{"id":2323936,"date":"2024-08-13T15:58:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T19:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-delegates-grapple-with-emotional-whiplash-of-2024-race-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-13T16:03:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T20:03:39","slug":"rnc-delegates-grapple-with-emotional-whiplash-of-2024-race-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rnc-delegates-grapple-with-emotional-whiplash-of-2024-race-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"RNC delegates grapple with &#8217;emotional whiplash&#8217; of 2024 race &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frnc-delegates-grapple-with-emotional-whiplash-of-2024-race-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2323936&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses\u2064 the shifting dynamics within the Republican Party regarding the 2024 \u2062presidential race, particularly following the Republican \u200dNational Convention where former \u2062President Donald \u200bTrump was perceived as the leading candidate amid concerns\u2063 about President Joe Biden&#8217;s viability due to his age and mental\u2063 acuity. However, the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden&#8217;s likely successor \u200chas caused \u200ca significant recalibration of the political landscape, \u200bleading to a tighter race that Republican strategists now regard\u2063 as &#8220;50-50.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Comments from GOP figures reveal\u2063 a sense of both excitement and anxiety within the \u200cparty. Scott Jennings, \u2063a Republican \u2063strategist, noted that the convention was the first time the party\u200d felt ahead in a presidential race,\u200c contrasting it with \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/history-repeats-itself-democrats-are-using-tactics-of-the-marxists-of-1917-in-russia-to-steal-2020-election\/\" title=\"History Repeats Itself: Democrats Are Using Tactics of the Marxists of 1917 in Russia to Steal 2020 Election\">previous elections<\/a>. Nonetheless, he also indicated that\u200c the party&#8217;s mood has\u200d shifted to one of anxiety,\u200b describing \u2064the race as much more competitive and challenging than previously thought.<\/p>\n<p>Republican delegates expressed feelings\u200c of having been blindsided (&#8220;played chess \u200con us&#8221;) by \u2064the Democrats&#8217; maneuvering, particularly in how Harris\u2019s ascendance may invigorate Democratic support, notably among Black \u2063voters disenchanted\u2063 with Biden. Critics within the \u200dparty also \u200durge Trump to\u2062 focus on policy issues over personal attacks \u2064to\u2062 maintain leverage during the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Republican strategists acknowledge\u200c the urgency to mobilize grassroots support and voters \u2062ahead of the election, recognizing the need for a disciplined strategy to counteract \u200dHarris&#8217;s rise \u2062and maximize their own chances in the increasingly \u200ccontested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/update-corrupted-software-that-stole-6000-votes-from-trump-in-michigan-county-shut-down-for-two-hours-in-red-counties-in-georgia-on-election-day\/\" title=\"Update: Corrupted Software that Stole 6,000 Votes From Trump in Michigan County -- Shut Down for TWO HOURS in Red Counties in Georgia on Election Day\">battleground states<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Republican reckoning: RNC delegates grapple with &rsquo;emotional whiplash&rsquo; of 2024 race<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1729329\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>What a difference a month can make this election year.<\/p>\n<p>One month ago in Milwaukee, former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> made his triumphant return to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/milwaukees-mayor-is-making-sure-wisconsin-voters-know-how-much-their-vote-counts-the-swingiest-of-states-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Milwaukee\u2019s mayor is making sure Wisconsin voters know how much their vote counts: \u2018The swingiest of states\u2019 - Washington Examiner\">national political spotlight<\/a> during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-national-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Republican National Convention<\/a>, the undisputed front-runner in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2024 race<\/a> after surviving an assassination attempt. But with President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a> cast aside over concerns about his age, mental acuity, and electoral prospects, his replacement, Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a>, has put battlegrounds thought lost to Trump back into play amid a surge in enthusiasm.<\/p>\n<p>Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist, described the Republican convention as the first of his political career where the party felt it was ahead, citing previous nail-biter presidential elections and Trump&rsquo;s own come-from-behind victory in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There was euphoria,&rdquo; Jennings told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;There was just this view that he was ascendant and that&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;was a spent force, and everybody knew it. And you throw on top of that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hulk-hogan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Hulkamania<\/a>, and people walked out of there ready to rip their own shirts off.