The New York Times shares a snippit of both Obama and Trump's speeches. “From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them” (New York Times 2016). The bold lettered parts of the quote are word for word identical in both Melania Trump's speech tonight, and Michelle Obama's speech in 2008. I think in both speeches, these words are just too precise for this to have just been and cosmic coincidence.
    My final thoughts of the night reflected on Trump's grand entrance. "We are the champions" by Queen is playing while Trump slowly turns on a platform on the stage, as the lights gradually rise to present this man to the crowd of people. Again, being from Cleveland, I associated this with the CAVS considering that was the song of the city for the week. I found this coincidence to be humorously positive since 2016 is the year for Cleveland, Ohio.
    Although the party was not what I was expecting, I am hoping the following days of when the convention really starts moving along, there will be more to bask in. With the RNC in Cleveland, the city is buzzing, but right now, I feel it is at a light hum. I'm very excited to see what the days have to come.



Works Cited
Haberman, Maggie, Alan Rappeport, and Patrick Healy. "Melania Trump’s Speech Bears Striking Similarities to Michelle Obama’s in 2008." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 July 2016. Web. 19 July 2016.

Nice Attack, Terrorism, and Politics

Donald Trump announced earlier this week that on today (Friday 7/15/2016) he was going to announced his highly anticipated Vice President pick. Unfortunately, after the horrific news of what happened in Nice, France yesterday, Trump has decided to postpone this announcement. Yesterday, a devastating day in Nice, a truck driver drove into a crowd at Bastille Day celebration, killing at least 84 people (reported as of now). This act of terrorism, as heartbreaking and terrifying as it is, is a great vantage point for presidential candidates. Terrorism is a way to put fear into the citizens of the United States, and then give them a sense of safety and nationalism when the presidential candidate begins to touch on the subject and look at attacking terrorism in a positive way. Trump will most likely bring this terrorism into play by establishing the "Make America Great Again" mindset and putting real nationalism into people. This sense of hope given to people is a great way to rack in votes. When people feel safe, they are more likely to gravitate towards something. When Trump promises the demise of terrorism in the United States, this is just simply not true. Just like racism, terrorism will never ever truly be out of the United States. As much as people can try and as 99% of people have good intentions in the United States, there is still always that 1% that will never oblige to peace. When hatred is so prominent, love and peace will never fully be present.This hatred is used as fear. When Trump uses his slogan "Make America Great Again", my real question is when was America ever once truly great for EVERYONE? Sure, it was great for whites at most times in history, but not everyone else. Native Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Etc. have never had it "great" in America. How can this sense of nationalism truly be felt on by these groups of people. Everyone is afraid of terrorism. That is why when a candidate touches strongly on the subject people gravitate towards them. Nationalism is a patriotic feeling, efforts, and or principles. Everyone in a way wants to stand up and protect their country and their people. Since a normal civilian cannot do this, when they put their trust in a leader, they are giving that leader the power.
For Trump, this delay in announcing his Vice President choice, is bringing more attention and curiosity to him. People are watching Trump much more closely and are eagerly awaiting his decision. just days before the convention. Trump has three people in mind that he is going to most likely announce as his Vice President. Donald Trump said that he had yet to make a final, final decision between Indiana Governor Mike Pence, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. This sis a highly anticipated announcement for the Trump campaign. I find it very convenient that the day before the terror attack in Nice, Trump says he has to postpone his announcement. It is also very shocking to me that Trump has yet to come to his concrete decision and a Vice President.

Speakers of the Convention

Donald Trump is a very controversial nominee, in which many Republicans do not even fully support him. Finding speakers for the RNC has seem to be a very difficult challenge for this convention this year. As of now, the only speakers the media has released are the following:
1. House Speaker Paul Ryan
2. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
3. Senator Ted Cruz
4. Senator Mitch McConnell
5. Indiana's legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight
6. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette
7. Paster Mark Burns
8. Senator Tom Cotton
9. Former New York City Major Rudy Giuliani
10. Senator Joni Ernst
11. Tennessee Representative Marsha Blackburn
12. Governor Scott Walker
13. Governor Mike Huckabee
14. Governor Asa Hutchinson

