you're unbelievable

There is a bit more effort required from the UK to watch the US political conventions, compared with being in America when they air. They are on those difficult-to-find channels at the back of Virgin's menus and the broadcasts are generally at uncivil hours.

Nonetheless, there's a kind of evil fascination to watch the worst of them at work. The  Republican National Convention’s defence of  “Western civilization,” shout-outs to the COVID's discredited treatment hydroxychloroquine, curious words about Democrats keeping Black people on “mental plantations,” and denunciations of the “China virus.”  

Awful twisted stuff designed to snare the less-educated.

There was gratitude that President Trump gave up his “life of luxury” to rule the country. 
That St. Louis couple who recently waved firearms at Black Lives Matter demonstrators from their front lawn, and a different elderly stunt-couple who spoke of wanting “this nation to continue to be the beacon of hope for the world,” while they looked lovingly at a section of border wall being installed. 

Dangerous rabble-rousing stuff.

There was talk of Donald Trump not being racist, juxtaposed without irony against racist warnings to white voters that Democrats want to “abolish the suburbs.” 

Inflammatory stuff showing Donald just doesn't care about anything except himself.

My favourite for blatant bombast was Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality who dialled it up to the max and strutted onto the flag-bedecked stage.  

Guilfoyle brought the convention’s fascist timbre to the next level.

“They want to destroy this country and everything that we have fought for and hold dear,” Guilfoyle said, describing the Democrats. “They want to steal your liberty, your freedom, they want to control what you see and think and believe so that they can control how you live. They want to enslave you to the weak, dependent, liberal victim ideology to the point that you will not recognize this country or yourself.” 

Old school fear, uncertainty and doubt. Curious that Kimberly Guilfoyle-Newsom was once married to a Democrat.  

Her message riffed on a hidden (dog-whistled?) "Democrats Make America Weak Again" theme and wasn't officially in line with the positive and uplifting tone that the Convention announced. 

Trump Senior hugged her afterwards.