Less than four months until Election Day, the presidential election is entering its official home stretch. In one week, Republicans will gather in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, which runs July 15-18. There is extra anticipation surrounding the event, since presumptive nominee Donald Trump has said he will announce his running mate at the convention. The reported finalists include Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. The event is also a showcase for rising stars in the party to speak before a large national audience. And there is plenty of business, as the party formally nominates its candidates and adopts its official platform for 2024.
Beyond the nuts and bolts, Republican insiders say this year's event has a more positive feel to it, with the party and Trump in a better position than either of the last two conventions. "Four years ago was really a tough time because COVID and all of the restrictions had really dampened a lot of the enthusiasm, and in 2016 it was still not a foregone conclusion that the Republican nominee was going to win the Oval Office," says Vlad Davidiuk, GOP strategist. "There is a much more positive, anticipatory, forward-looking element to this particular convention."
Adding to those positive vibes around the RNC is the contrast with the negative vibes at the White House and DNC. With President Biden facing calls to drop out of the race from a growing number of Dems, the failure of lawfare efforts against Trump, and polls showing Trump leading Biden in nearly all swing states, Democrats have a lot of headwinds to deal with before their convention in Chicago next month. "The contrast couldn't be greater," says Davidiuk. "One party has a clear, positive, forward-looking vision for America and is united behind their nominee, while on the other side you have a party in complete disarray...panicking, back-stabbing each other, trying not to lose power that they're clinging to by their fingernails."