I actually have never watched a convention and I wasn't planning to start this year. I really don't need my vote swayed in a specific direction. I am planted firmly with Biden/Harris.

Everyone I know already has their mind made up. The people in my immediate family stand firm with Trump and will not be budged even as he kills Americans and commits crimes to suppress voters. It makes me sick.

I have friends who will vote Biden/Harris and will not be swayed and at least one friend who never votes for a particular party - she always votes third party and there is no changing her mind on this. Also makes me sick.

I don't know if conventions change people's minds...I suppose I would listen to them if I wasn't standing firm on "lets get the Trump criminal out of there". I have nothing against Republicans or what they stand for... I do have a problem with Trumpsters and what they stand for. What we are seeing now is not the Republican party. It's far from it. But if a true Republican was running, I would listen to both sides and then make my choice. Since I am a moderate, both parties stand for issues that I believe in. Trump stands for nothing that I believe in.

I'm pretty firmly a Democrat but I usually do at least try to catch bits and pieces of each party's conventions since at least '96 (even though I couldn't vote yet I was still interested in watching them). 2016 was the first time I didn't even bother to watch the GOP one and I don't intend to watch any of it this year either. Like you said, Lucky, the current Republican Party is not what the party ever was before, it doesn't stand for anything it used to but rather seems to just stand for Trump as the supreme leader at all costs even if he doesn't actually stand for anything that is beneficial for the people voting for him. There was a time when I could at least respect Republicans even though I disagreed with them because at least they stood for something based in some sort of reason - these days though, there is no reason and therefore you can't even have any sort of logical conversing on political topics because there isn't any ability to compromise or come to terms with them anymore. It's a shame. What is there now is just a party that is hell-bent on making Trump ruler for life, getting rid of democracy altogether just for the sake of benefiting him and the small group of cronies who have made millions off his policies at the expense of everyone else. I do not get why anyone would want to strive to be like Russia, China, Syria, Turkey, North Korea, et al. But here we are...

I've watched some of the Democratic one thus far- it's strange to say the least. Some of it has felt more like a PBS telethon than convention, but some of the speeches have been good, though I imagine the only people actually hearing them are the people already convinced to vote for Biden. I do like that they've highlighted a lot of "everyday Americans" across the country, especially in the roll call of states during the official nominating process (which felt like the roll call of countries announcing who they've given points to in the Eurovision Song Contest crossed with the opening introductions of any national pageant competition like Miss America or Miss USA) but one thing I have noticed thus far - an significant lack of white women. Lots of minorities and a decent amount of white men but like that roll call thing only had 7 white women throughout the whole thing, two of which shared the announcement bit with someone else. As a white woman, I fear the party is leaning hard on the minority angle and forgetting there are white women whose votes they ought to be trying to get too and if they just ignore white women thinking they don't matter because they're all about the minority women now, well, I fear a lot of white women who aren't exactly fans of Trump might go back to voting for him this year (the majority of white women did vote for him in 2016, sadly). He's already trying to appeal to them with his appeals to suburban housewives about keeping law and order in their neighborhoods by keeping low income housing out (which frankly is both blatantly racist and sexist, but sadly will work for a lot of women).

I'm not sure conventions matter much anymore since people who really want information on candidates will look it up online and most people probably only watch "highlights" after the fact, if there were any anyway.

I had not thought about the white woman not being recognized as much and I am also a white woman. But...I think that is what the white male is going through too. As we see our country start to accept all people, in this case people of color, the rest of us will feel a little left out. Which is how the people of color have felt for a long time. It's not easy to feel this way but it is a small window, and I mean really small because there is no way for us to know how it feels to be a person of color in this world, into how they have always felt. But I have faith that the balance will return as we are all seen as equals. No race will have to be in the spotlight because we ALL will be in the spotlight.

As for the white women going over to Trump...I don't think it will happen. He has threatened the lives of our children and it will take a pretty shallow and self centered woman to think that that is OK.

White women voted for Trump in the last election, even college educated white women voted for him more than for Hillary. Three of my mom's friends -all white women over the age of 55 - are all heavy supporters of Trump. They are all mothers (and 2 have grandchildren) but they're also to varying degrees deep into their religions and they regularly post things online like "God bless Trump" and acting like he's their savior. It's really disturbing if you ask me; I'd love to actually ask them all how they can feel this way about him when their religion cautions them about worshiping a false god but my mom won't let me. I mean, I can't imagine every woman who is going to vote for him feels like he walks on water but the fact that I can identify three who practically do (and these were all reasonable, level-headed women at other points in time, at least they seemed to be) and they come from this area where we're all far more aware of Trump's past than I think much of America was prior to his election...