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But four weeks later, it is now &ldquo;a 50-50 race&rdquo; and &ldquo;Trump&rsquo;s going to have to fight for it,&rdquo; according to Jennings.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s much more of a knife fight in a phone booth as opposed to a coronation,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So Republicans are dealing with the emotional whiplash of that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For Brandon Maly, a Republican convention delegate from Wisconsin and the chairman of the Dane County Republicans, it is as if a &ldquo;political earthquake&rdquo; has taken place.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They played chess on us,&rdquo; Maly told the<em> Washington Examiner,<\/em> judging that the score against&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;was 1-1, given he dropped out of the race. &ldquo;They changed the game up on us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Jennings criticized Harris&rsquo;s ascension as &ldquo;a ruthless and audacious thing&rdquo; Democrats did, adding it was &ldquo;offensive&rdquo; but it was the &ldquo;only choice&rdquo; Democrats had &ldquo;because they were beaten.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Republicans knew that, and that&rsquo;s why they were feeling so good about the race,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s rise has placed battleground states such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Georgia<\/a> in reach of Democrats, per Maly, particularly because of her appeal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/african-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>black voters <\/a>who were &ldquo;unenthused, uninspired&rdquo; by&nbsp;Biden, though he scrutinized the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: &#039;Pipeline&#039; to Obama Admin Seen as &#039;Currency&#039;\">vice president<\/a> for not making herself available to the press.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Talk about &lsquo;democracy dies in darkness,&#8217;&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Hello, we have someone that zero people voted for and is not getting any questions. Why has she not had a press conference? Why does she not do TV?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But in other battleground states, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Michigan<\/a> and, to a lesser extent, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Minnesota<\/a>, the home state of Democratic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-backed-bail-fund-freed-alleged-domestic-abuser-now-accused-of-murder\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris-Backed Bail Fund Freed Alleged Domestic Abuser Now Accused Of Murder\">vice presidential nominee<\/a> Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN), Republicans remain confident in Trump and his campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan&rsquo;s Oakland County Republican Party Chairman Vance Patrick downplayed the likelihood of Harris granting an interview before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-national-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democratic National Convention<\/a> next week in Chicago, predicting she will &ldquo;stay silent&rdquo; so she can &ldquo;ride&rdquo; her confab bounce, though he added the convention is poised to be disrupted by pro-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gaza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Gaza<\/a>, pro-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/palestinians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Palestinian<\/a> protesters, many of whom call Michigan home.<\/p>\n<p>But Patrick contended Harris&rsquo;s ascendance has motivated Michigan Republicans &ldquo;even more&rdquo; than before with Biden.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They realize how important this election is, and they&rsquo;re going to do everything they can,&rdquo; Patrick told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told so many people, I go, just having a Trump sticker on the back of your truck isn&rsquo;t good enough. Start the conversation because that&rsquo;s the only way we&rsquo;re going to get enough people to register to vote, get out there and vote, early voting, absentee voting, and day-of-the-election voting. That&rsquo;s what it&rsquo;s going to take.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But Patrick did echo advice from the likes of former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/speaker-of-the-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House Speaker<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kevin-mccarthy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kevin McCarthy<\/a> (R-CA) about Trump needing to concentrate on Harris&rsquo;s policy and not her personality.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just Trump&rsquo;s personality as a contractor, as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New Yorker<\/a>,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But sticking to the issues, I will admit that is what a lot of people are saying. Stick to the issues because you can win this hands down by sticking to the issues, not necessarily going after personal attacks.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Another Republican strategist underscored McCarthy&rsquo;s advice, arguing Trump &ldquo;has got to get more disciplined or we could make a big mistake this fall and elect a woman who will be surrounded by radical Leftists.