I find this list very interesting. The first this I find interesting is that Ohio's own Governor, John Kasich will not be speaking. Since the convention is basically in his own backyard and Ohio is his territory, I find this very odd that he is not speaking. In my opinion, John Kasich is simply not speaking at the convention because he is bitter from having to drop out due to his unpopularity among states. I feel this is more embarrassing for him that he is not speaking because essentially he is not representing Ohio, in my opinion. What I also find interesting is that in every past RNC there have been at least twice as many speakers as compared to this 2016 convention. Many performers are also refusing to perform on the same stage Donald Trump will essentially take the Republican nomination on. This is such a unique convention because Donald Trump essentially has no one he is running against since all of the other candidates dropped out at various points in the campaign. I find it truly interesting that so many people will not speak at this convention. I understand not supporting Trump, but I also feel in a way there is an obligation to support your party. Even if the candidate is not ideal, if everyone in the party works together for the constructive better, the candidate will oblige simply for the re-election factor. Many Republicans are coming into Cleveland the week of the RNC but are refusing or denying to participate. Ben Carson, former Republican candidate endorsed Donald Trump and I think that is a truly commendable thing to do. Just as Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton, I see this more as supporting the party, not the person. I also find it very interesting that since Donald Trump has the least favor-ability out of every candidate (in history), he is still chosen by the people of the United States as the Republican nominee.  If Mr.Trump was truly that unfavorable, why did he win in so many states by landslides of numbers sometimes? I think it will be very interesting to see what would happen if we took the politician out of politics. Most likely, I think it would burn down in flames, but there is always that 1% things could go wonderfully. This is going to be a very interesting convention and I am very interested to see if any more speakers happen to appear.

Platform Thoughts

With the RNC just days away there is a growing anticipation in the city of Cleveland. Many people who work downtown are being told to work from home simply because it is going to be near impossible to get downtown. With the amount of protesters expected to fill the streets of Cleveland and the numerous road blocking, avoiding the RNC seems more appealing than actually going to participate in it. Yesterday, according to Kira Lerner of Thinkprogress, she explains that "Though the GOP has not yet issued any formal documents, reporters in attendance at the first day of meetings noted some of the noteworthy amendments in the two planks the committee agreed upon, 'America’s natural resources, energy and environment' and 'Great American families, education, healthcare and criminal justice''' (Lerner 2016). The six topics that have been approved by the party for its platform are:

1.Pornography is a "public health crisis"
2.Marriage should still be between a Man and a Woman
3.Children raised in "traditional" homes are "healthier"
4.Parents can force their LGBT children to undergo "conversion therapy".
5.Education includes a good understanding of the Bible
6.Coal is a "clean" form of energy

In my personal opinion, these topics will lose tremendous amounts of voters. Given the way our society is striving to be right now of with acceptance of everyone, the amount of control trying to be forced on people is off putting. Given the amount of people in the LGBT community, it no longer makes sense to only have marriage be open to the traditional way. Our country has moved from a "traditional" aspect to a "change and reform" aspect. Parents being allowed to force their children to go to conversion therapy, in my opinion would be more harmful than good. Forcing your child to be something it doesn't want to be will create a resistance and distance from the most important aspect of family. Parents are supposed to support their children no matter what, and having an opportunity for some parents who disagree with their children's decisions could end up being detrimental. With the vast amounts of religion in this country, it is not right to just have the form of one Bible education should include. America has the freedom of religion as one of it's constitutional rights, and to force one religion to be included in all education is too controlling of what people want. When there is too much control over daily life, there will eventually be a rebellion. Regarding "Children raised in 'traditional' homes are 'healthier'" is just about one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I know so many people, including myself not raised in a "traditional" family that have grown up to be vital parts of the community and are much more normal and healthier functioning than people who grow up in a "traditional" family. One example that comes to mind, is the former Stanford Swimmer, Rapist Brock Turner. Turner grew up in a very wealthy and very "traditional" family, and is clearly not a healthy functioning individual. I know many people with two Mom's that help out the community and preach peace over doing anything destructive. In my opinion, that is much healthier. Regarding Coal, this is an interesting subject. There have been numerous studies showing the amount of pollution coal gives off into the environment. There are much more healthy and safe alternatives for energy. As a Republican, most of these ideas are just baffling to me. The only people I could see this platform truly reaching out to is the older population with very strict values and traditions installed in them, not the growing youth with much more understanding tendencies. If and when these are announced at the convention, there is bound to be lots of uproar, disagreement, and rebellion.






