I tuned in when Giuliani was at the podium. He did a pretty good rendition of the power-mad super villain in a B-grade James Bond parody. Lots of shouting, arm waving and pointing at himself as he said what he did for New York, Donald Trump would do for the country. The PBS panel cut away in the midst of his speech to try to make sense of the moment; they all looked embarrassed to be there.
The playbook highlight of the night was an infomercial delivered by Mrs. Trump about her husband, proclaiming him kind and loyal while being tough when needed. She said that if granted the privilege to become first lady she would concentrate on helping women, children and the poor. Presumably, she has the resources available to identify poor people, but one has to wonder how interested they will be in beauty and fashion. A lot will be riding on the quality of the
hors d'oeuvres. (The Guardian video nailed it.)
The delegate audience started heading for the doors as Mrs. Trump was wrapping up her contribution. General whatshisname stood up straight and looked stern while delivering a content-free speech with a few "USA" thrown in with no exclamation mark, and a deflated over-the-shoulder response by the departing delegates.
It was all a reminder, if one is needed, that in the daily course of events authoritarian, fascist regimes are excruciatingly dull. They ultimately have to torture and kill to make themselves seem interesting.
