RNC Convention So Far: Claims of Plagiarism and Official Vote

Yesterday, the 2016 Republican National Convention kicked off at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The first night was full of speeches centering on the theme of 'Make America Safe Again". Specifically, the speeches brought up controversial issues such as illegal immigration, naming radical Islamic terrorists, stressing #BlueLivesMatter, and attacking Clinton's actions around Benghazi.

However, the speech that has captured the attention of social media was one given by Melania Trump, Donald Trump's wife. Remember when you learned about plagiarism in school and that it is wrong to steal someone else's words and ideas and use them as your own? It seems that Melania Trump may need a lesson in plagiarism as social media has shown evidence that Melania plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech in 2008. 

Photo by Marc Nozell (Creative Commons license)

So what exactly did Melania say that drew criticism of plagiarism? Read this article by USA Today to see the section causing debate.  But basically here are the phrases: "You work hard for what you want in life"; "That your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do"; "The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them".

I watched Melania Trump's speech last night and upon seeing my Twitter feed this morning, I watched Michelle Obama's 2008 speech as well. As a student, I can see that if both speeches were handed in for an assignment, Melania Trump would have committed plagiarism. It is true that a few of the words were changed, but just because two or three words are altered does not mean the speech is free from plagiarism.

Photo by Glen Baker (Creative Commons license)

What did Trump's team have to say? CNN reports that "Donald Trump's presidential campaign doesn't plan to fire anybody or take disciplinary action over the controversy surrounding Melania Trump's plagiarism of Michelle Obama." Read that article here. In addition, CNN reports that Paul Manafort, Trump's Convention Manager, claims that "the words Melania used were not 'cribbed' but are common words." So what should have been a great speech capping off the first night at the 2016 RNC turned out to be a debate on plagiarism. Good job, GOP.

Now briefly onto early evening of night two.  Just recently, each state delegation voted by roll call for their nominee as the GOP 2016 presidential candidate. As reported by ABC (read that article here), the number of votes Trump needed was 1,237, a number he was expected to pass. And as it turns out, C-SPAN tweeted the final votes and shows that Trump received 1,725 votes, thus becoming the GOP nominee. Notably however, Henry J. Gomez, chief political reporter for cleveland.com tweeted that all 66 delegates of Ohio voted for Kasich and D.C. tried to give 10 votes to Rubio and 9 to Kasich, but were overruled and all 19 went to Trump. On Thursday, Donald Trump will officially accept the presidential nomination during his speech.

Wow! So much action in  just two nights, but the 2016 RNC is not yet over. So readers, tune in nightly to see the headlining speeches and closely follow your Twitter feed to see various reactions to the convention.

Being a Cleveland Ambassador

This afternoon and Wednesday, I will be volunteering as a Cleveland Ambassador with the 2016 Host Committee for the Republican National Convention. But what exactly does that entail?

Basically, my main responsibility is to greet the delegates and be a friendly face representing Cleveland. If any of the delegates have a question about where to go in and around Cleveland, I can offer some suggestions. Today, I was asked what some of my favorite places were and I pointed out Little Italy and West Side Market. Both are great and interesting areas of Cleveland to explore. Hopefully, the various delegates in and around Cleveland this week get to experience a little bit of what Cleveland has to offer.

So who exactly are the delegates? They are elected Republican officials representing every state and must vote for a candidate to become their nominee for the presidential election. At the hotel I am volunteering at, both the Wyoming and Alaska delegates are present. The cowboy hats instantly gave away the Wyoming delegates, while the Alaska delegates were rocking matching jackets. They were all really nice to talk to and, as many had never been to Cleveland before, I was more than happy to point out a few places in Cleveland for them to check out.

Lastly, I would like to give a special shout out to the other volunteers who worked with me that afternoon. They were all so helpful and were more than eager to spread their love and knowledge of Cleveland. On a side note, one of the volunteers I worked with was a 1997 John Carroll University graduate.

So, readers, while the Republicans have their fun at the Quicken Loans arena, I encourage you to explore all Cleveland has to offer and see why the people here love it so much.

Speculation Over Who Trump Will Pick as His VP; To Be Formally Announced Friday

Mike Pence. Chris Christie. Newt Gingrich.

