Donald Trump

Cleveland: The ‘showbiz’ convention?

Cleveland: The ‘showbiz’ convention?

Evan Lips

CLEVELAND — Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, who earlier this year abandoned his own presidential ambitions after dismal performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, said Friday he thinks next week's Republican National Convention "is going to be largely showbiz."

The Republican from Richmond was noticeably candid regarding his thoughts on the future of politics and how reality television star and real estate mogul Donald Trump managed to capture the most votes out of a crowded field of GOP candidates. Gilmore, who participated in a panel discussion with USA Today's Washington bureau chief Susan Page and David Wilhelm, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also lamented the influence he claims cable news executives have on the democratic process.

Diehl: ‘Never Trump’ delegates acting like Beacon Hill Democrats
Donald Trump

Diehl: ‘Never Trump’ delegates acting like Beacon Hill Democrats

Evan Lips

CLEVELAND — Hours after so-called "Never Trump" delegates unsuccessfully tried to force a roll call rules vote during the first session of the Republican National Convention, Beacon Hill's most ardent Donald Trump supporter compared their efforts to the tactics he claimed are typical of Massachusetts Democrats: "bundling" separate issues together in order to prompt a divisive vote.

"Ideally this type of work should be done separately from the convention so that there isn't sort of this artificial pressure to get these things wrapped up in order to make sure that everything is running smoothly for the candidate," state Rep. Geoff Diehl (R-Whitman) said about Monday afternoon's drama. "It should really be a separate issue in my opinion and the Democrats do that all the time — they try to bundle certain things into consolidated bills."

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