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;On the ground here in Minnesota, we are truly fired up,&rdquo; Minnesota RNC National Committeeman AK Kamara told the <em>Washington Examiner,<\/em> citing a rally that Trump and Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>J.D. Vance<\/a> (R-OH), Trump&rsquo;s vice presidential nominee, hosted in St. Cloud, Minnesota, shortly after the convention.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Meanwhile, the Democrats forced their democratically nominated candidate Joe&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;out of the race and undemocratically swapped in VP Kamala Harris without any debate or input from their base,&rdquo; Kamara wrote. &ldquo;Then came the announcement of radical extreme Leftist policy supporting Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, as her VP pick.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These developments, along with national media scrutiny on Walz&rsquo;s failures to protect Minnesotans during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-floyd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>George Floyd <\/a>riots, lies about his rank, radical extreme Leftist bills he signed as governor, and claims of stolen valor, have only further energized us here in Minnesota,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1729329\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1729329\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Republican Reflection: RNC Delegates Experience &#8216;Emotional Whiplash&#8217; in 2024 Race**<\/p>\n<p>The political landscape can shift dramatically in just a month. A month ago, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, former President Donald Trump basked in the spotlight as the clear frontrunner for the 2024 election after overcoming an assassination attempt. However, with concerns about President Joe Biden&#8217;s age and mental fitness leading to his sidelining, Vice President Kamala Harris has revitalized battleground states previously thought to be secure for Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist, noted that this was the first convention he attended where Republicans felt they were ahead\u2014contrasting it with previous close presidential races and Trump&#8217;s own surprising win in 2016. &#8220;There was euphoria,&#8221; Jennings remarked to the Washington Examiner. &#8220;Everyone believed Trump was on an upward trajectory while Biden seemed like a spent force.&#8221; Yet now, just four weeks later, Jennings describes it as &#8220;a 50-50 race&#8221; where Trump must actively fight for victory instead of being handed a coronation.<\/p>\n<p>Brandon Maly, a delegate from Wisconsin and chairman of Dane County Republicans, likened recent developments to a &#8220;political earthquake,&#8221; suggesting that Democrats have changed strategies unexpectedly. He assessed that Biden&#8217;s withdrawal from the race has leveled things out at one point each.<\/p>\n<p>Jennings criticized Harris\u2019s rise as \u201cruthless\u201d but acknowledged it was their only option after being beaten by Republicans. He pointed out that her appeal could swing battleground states like Georgia back toward Democrats due to her connection with black voters who felt uninspired by Biden.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, some Republicans remain optimistic about Trump&#8217;s chances in other key states such as Michigan and Minnesota. Vance Patrick of Michigan\u2019s Oakland County GOP downplayed expectations of Harris giving interviews before next week\u2019s Democratic National Convention and predicted she would maintain silence to capitalize on any momentum gained from her appearance there.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick believes Harris&#8217;s emergence has further energized Michigan Republicans who recognize how crucial this election is; he emphasized grassroots efforts are essential for voter registration and turnout.<\/p>\n<p>He echoed sentiments shared by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy regarding Trump&#8217;s need to focus on policy rather than personal attacks against Harris: \u201cSticking to issues is what many believe will lead us to victory.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another strategist reinforced McCarthy&#8217;s advice about discipline being vital for Trump if they want to avoid electing someone surrounded by extreme leftists this fall.<\/p>\n<p>AK Kamara from Minnesota expressed enthusiasm among local Republicans following rallies featuring Trump shortly after the convention while criticizing Democrats for replacing Biden without proper debate or input from their base when selecting Kamala Harris as his successor. He argued these changes have only galvanized support among Minnesota conservatives amid scrutiny over Governor Tim Walz\u2019s handling of various issues during his tenure<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3358,"featured_media":2323937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/trump-convention-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[33697,34036,38049,6915,32076],"class_list":["post-2323936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-2024-race","tag-delegates","tag-emotional-whiplash","tag-rnc","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/trump-convention-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3358"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2323936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2323936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2323936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2323936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}