For the past two days, these three names have been floating around as the finalists Trump is considering for his Vice-President. This week, Trump has had meetings with all three, so there is plenty of speculation over who Trump will pick.

Just today, The New York Times released an article suggesting that Trump's campaign will pick Mike Pence to be Trump's running mate. Read that article here. But the question on everyone's mind: Who is Mike Pence? Currently, he is the Governor of Indiana and, as reported in the above article, "is viewed in Washington as a conventional politician with standard-issue conservative beliefs, including on some where his policy instincts plainly conflict with Mr Trump's." With that being said, maybe Pence is exactly what Trump needs for his campaign.  Several Republicans have chosen not to endorse Trump because, in their minds, he does not represent traditional conservative values. So having Pence as Trump's running mate might sway more support over to Trump's campaign. Not to mention, on Tuesday night Trump addressed a rally in Indiana with Pence.

Photo by Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons license)

However, that same week, Trump and his family also met with both New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. While both Christie and Gingrich ran their own 2016 presidential campaigns this season, both have chosen to endorse Trump. In my opinion, these are not bad options for Trump, as both are better known among voters and can bring in plenty of support for Trump's campaign. But on the other hand, Pence is relatively new in the minds of voters and no one loves that fact more than the media. With Pence attracting plenty of media attention, Trump's campaign will certainly use that attention to their advantage.

Do not get your hopes up, yet. As son, Eric Trump knows, his father's decision will be a key factor in winning the nomination. Eric Trump tells Politico (read that article here) that Donald Trump is looking for "somebody that will actually stand by him and do a great job for the American people".

Ultimately though, the final decision lies with Trump. Will Trump take the same actions John McCain did when he chose Sarah Palin, a relatively unheard of governor of Alaska, who was not even being vetted for the position at the time? Who knows what exactly Trump has up his sleeve?

Photo by Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons license)

What is clear at this point, though, is that Trump has plans to formally announce his running mate at 11am Friday with a big ceremony in New York. To all my readers, I suggest that you tune in if you have a chance.

2016 RNC Coming to Cleveland Next Week, but Will It Prove to be a Good Choice?

Location, location, location. Why Cleveland?

After several pitches and meetings, in 2014, the GOP announced that Cleveland would host the 2016 RNC. So why Cleveland and not another big city? Was there a strategy behind this pick and will it impact the results of the presidential election?

Major cities consistently play host to both the Republican and Democratic Conventions as the major goal of a convention is to introduce the presidential and vice-presidential nominees to the public. Three important things each party has to consider are the location, the platform, and the timing, with arguably location being the most important. In early convention era, the host city was expected to contribute financially to the national party committee. In addition, the parties often tried to pick a strategic location in an attempt to show their strength as a party. Not to mention, the host city has to be able to have quality facilities and be able to handle the crowds of visitors drawn to the city during convention week. Host cities no longer contribute financially to the party, but rather the city hopes to benefit financially from the increased tourism.

Before looking at the 2016 RNC in Cleveland, I want to briefly delve into the 2008 RNC in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Twin Cities were more than happy to accept the increase in business and tourism, but the GOP chose it as a strategic play. In 2006, shortly after the Twin Cities were announced as the host, Tom Scheck, reporter for Minnesota Public Radio, reported that "Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa were battleground states in the 2004 presidential election and are expected to play a big role in 2008." Read that article here.  Scheck also writes that Ron Carey, Minnesota's Republican Party Chair, says "having the convention in Minnesota will energize core Republican supporters."

Did having the 2008 RNC in the Twin Cities pay off for the GOP? Ultimately no. Looking at a map of the 2008 presidential election results, courtesy of The New York Times (link to the website here), Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin were all won by current president Barack Obama. Seeing these results, the GOP's strategy in picking the Twin Cities did not work out in their favor.

Photo by Ron Cogswell (Creative Commons license)

Flash forward to the 2016 RNC to be held in Cleveland next week. There is obviously a clear strategy in this pick, considering the fact that Ohio is a notorious swing state. To further emphasize that point, the Washington Post reports that "no Republican president since Calvin Coolidge has won the White House without carrying Ohio." Read that article here. In addition to being a critical swing state, presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, hopes to put on a show. Media loves a show and the more attention the 2016 RNC receives, then hopefully for Trump, the better he does in polls. Not to mention the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Finals last month, a huge success for Cleveland and one that catapulted the city onto the national stage right before the 2016 RNC.