I just saw a chart the other day about a couple of different so-called swing voters and how much they truly are swing voters based on demographics and among the charts they listed "under 35", "white women over 50", "college-educated women", and I can't remember what the other chart was for but all three of those categories if I'm not mistaken all went for Trump, albeit not necessarily by wide margins, but they still voted for Trump over Hillary. I would like to think that those populations and others have now seen him in office for 3 1/2 years and realized he's never going to "be presidential" and that he's just out for himself and doesn't care about the people, just maintaining power and blatantly getting away with crimes, then there are those three friends of my mom who are all still gaga over him even now, even when she reminds them online how he wants to gut social security and medicare which will directly affect them in the near future if not already. They still don't budge.

My mother, who is 82, thinks of Trump as her lord and savior. As does my brother and my niece and nephew on my husbands side. It's disturbing to say the least. I even said to my nephew, who is 39, "your Lord and Savior in the White House" and he didn't bat an eye. He does believe, and has stated so on a number of occasions, that God sent Trump to save us all. Little does he know that Trumps purpose is for people to grow away from him and towards the light rather than grow within the evil and darkness he spews. I tried to tell him that but he is incapable of hearing that right now. I do hope that what I read is true - that once Trump is gone and they are not listening to his lies they will wake up. I guess in cult cultures many of the people do wake up to the actual facts once the cult leader is gone. Fingers crossed we see this happen once Trump is out of there.

I have a feeling you would not be satisfied with the answer those women would give you. In fact, you'd probably be horrified. I've read some interviews about "Christians" who will still vote for Trump and the theme I saw was that everyone wanted it to be 1950. Where whites were supreme, men ruled (yes, even women were saying this) and everyone, especially people of color, knew their place. It's this racism and a longing for the "good ole days" that is driving many of his followers. It was disturbing to read a 40 year old woman, younger than me, saying that she thinks it's the womans job to submit to a man and by submitting to him it actually makes her stronger. WHAT?!?!?! It's just nuts.

I also hope that those swing voters are moving away from Trump. I do believe that having Hillary running against Trump was the reason many went with Trump. So many people, including women, still think the job of President should go to a man. Add to that the fact that many people truly hated Hillary, and also that Trump rigged the election with Putin, and you had a perfect storm. A storm that has continued for 3.5 years. I really hope that Biden can pull them over to his side this time.

Looks like it's just you and me on this board now Tes. :-)

Not to re-litigate 2016, but sadly many people had formed their opinion on Hillary back in 1992 and no matter what she did after that they were never going to believe she was a good choice because they had in their mind who she was no matter how distorted that view was. Similarly, those same people likely believed Trump was a successful businessman thanks to the image crafted on reality tv that made him and his kids look like they were competent enough to lead people to think that he was the best option out of the GOP. The amazing thing too was that at the time with so many options running on the GOP side that those folks chose Trump over other more competent choices, which in and of itself makes you realize that between the conspiracy theory types and Russian influences and the whole nine, the party was corrupted and many a Republican voter was brainwashed, if you will, to believe not only in his divisive rhetoric and "let's return to the '50s" mentality but to think an inept businessman who bankrupted his business six times despite being well funded by his father was a better choice for leading the country than 16 other options - just within their own party, never mind facing Hillary.

Yes, there are many women, especially women who are religious, who do believe they must submit to men and will never support a woman in a leadership role because they have always been taught that women are not supposed to be leaders. But there were also a lot of women who just didn't like Hillary but at least want to believe they would vote for a woman for president they just haven't found a candidate they like for the role yet (it is a fine line women have to walk to appear strong enough to be seen as a leader without being so intimidating that people don't like you). And then yeah there are those women who are strangely into Trump (god knows why). Men too; it's weird how he seems to have some of them in such a trance - it truly is cult-like indeed.

