(Note: UtahPolicy.com asked a handful of political insiders to provide their impressions of the national political conventions)
Rep. Robert Spendlove: I’ve always loved to watch the national conventions (of both parties). It was unfortunate to not have the cheering and celebrating that are typical of conventions but it’s understandable under the current circumstances. When looking at hits and misses, the hits were many of the videos, showing people around the country in a variety of different settings. The misses were the obvious one-liners meant to get laughter and applause but with no one in the room they fell flat.
While the conventions were fun to watch they won’t have a meaningful impact on the final election results. It appears that President Trump got a small bump from the Republican convention but I don’t expect this to last long. We still have six weeks before ballots start arriving in homes. In today’s political environment that’s an eternity. Ultimately, the election outcome will be driven by how candidates and parties build on their messages and reach out to their supporters in the next few weeks.
Nolan Karras, former Utah House speaker and gubernatorial candidate: The conventions are simply reinforcing currently held beliefs with core supporters and I doubt one vote was changed. Trump is in trouble not so much by his policies but his behavior. He divides!
Derek Miller: Everyone knows that President Trump loves attacking the mainstream media, with relish. In return, the media bias against Trump is over-the-top and growing. To whit, just read the Washington Post and try to distinguish between the front page and the editorial page. Spoiler alert: you can’t. The conventions are a chance to hear from the candidates themselves. Biden was grandfatherly with a nice smile and no clear position. Trump was his typical glowering self but with a definitive message on law and order. Trump will benefit from being able to speak directly to the American people without the media spin filter, especially if rioting and violence continues in cities around the country and fear rises.
Larry V. Lunt, Brigadier General (retired), former state legislator and former state GOP chair: I think the conventions will solidify the base of each party, and that the Republican convention will have greater impact on undecided voters.
