TORONTO – Monday evening, the Republicans kicked off the convention that formalizes its Electoral ticket headed by Donald Trump (President) and J.D. Vance Vice President). The latter was a “surprise candidate” – for some – until just before he was announced as [former} President Trump’s running mate. 

Judging by the expressions on the faces of the mainstream media commentators on the “progressive”, “left wing” media in the USA, particularly that of CNN, the selection of Vance must have shaken their confidence, or whatever there was left of it after the attempted assassination earlier in the week, that the Democrats might have any chance of victory in November.

The ceremonies of opening night were as much about personalities as about the directions the Republicans wanted to signal to Americans, to USA Allies, trading partners and countries they see as lunching out at America’s expense. This new team will be one of God-fearing, Nationalist, Patriots – “America firsters” , they affirmed, over and over again.

Why the surprise? The time-honored adage “to the victor go the spoils” still applies to everyone. The Republicans signalled that they had had enough of an agenda that has excluded them for at least four years:; therefore, no more wokeism, no more DEI, no more “ -ized” based favouritism.

Female elected officials decried gender expression as “phoney”; black Congressmen recounted the story of the success of their fathers who overcame adversity by dint of effort; the same Congressmen/women and professionals proudly paraded their achievements as products of merit and effort. Sixteen years ago, the US elected a Black man (Barack Obama) as President. Gone, in their mind, is “victimization politics”.

For better or for worse, the exercise at the Convention had the air of triumphalism. The election is still four months away, yet even the panelists appeared to have forsaken any hope of a Democratic victory, no matter their candidates on the ticket. As of Monday night, they seemed to concede that the outcome of the election in November is all done except for the counting.

Of course, no one has yet to cast a ballot, but the atmosphere does not augur well. Back in Canada, similar “forces of discontent and change” manifest themselves in the Polls, which consistently measure the widening growth of the Conservatives at the expense of Progressive Parties.

There will be more reporting and analyses drawing on the comparisons and the comparable. Unfortunate are the incumbents.