The Trump convention is a triumph of narcissism
by Dana Milbank, July 20, 2016.
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| (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)(Credit: AP) |
The Trump campaign has lately alternated between disaster and farce: the awkward rollout of Mike Pence, the botched logo, two parliamentary disputes on the convention floor, a muddled message, a plagiarized speech by the would-be first lady.
But in one respect, the Republican National Convention of 2016 has been a yuge success. It is the triumph of narcissism.
Addressing the convention Monday night, after a Beyoncé-style entrance lit in silhouette: Donald Trump.
Addressing the convention Tuesday night via video from Trump Tower: Donald Trump.
Promising to address the convention Wednesday night: Donald Trump.
Accepting the nomination Thursday night: Donald Trump.
Midway through the 8 p.m. hour of Monday’s programming at the convention, Patricia Smith,
whose son was killed in the Benghazi terrorist attack, spoke
emotionally about how “I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death
of my son.”
whose son was killed in the Benghazi terrorist attack, spoke
emotionally about how “I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death
of my son.”
But her speech was preempted — by the candidate.
Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, citing a “breaking-news situation,” cut off convention coverage to do a phone interview with the candidate.
Trump’s “breaking news” turned out to be little more than a
denunciation of Ohio Gov. John Kasich for skipping the convention.
“Look, I beat him very badly” in the primaries, Trump taunted. “If I
were him and gotten beaten that badly I probably wouldn’t show up
either.”
Trump’s “breaking news” turned out to be little more than a
denunciation of Ohio Gov. John Kasich for skipping the convention.
“Look, I beat him very badly” in the primaries, Trump taunted. “If I
were him and gotten beaten that badly I probably wouldn’t show up
either.”
Upstaging his own convention speakers? Classic Trump: Self-worship over sound judgment.
For
weeks, GOP leaders pleaded with Trump to build a professional
operation, but his campaign resisted, saying he didn’t need to act like
other politicians. Now we see the consequences: a convention rally of
conspiracy theorists, co-hosted by Trump’s longtime political adviser; a needless floor fight over convention rules in which the hapless presiding officer, a backbench congressman, walked off the stage; and plagiarized phrases in a speech by the would-be first lady that went unvetted by Trump’s thin staff.
weeks, GOP leaders pleaded with Trump to build a professional
operation, but his campaign resisted, saying he didn’t need to act like
other politicians. Now we see the consequences: a convention rally of
conspiracy theorists, co-hosted by Trump’s longtime political adviser; a needless floor fight over convention rules in which the hapless presiding officer, a backbench congressman, walked off the stage; and plagiarized phrases in a speech by the would-be first lady that went unvetted by Trump’s thin staff.
Trump allies variously reacted by saying there was no plagiarism, that only 7 percent
of the speech was plagiarized, that the staffer responsible should be
fired, and that a part of the Michelle Obama speech that Melania Trump
lifted from was itself purloined from radical leftist Saul Alinsky.
of the speech was plagiarized, that the staffer responsible should be
fired, and that a part of the Michelle Obama speech that Melania Trump
lifted from was itself purloined from radical leftist Saul Alinsky.
Never
Trump has given way to Everywhere Trump in Cleveland: A stream of
interviews and tweets distracting from proceedings. Trump packed the
week’s prime-time speakers list with low-wattage names unlikely to
upstage him — celebrities along the lines of Scott Baio — Chachi of
“Happy Days” fame, who days earlier tweeted a message labeling Hillary
Clinton a vulgarity for female genitals. The top-billed speakers:
Melania Trump (Monday), Tiffany
and Donald Trump Jr. (Tuesday), Eric Trump (Wednesday), Ivanka Trump
(Thursday) and, of course, Donald Trump (always). Also in prime time:
The manager of Trump Winery (a “world-class destination,” she informed
the delegates).
