US Republicans to Ignite Base with Culture War, Fireworks, and Trump

Vice President Mike Pence, who is important to bringing right-wing Christian voters to Trump's banner, will give his speech in Baltimore on Wednesday.

The rest of the time before Trump's finale on Thursday is expected to feature family members, who are an integral part of his campaign, congressional allies and special guests highlighting the president's potent blend of patriotism and anti-socialist rhetoric.

At the Democrats' convention, arguably the most effective invitee was the daughter of a coronavirus victim, who blamed Trump for leading her father into thinking the pandemic wasn't serious — a key line of attack in the election.

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Republicans will use their guests to accentuate what Trump claims to be the Democrats' plan to sow anarchy and godlessness across the American heartland.

As Trump himself said of Biden, who is in fact a practicing Catholic and political moderate: "He's against God. He's against guns."

Republican invitations have reportedly gone out to Patricia and Mark McCloskey, who became rightwing folk heroes when they were filmed waving firearms at a group of protesters marching down their street in St Louis.

Although later charged with a weapons violation, the couple has been lionized by Trump and his supporters on Fox News and across the conservative media sphere.

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Another invite symbolizing Republicans' sense of outrage will be Nicholas Sandmann, a recent graduate of the Covington Catholic High School.

He became famous in 2019 when he was portrayed by major media outlets as taunting a Native American elder, while wearing one of Trump's "Make America Great Again" baseball caps, during a school visit to Washington.

The account was based on a viral video but subsequent footage cast doubt over the entire story and Sandmann's family sued, receiving financial settlements from CNN and The Washington Post — and becoming symbols of conservative anger at the media. 

(Writer: Sebastian Smith)

Source: http://u.afp.com/3uQW