So why not Cleveland? It truly is a great city and for any of my readers, if you have a chance to come out to Cleveland during the RNC next week, I encourage you to do just that. Next week, all eyes will be on Cleveland and it will truly be an exciting place to be.

Possible Long Term Impacts the RNC Will Have for Republicans; A Look at the 1976 RNC

If you are new to US politics and have no idea what a convention entails, the easiest thing to compare it to is the Olympics. Every four years, after the primary season and before the election in November, both the Republicans and Democrats hold separate conventions in different cities. Instead of athletes, however, there will be all the delegates of that particular party present. 

The short-term outcome of each convention is that each party will have nominated a candidate, one whom they want running to be the next president. However, what I find more interesting are the long-term outcomes the conventions will have for each party.

For this blog, I have chosen to focus on the RNC because that is the topic of the class I am currently taking and I will be volunteering in and around Cleveland during the RNC. With that being said, Trump will arguably be the most important person to watch during the RNC, but also keep an eye on key speakers, including Ted Cruz and Paul Ryan. It is also noticeable who will, at this point in time, not be speaking, especially Ohio Governor John Kasich. Pay attention to how the RNC might set up future presidential hopefuls and if it will unite or divide the GOP.

Since the 2016 RNC does not occur until next week, it is important to look at past conventions and try to predict the outcome. In class today, we read an oral history of the 1976 RNC in Kansas City, Missouri, courtesy of Politico. Read that article here.

Photo by David Hume Kennerly (Creative Commons license)

First things first, who exactly were the nominee options in 1976? That would be the incumbent Gerald Ford and conservative challenger Ronald Reagan. At the beginning of the primary season, Ford had won the most delegates, but after Reagan gained the backing of North Carolina senator Jesse Helms, Reagan won primary after primary. Due to Reagan's momentum, neither candidate got the 1,130 delegates required to win the nomination, thus causing the 1976 RNC to be a contested convention.

While there may not be a direct challenger to Trump, there are certainly several prominent Republicans who do not support him. So does that mean the Republicans will end up divided after the 2016 RNC? That will largely depend on the speakers at the RNC next week.

Again looking at the 1976 RNC, Ford ended up winning the nomination, with the final vote being 1,187 for Ford and 1,070 for Reagan. With the vote being close, you might assume the Republican delegates would leave divided. On the last night of the convention, Ford wanted Reagan to give a speech, one that proved to be the defining moment of the convention, leaving almost every delegate with a sense of unity. In addition, Reagan's speech set him up to run in 1980. Who knew one speech could have a huge impact? 

So using the 1976 RNC as a reference point for predicting long-term outcomes, the first thing to pay attention to is to who exactly will be speaking next week and who will not. The Atlantic writes who, as of at this point, who will and will not speak. Read the article here.

Photo by Erik Drost (Creative Commons license)

The first politician to come to mind, especially if he wants to run in 2020, is Ted Cruz. Although he has not endorsed Trump, he has agreed to speak next week at the convention. It is quite possible that Cruz's speech will set him up for the 2020 presidential election in a similar way Reagan's speech set him up for the 1980 presidential speech. Another speaker to watch closely will be Paul Ryan's 10 minute speech, who although endorsing Trump has disagreed with him on several key issues. In the same article by The Atlantic, it is reported that Ryan "wants to talk about how [the] party should unite".

Besides listening to Cruz and Ryan, it is worth noting who will not be speaking, especially Ohio Governor John Kasich. I may not be from Cleveland, but I go to school just outside the city and next week all eyes will be on Cleveland. For Kasich not to attend, is certainly strange, considering Ohio is his home state and all the work that has been put into preparing Cleveland for the 2016 RNC.

So readers, get prepared for all the 2016 RNC has in store and if you find the time, study up on past conventions. Lastly, pay attention to who speaks and what they speak about, as what happens in the 2016 RNC impacts us all. 

