Let's Unpack ThisAs the Republican National Convention enters its second day, we reached out to Kathleen Dolan, a distinguished professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, to ask… Why are conventions like this important? The conventions are more of a ratification. But they are still important places for party leaders and delegates from all over the country to come together, plot out strategy and campaigns for the fall,and get everybody motivated and excited. The conventions also are a good opportunity …for the campaigns to put out information about their candidates, not just the presidential and vice presidential candidates,but the candidates for governor and US Senate and House and even statewide office.We’ll see all of those people showcased at the convention. For the vast majority of people who are tuning in, they’re already politically aware, interested, and motivated, so I think [the event] is more like preaching to the choir. Where does the Republican Party stand today? Trump has secured an even tighter grip on the party, the leadership, and the platform. As an example … the platform that was introduced [earlier this month] was essentially a statement by Trump about a set of issues that he believes in and positions that he wants to espouse. The platform itself is much thinner, shorter, and lacking in detail — very different from platforms in the past … The party has become completely embodied by whatever former President Trump wants it to be. What issues do you think the RNC will focus on? From the Republicans, we’re going to hear a lot about the threats to our nation — from immigration and international relationships … They will certainly pivot to include a lot of discussion of why they see President Biden as incapable of doing the job … I think there’ll be a lot of negative framing … I think one thing we won’t hear very much about at all is abortion because the Republican Party is increasingly out of step with the majority of Americans in terms of their positions on abortion and reproductive issues … They’re not going to highlight a lot of that because they don’t want the public at large to hear them talking in a way that, some people would argue, is extreme. PS: This interview was edited for length and clarity. | Featured ExpertKathleen DolanDistinguished Professor of Political Science at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
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Read more: GOP Convention Protests Are On Despite Shooting at Trump Rally (AP) Who Will Be Speaking at RNC 2024? See the List of Speakers (USA Today) | 