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Republicans Rush to Finalize Convention. (‘Apprentice’ Producers Are Helping)
The party is promising a more traditional in-person spectacle with President Trump speaking every night. Coming into this weekend, major TV networks had only a foggy idea of what to expect.
www.nytimes.com/2020/08/22/us/politics/republican-convention-preview.html
...Republicans involved in the planning admit that anxiety began to set in two weeks ago. But on Saturday, they said that they were now confident that a fully realized lineup was in place — and that in contrast to the Democrats’ virtual event, voters could expect something more akin to a regular convention, with a focus on live onstage moments featuring Mr. Trump, whom aides described as the week’s “talent in chief.”
Typically, the nominee makes a mundane appearance early in the convention — waving or watching from the wings — before a major speech at the end. Mr. Trump has dismissed that model and now plans to directly address the nation in prime-time on each of the convention’s four nights. The president wants the opportunity to rebut charges made against him throughout the Democratic program, aides said, particularly on his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
... A “Democrats For Trump” segment is planned, though the participants remain a closely guarded secret. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole Black Republican in the Senate, will speak, along with two future potential presidential candidates: Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations.
“The Democratic convention was a Hollywood-produced, Old Guard-laden convention, if you ask me,” Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s counselor, told reporters at the White House on Friday, adding that viewers “are going to see and hear from many Americans whose lives have been monumentally impacted by this administration’s policies.”
“We definitely want to improve on the dour and sour mood of the D.N.C.,” added Ms. Conway, who is also scheduled to speak at the convention.
... The president’s sensitivity to TV production values has also raised pressure on Republican aides to pull off a glitch-free affair.