Mitch Perry
If I’m Joni Ernst, I’m a little p.o.’d this morning.
The Iowa senator and some others came on to the stage at “The Q” last night at 11:15 p.m., as delegates were flooding out of the arena. They were leaving after hearing a very hawkish Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn rail against political correctness, among other things — all after the event should have climaxed with the night’s featured speaker, Melania Trump, giving her 15-minute speech.
Isn’t Paul Manafort supposed to be great at managing conventions?
There’s a big stink about the passages of Melania’s speech that appear to be lifted from Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech in Denver. When it’s so obvious, the best thing to do is acknowledge it and move on. But not Team Trump. Too weak to apologize.
Donald Trump actually walked over his own convention by calling in live to Bill O’Reilly at 8:30 p.m. last night, at the same time that Patricia Smith, whose son Sean was one of four American skilled in Benghazi, was giving an emotional, intense speech. Such a short attention span, which you truly will understand upon reading this New Yorker story from the man who was the ghostwriter of “The Art of The Deal.”
Meanwhile, much was made about the “unrest” of delegates after party leadership blocked a roll call vote on the convention rules, which virtually guarantee Trump the party nomination by requiring delegates to vote in accordance with their state’s primary or caucus results. Many commentators said they had never seen anything so disruptive at an RNC.
Really? Ye of such poor memories. Just four years ago in Tampa, Ron Paul delegates were blocked in what was termed “an unusual set of challenges during early party proceedings.” Those delegates left the floor angry that they were screwed over by Reince Priebus.
In other news..
Hillary Clinton comes to the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on Friday for a campaign rally, and (one would believe) her newly minted choice to serve as her vice president.
House District 68 Democrat Eric Lynn is running a new TV ad beginning today that you’ll probably grow weary of, as his campaign says it will air until Election Day late next month.
In the House District 70 seat that encompasses four different Tampa Bay area counties, the Reverend Emanuel Sykes has endorsed Palmetto attorney C.J. Czaia over Wengay Newton.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman is touting her proposal for a dedicated fund to pay for transportation improvements.
And HART board member Mickey Jacobs wants FDOT to explore more transportation options for the areas that will be deleteriously affected by the TBX project.