I think people felt like in 2016 that it didn't matter as much to vote; they saw Trump and Clinton as one in the same or they thought it wouldn't make a difference to take a chance on an unknown than to go for someone who may be a reliable choice but you just don't like (as if liking the person who is president has to be a requirement - but it was the difference maker for George W. Bush over Al Gore too). They really wanted to believe that if Trump became president he'd rise to the occasion and be like other presidents... or they've drank so much of the Kool-Aid they believe he already is presidential and perfect in every way and they just wanted to get to "winning again" (which in hindsight really was a dog whistle to White nationalists, no?). At least some of those folks who ultimately voted for Trump have changed their minds seeing how he's not shown himself capable to do the job well or they're just tired of the constant barrage of Trump stuff every day. Some who would lean Democrat but hated Hillary last time surely are more comfortable with Biden too. But then you still have some who refuse to vote no matter what or will just say they aren't excited enough by the choices to care no matter how many times you tell them how much their lives truly depend on it. Basically it's a crap shoot at this point. Plus there's the whole Russia factor and Trump's own blatant manipulation of the election to worry about.

It does appear to be just us, indeed. Is everyone just too spent these days to talk politics at all or are they over their outrage? If it's the latter then the country may be far more doomed than we want to believe...

You are so right about people forming an opinion of Hillary long ago and not wavering from it. I didn’t necessarily want Hillary but I knew I did not want Trump so even I voted for the lesser of two evils. It’s sad but true.

You are also right about people, majorly uninformed people like my mother, who believed then and still believe now that Trump is a successful business man. When I bring up the bankruptcies my mother defends him at all costs. But, she is part of the cult so I know nothing I say will cut through the cults brain washing.

I watch a lot of video’s from Republicans Against Trump and its interesting to hear the reasons they did or did not vote for Trump in 2016. Many, like you said, thought he would change in office. That the way he was on the campaign trail was just a “campaign persona” and that he would instantly change when elected. It’s great that these people have grown beyond someone like Trump and watching the video’s gives me hope. I give them credit for admitting their mistake.

Keep picturing Biden being sworn in 1/20/21

Oh, and while your picturing things...picture Trump, his kids, their spouses and all the republican enablers in orange jumpsuits being led into prison.

I am convinced that Trump only won the last time off misinformation, outside manipulation, and a general lackadaisical attitude across America about voting and believing it didn't matter anyway no matter who you vote for. I think there are a lot of people who didn't vote or wasted their vote on a third party candidate or punted on Trump merely because they held a personal baseless hatred for Hillary that have since been awakened to why they cannot do what they did in 2016 now. And I think there are at least some former loyal Republicans who may have been still favoring Trump prior to the pandemic but have since lost their jobs and/or loved ones and finally have wised up to how his lack of care for the American public has cost us all dearly. They may not be fans of the Democratic party, but they can get on board with Biden because he's sort of non-threatening to a lot of them, no matter how much the GOP wants to try to paint him with the same brush as Bernie and AOC.

When an incumbent is going for a second term it's a referendum election so most people will vote based on whether they feel like Trump has done a good enough job and whether he's got the country going in the right direction or not. I think more people will be motivated to vote him out, especially since he has not expanded his base at all and his polling numbers have never risen above the high water mark of 47%. He's basically playing the same game as last time, not aiming for the popular vote though he would love to have that, but instead just aiming to do just well enough in the swing states to get enough of them to beat Biden - which I worry he could still manage to do no matter how many people do turn out for Biden. But ultimately Trump needs to depress the voter turn out to win because his base isn't expanding and he's not going to likely get the swing voters this time around so he needs to just convince enough people to stay home on election day, not use any early voting methods like mail-in balloting, and throw some weight around on election day to keep registered voters who do turn out from actually casting their ballots by cutting back polling places in highly populous areas and stationing police and other muscle at polling places in big cities claiming it's for everyone's protection while voting but really actually being a method of intimidation.

I fully expect it to be a brutal fight for the soul of our country and I fear what will happen in November no matter what the outcome - because it'll be terrible if he wins for sure but it might also be bad if he loses because I don't see Trump leaving quietly or there being a smooth transition of power and I fully expect his cult supporters to go ballistic and not just stay home pouting about it either. I fear it getting like full on "The Purge" in this country, like nasty civil war type fighting. And I worry for the safety of Biden and Harris because Putin goes after his opponents with poison and in Belarus the opposition leader had to flee the country for the sake of her life after losing the vote there - can we trust that Trump wouldn't make "lock her up" a more literal thing if he gets another 4 years given how he basically wants to rule like a dictator/monarch rather than as a president?