Trump has given way to Everywhere Trump in Cleveland: A stream of
interviews and tweets distracting from proceedings. Trump packed the
week’s prime-time speakers list with low-wattage names unlikely to
upstage him — celebrities along the lines of Scott Baio — Chachi of
“Happy Days” fame, who days earlier tweeted a message labeling Hillary
Clinton a vulgarity for female genitals. The top-billed speakers:
Melania Trump (Monday), Tiffany
and Donald Trump Jr. (Tuesday), Eric Trump (Wednesday), Ivanka Trump
(Thursday) and, of course, Donald Trump (always). Also in prime time:
The manager of Trump Winery (a “world-class destination,” she informed
the delegates).
The shootings of police in
Dallas and Baton Rouge gave Republicans an opening to try to establish
themselves as the party that will keep Americans safe. Monday night’s
program was, shrewdly, packed with law-enforcement and military types,
numerous “victims of illegal immigrants” and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who fired up the delegates.
Dallas and Baton Rouge gave Republicans an opening to try to establish
themselves as the party that will keep Americans safe. Monday night’s
program was, shrewdly, packed with law-enforcement and military types,
numerous “victims of illegal immigrants” and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who fired up the delegates.
But
then the sound system blasted Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” and Trump
made his backlit entrance. “Oh, we’re going to win, we’re going to win
so big,” he said. “We’re going to win so big. . . . We’re going to win so big.”
then the sound system blasted Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” and Trump
made his backlit entrance. “Oh, we’re going to win, we’re going to win
so big,” he said. “We’re going to win so big. . . . We’re going to win so big.”
Melania
Trump made only one passing reference to the night’s theme of security.
She spoke, rather, about her husband’s manifest greatness. “He will do
this better than anyone else can, and it won’t even be close.”
Trump made only one passing reference to the night’s theme of security.
She spoke, rather, about her husband’s manifest greatness. “He will do
this better than anyone else can, and it won’t even be close.”
His children picked up the magnificence Tuesday, attesting that “his desire for excellence is contagious”
(Tiffany Trump) and that “we’re the only children of a billionaire as
comfortable in a D10 Caterpillar as we are in our own cars” (Donald
Jr.).
(Tiffany Trump) and that “we’re the only children of a billionaire as
comfortable in a D10 Caterpillar as we are in our own cars” (Donald
Jr.).
Trump’s personal greatness was,
likewise, the theme of his Pence rollout Saturday, when he went on,
mostly about himself, for 4,000 words before yielding to his
vice-presidential nominee: “I’ve been a very, very, very successful
businessperson. . . . I won in landslides. . . . I dominated with the
evangelicals.”
likewise, the theme of his Pence rollout Saturday, when he went on,
mostly about himself, for 4,000 words before yielding to his
vice-presidential nominee: “I’ve been a very, very, very successful
businessperson. . . . I won in landslides. . . . I dominated with the
evangelicals.”
The situation was much the same on “60 Minutes” on Sunday: When Lesley Stahl called him “brash,” Trump countered that he’s “religious.” How’s that? “I won the evangelicals.”
Pence tried to praise his boss: “He speaks from his heart.”
“Well, I think I speak from my heart and my brain, just so we understand,” Trump revised.
Stahl observed that “you’re not known to be a humble man.”
Volleyed
Trump: “I’m much more humble than you would understand.” Seconds later,
he said people tell him, “you’re going to go down in the history
books.”
Trump: “I’m much more humble than you would understand.” Seconds later,
he said people tell him, “you’re going to go down in the history
books.”
There are signs that delegates
have misgivings about their narcissistic nominee: The convention floor
is quieter than usual, the roll call lethargic, the Trump merchandise
booths uncrowded.
have misgivings about their narcissistic nominee: The convention floor
is quieter than usual, the roll call lethargic, the Trump merchandise
booths uncrowded.
Perhaps some of them can
remember, eight years ago, when their nominee, a war hero, spoke of
serving a “cause greater than self.” For Trump, this is impossible.
There is no cause greater than himself.
remember, eight years ago, when their nominee, a war hero, spoke of
serving a “cause greater than self.” For Trump, this is impossible.
There is no cause greater than himself.
SOURCE: Washington post
