Howling at the Moon Over Hillary

It seemed like the Republicans last night truly became the Banana Republicans-as in they act like this is a Banana Republic. 

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-erdogan-republicans.html

There was something truly scary about the constant chants of 'Lock her up!' especially during Chris Christie's 'prosecution' speech. 

What's ironic is that it's is Administration that is in danger of prosecution. He claimed to reporters that Hillary can't call him an imperfect messenger. Which is telling. He considers himself perfect! 

I think it's child's play to call him imperfect. Very imperfect. 

Hillary had a great response though.

"If you think @ChrisChristie can lecture anyone on ethics, we have a bridge to sell you."

https://twitter.com/VoteHillary2016/status/755583766819504128

It's amazing how those in the biggest glass houses throw the most stones.

A lot of folks were taking aback by this chant that if you just listen to the tone might just as well be 'Off with her head' or 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live!'

Truly the GOP is the party of show trials. 

Mike McFaul, though a Republican, is personally embarrassed.

"Embarrassed for my country by this chant at #RNC2016 "lock her up." Dictatorships lock up the opposition, not democracies"

https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/755580176122023936

Ross Douthat:

"Everyone major figure who participated in this grotesquerie has disgraced themselves on a level unique in the history of our republic."

https://twitter.com/DouthatNYT/status/755597720300101632

Amen.

Jonathan Chait also had a piece on how the GOP's economic policy night turned into a another lock up Hillary night.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/economy-night-is-actually-lock-up-hillary-night.html

Yglesias noted the same.

http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12232428/make-america-work-again

I noted the same last night.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/07/its-been-two-quarters-and-gop-has-moved.html

As to why this is, I think it comes down to this. The GOP remains a fractured party that is just trying to paper over their differences. Here is a nice cartoon that underscores this.

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-07-19/democrats-shouldnt-freak-out-about-hillary-clintons-polls-yet

In recent years you've seen a GOP that has become more and more fractured. The different sects that make up the GOP-business wing, social conservatives, etc-can't agree on anything.

With Trump we now see no policy at all in this convention. Not the usual bad policy, but no policy. Just emotional grunts and impulses.

What struck me to the speeches in the first two nights is that each speaker has his or her own agenda. But it doesn't equal any sort of concordant GOP vision.

You have Paul Ryan trying to claim and ideological unity that doesn't exist, you have Scott Baio who probably thinks 'our country has been stolen from us' because no one watches Joannie Loves Chachie anymore, you have the Duck Dynasty guy.

It's a Motley Crew which agrees on nothing except: they hate Hillary Clinton with a passion.

This is why the talk is almost all about how much they hate Hillary and want her in jail rather than any kind of positive vision-or even much about Donald Trump.

UPDATE: Greg Sargent too talks about how GOP's economy night became 'Lock her up' night.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/07/20/the-gops-rousing-chant-on-a-night-about-the-economy-lock-her-up/