Social Media Tackles the GOP Platform Debate

The Republican National Convention officially occurs from July 18-21, 2016, in Cleveland, but currently the GOP platform is being debated. On the issue of LGBTQ rights, an article by Kerry Eleveld on the Daily Kos, reports that the GOP will stick to tradition, in terms of the definition of marriage. Read the article here

In the language presented during committee, it is evident that the Republicans are opposed to the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage and want to focus on restoring the tradition of marriage, the holy union of a man and woman.

Photo by Ted Eytan (Creative Commons license)

Personally, I do not agree with the Republican party on this issue. In my opinion, it is the 21st century and someone's personal choices are just that, not something I should or the government should have a say in regulating. Even though I have a differing opinion, I can at least see where the the Republicans are coming from on this issue. While there are plenty of supporters of marriage equality, there are plenty opponents against it. Not to mention, protecting the sanctity of marriage, as between just a man and a woman, has been a traditional viewpoint held by the GOP. If the GOP were to suddenly abandon this idea, how would that make the GOP look and what implications could it have for the party?

Looking again to the above article by Eleveld, the support he provides comes from The New York Times and Twitter. What I find interesting in his article is Eleveld's use of citing Twitter as well as presenting the author's opinion. Social media is taking over traditional news sources, even if the traditional value of objectivity is being lost. Maybe Americans do not want objectivity, but rather more opinionated pieces, something they can either strongly agree or strongly disagree with and as a quick way to feel more connected to the issues. Unbiased facts should be the most important factor when writing on key party issues, but where is the fun in that? Traditional values are great, but what the media is looking for is a show.

To further illustrate, Eleveld used the same tactics on writing a piece for the Daily Kos about Trump's latest speech. Read the article here

Eleveld again uses social media by quoting the following tweet about Michael Cohen: 'Trump: "I am the law and order candidate"...somewhere George Wallace is smiling'. The fact that tweets are being used to sum up the candidates' points and considering that both Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton tweet several times a day shows that social media will play a huge role in the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. It is truly remarkable how one tweet, 140 characters or less, reaches thousands of voters and could directly impact the result of the election.

Photo by Esther Vargas (Creative Commons license)

Lastly, in the same article, the author's objectivity is very clear as he writes, "add in a dash of racism, a touch of xenophobia and a little amped  up nationalism and "law and order" is definitely the picture that comes to mind." Rather than just present the facts on the speech Donald Trump made, Eleveld gives readers his opinion and ultimately what fuels the many heated comments under his article and, along with other writers, what fuels the polarizing nature of the 2016 presidential race.

Social media truly is the best way to understand this election and what each candidate is saying, right? I'll let you decide. Stay vigilant readers, the next tweet, snapchat, or blog post could sway public opinion in one direction tomorrow and in the opposite direction next week.

Just a Short Introduction

So let's just jump right in. First, I am from Lyons, a small suburb of Chicago, and I am currently a sophomore at John Carroll University, in University Heights, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. My major is political science and my minor is French. How did I choose that track? I am not entirely sure, but I think it was made for me.

Ever since I can remember, I have always been interested in politics, especially my local officials. Living in a small town, it is easy to get involved in politics that have a direct impact on me, such as voting for mayor, school board, etc. In one word the politicians in my town, especially the mayor: crooked. But when every election comes around, the majority of voters seem to forget this, but rather focus on the sudden good acts performed by the elected official, such as repairing roads and starting new projects. Basically, long story short, for some reason, I dislike how many of my local officials play the game and skew the field, but I love to follow politics and speak out on my beliefs. What is most important to remember is that in any election, people have to vote. Voting is our duty as citizens and my biggest pet peeve is individuals who complain about their mayor, governor, president, etc., but chose not to vote. Choosing not to vote is fine, but then those people should not complain about the result.

Even more interesting to me, however, is foreign politics and relations. Being in an ever expanding and globalized world. it is certainly important to understand the politics of other countries and how that impacts American foreign policy. My plan after graduating John Carroll University is to go on to law school, but as to which type of law, I am still figuring that out.

Now on to the class I am taking right now, a linked political science and communications class centered around the 2016 Republican National Convention. In addition to learning valuable information on how the convention works, next week I will be volunteering as a Cleveland Ambassador at a hotel in Beachwood for two days and the other half of the week, I will be volunteering with the 2016 Republican National Volunteer Team. I am most excited for being in Cleveland during this exciting and historic week and seeing how the RNC unfolds and what Trump has in store for all of us.