I could write full posts about many of these, and if I had time, I would. The networks and the Axis want to ignore it and are trying to bury it in negatives, but the event is obviously news, and attention should be paid….
Observations:
1. Competence! If this was the President’s idea, it was a great one. The GOP has to get voters to the polls (or to mailboxes, if he can’t stem mail-in balloting). If the event picks up just one or two percentage points in Republican voter participation, it will have been a success. If Republicans hold Congress, I guarantee both parties will make this tactic a tradition.
Incidentally, adding a mid-term convention is another so-called “democratic norm” that Trump is violating. The Horror.
2. Fetterman! One of the two biggest stories to come out of last night’s opening of the convention was Senator John Fetterman’s surprise video appearance, shot in front of a steel mill. Fetterman praised and endorsed his fellow Pennsylvania Senator David McCormick, a Republican, and said that they would work together “and work with President Trump and defend the steel way of life.” This makes Fetterman the Ethics Hero of the convention thus far. It also tells Democrats that if they are going to try convict Trump after a House impeachment and try to pack the Supreme Court, they will need to flip an extra Senate seat to their side.
Ethics Alarms 
At one point in time Trump was a businessman who understood powerfully getting to the point was crucial to inspiring others to agree and support your stated objectives. Today’s Trump has lost the plot and apparently the skills to deliver strong, clear communication. Two hours!? Who, in our attention span challenged world, would or even could follow a speech that long? Throw in his incredibly irritating pattern of speaking and it’s a disaster.
Here’s a clue for the President, address issues and policies, especially this prolonged war, and let others lead your Party toward the future with realistic and positive ideas and goals.
Forget about TDS, many are just fatigued with his childish and boorish behaviors and foolish pronouncements. Be at least a little statesmanlike for goodness sake. Mr. President, you’re killing your Party.