Citations:

Lerner, Kira. "6 Ways The RNC Platform Is Already Shaping Up To Be Crazy."Http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/12/3797322/gop-platform-draft/. ThinkProgress, 12 July 2016. Web. 13 July 2016.

RNC News Articles Analysis

There are a ton of mixed feelings from citizens in the United States about the Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. After reading a few articles, I have found some very interesting things. First, from the article "Who will speak at the Republican National Convention?" posted by the Atlantic, there seems to be a negative view on Trump. The Atlantic author, Priscilla Alvarez states "The list of speakers for the Republican national convention is taking shape, even as tensions among some Republicans and the party’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, run high" and goes on to say "Despite endorsing Trump, Ryan has distanced himself from the party’s presumptive nominee. The two have been at odds time and again—from Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States to his remarks on Judge Gonzalo Curiel’s ethnicity, amoung others." (Alvarez 2016). These statements justify the fact that not only is there tension within the party, but also in the community of citizens. This article is interesting in my opinion simply because in previous years, the convention has had some big name speakers, and this year, they seem to be scrambling for just about anyone. It truly is interesting at how many people are utterly outraged by this candidate, but yet, he was chosen by the people. In another article I found regarding the protests at the RNC posted by Kevin Johnson of USA TODAY shares some unsettling news about the protests. In Johnson's article "Black Lives Matter in Cleveland refuses RNC protest regulations" he states "The Cleveland Group, whose affiliates throughout the country have been thrust into the national spotlight for a demonstration that preceded last week’s deadly ambush of five Dallas-area police officers, has elected not to participate in the formal permitting process for marches, access to downtown parks and speakers’ podiums" (Johnson 2016). Johnson goes on to say from an interview from Kareem Henton, the organizer for the Cleveland franchise "'Applying for the right to protest takes away from the spirit of the protest movement' Henton said/'We remain open to conducting our own (protests)' Henton said. 'We shall see' Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said Monday that authorities were preparing for such unsanctioned actions" (Johnson 2016). This article also puts together the fact of protesters coming to the RNC because of people's disconnect and discontentment with Trump. Both of these articles I have found seem to have some bias, but not a tremendous amount. In the article from USA TODAY, I have found there is just simply more facts and true statements given. In the Atlantic article, not only are there true statements given, but there is also a strong vibe of anti-Trump throughout the entire article. The author does not come straight out and say her dislike for Trump, but the wording she chooses is a major factor. In my own opinion, I believe that about 98% of any article regarding the RNC right now will be in some form of someone's opinion, with a few facts thrown in. There is such a split in the Republican party currently because of Mr.Trump and I am very intrigued to see what not only happens at the convention, but along with the protests outside the convention regarding Trump as well.



Citations:


Alvarez, Priscilla. "Who Will Speak at the Republican National Convention?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 11 July 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.


Johnson, Kevin. "Black Lives Matter in Cleveland Refuses RNC Protest Regulations." USA Today. Gannett, 11 July 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.

Introduction

Hello! My name is Caitlin Walls. I am originally from Olmsted Falls, Ohio. I am currently and Junior at John Carroll University. I am a Political Science Major with a Concentration in Law and I am also a Computer Science Major. After Undergrad I plan to attend Graduate school to pursue a legal career as an Attorney. I am very excited to have an opportunity to be apart of the Cleveland Republican National Convention. This Convention will not only be monumental, but also very interesting given the candidate and mixed feelings involving Mr.Trump. Since following the campaign for months now, I am very excited and interested to see how this election is going to play out. In my free time I participate in the Cleveland Orchestra-Chorus at Severance Hall. I also enjoy participating in local 5ks on the weekends. On campus I am involved in the Pre-law society and in the Fall will be participating in College Republicans. I am very excited to experience this once in a lifetime event, right here in Cleveland!