For the first two nights of the Republican convention, no word was said about Jacob Blake’s police-related shooting that sparked riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin. But many words were spoken announcing urban violence, and the pair of St. Louis accused of waving guns at Black Lives Matter protesters were identified.
The third night’s speaker, Mike Pence, had planned to say nothing about Blake or Kenosha, but portrayed Joe Biden as weak for legal action – a viewing echo by the head of the National Association of Police Organizations. But at the last minute, Pence stepped up and shouted for “law and order”: “Violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha.”
In an unmistakable contrast, at last week’s Democratic Convention, many words were spoken about police misconduct, George Floyd and racial injustice. No word was said about the riots that hit Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle and other cities.
Pence pointed this out as well, saying that Biden had failed to mention “the violence and chaos that is overcoming cities across this country.” But no syllable about shooting Blake.
The fleeting issue could potentially be more damaging to the Democrats. While President Trump has expressed sympathy for the murder of Floyd, everyone knows where he stands on violence in the big city and his constant criticism of Democratic mayors.
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But while everyone knows where Biden, who chose a black running mate, stands on police brutality, even liberal-leaning families are worried about their safety in communities where cars are burned, shops looted and people shot.
CNN host Don Lemon, with whom I may not agree, spoke the truth on Tuesday when he said “the riot must stop.” And he urged Democrats to address the violence: “I think maybe Joe Biden might be afraid to do it. I’m not sure.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Biden released a video too late. This was after the news that a third night of revolt had led to three shootings, two of them fatal. This was after Trump announced that he was sending federal law enforcement officials to Kenosha. This was when NBA players, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks, refused to play in Wednesday’s games, along with several baseball teams.
“What I saw on that video made me sick,” Biden said. “Again, a black man, Jacob Blake, was shot dead by police.”
Moments later, he added: “But burning communities is not a protest, it is unnecessary violence. Violence that endangers life.”
This is a problem that, after months of nationwide protests and riots, is not going away.
In his acceptance speech, delivered from Maryland’s Fort McHenry, Pence did not shake words: “You will not be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
The vice president made his case: “Under President Trump, we will stand with those who stand on the Thin Blue Line, and we will not defend the police – not now, not ever.” Biden has repeatedly opposed the police deployment, despite Pence’s suggestion to the contrary.
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Pence also told viewers that “Joe Biden says America is systematically racist. And that law enforcement in America has a quote, ‘implicit prejudice’ against minorities.”
Then came the line that, at the bottom, is the theme of his convention: “Joe Biden would be nothing more than a Trojan horse for the radical left.”
Speaking of the left, many of its members are beginning to reach out over the fact that the shooter in the latest Kenosha violence, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, was sitting in the front row at a Trump rally in Iowa. He described himself as someone who protected a company. But if he is guilty as a defendant, his political views are no more relevant than those of James Hodgkinson, the supporter of Bernie Sanders and of Rachel Maddow who opened fire at a GOP baseball practice of Congress.
Earlier, Ric Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of intelligence, said Trump did not start new wars and brought some troops home. An openly gay nominee, Grenell previously made a video that cast Trump as champion of the gay community.
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Wednesday’s proceedings put the previous night’s softer theme through in a concerted effort to appeal to female voters, including Karen Pence, the vice president’s wife.
Secretary of State Kayleigh McEnany shared a touching story about her decision to have a double mastectomy as a preventative measure against breast cancer, which runs in her family. She recalls how the president and Ivanka Trump called after her operation.
Kellyanne Conway, who is stepping down as White House adviser to family members, said Trump “helped me break down a barrier in the world of politics” by tapping her as a campaign manager. She called him a “champion” of women whom she described as everyday heroes, and spoke of his empathy for opioid addicts.
Daughter-in-law Lara Trump called on the president to appoint “most women to senior positions in every administration in history” (though not to one of the top cabinet jobs). Also, she spoke of “violent mobs” and “defold the police” in connection with Biden.
Eventually, Pence’s rejection of the Blake shooting, and Biden’s late video, could reflect the campaign’s sleep problem.
