Voter Survival Guide

Election Guide: Trump has left the building. Now on to Philly.

Compiled by Karen Johnson

kjohnson@mcclatchydc.com

July 22, 2016 01:11 AM

The Republican Convention did one thing very well: set a very low bar for the Democrats to clear in order to convince America that they are the adults in this race.

It was presidential. It was disciplined. It was the longest presidential nomination speech since at least 1972. And it was the highlight of a four-day convention marred by foibles and missteps.

Donald Trump was as fiery as ever as he delivered his acceptance speech late Thursday. He was also deeply negative – offering a bleak view of crime and security in America. But he also offered a beam of hope, declaring, “I am your voice.”

And he shouted so much he grew hoarse as he drew near the end. But he spoke with greater precision, with surprisingly few mentions of “God” and surprisingly many mentions of “LGBTQ.”

The speech, annotated.

July 22, 2016
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Next up: The Democratic National Convention, next week in Philadelphia.

And the polls open nationally in 109 days. Let’s get started.

The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end. Beginning on Jan. 20 of 2017 safety will be restored.

Donald Trump,

What to read now

▪  Democrat Hillary Clinton will end months of speculation when she announces her running mate this weekend in the battleground state of Florida, just ahead of the Democratic National Convention. Here is how her VP picks stack up.

▪  The four-day convention didn’t help the GOP, writes McClatchy’s David Lightman. Republicans are heading into a long general-election campaign with as many challenges and problems as they had going in.

▪  Still puzzled about Ted Cruz? The Texas senator’s controversial convention speech Wednesday night was vintage Cruz, writes McClatchy’s Bill Douglas, a calculated, high-risk gamble that could either wound his political career or give him a platform for a 2020 or 2024 White House run.

▪  Fun Fact Check: When we talk about increasing security checks for admitting Syrian refugees into the United States, it’s worth looking at what the current screening process looks like. Infographic.

| More convention coverage

Weekend reading

▪  In his own words: Trump talks to The New York Times about NATO, Turkey's coup attempt and the world. Why his remarks are important, and dangerous.

July 22, 2016
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Best of social media

▪  Lastly, first lady Michelle Obama does the carpool karaoke.

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