Carl Blackburn says party is unifying around Trump. Calls Melania’s speech “genuine.”
Habersham County GOP Chairman Carl Blackburn may not have voted for Trump in the primaries but says he will come election day.
Speaking with Now Habersham from Cleveland, Ohio, Blackburn says, “He was not my guy. Ted Cruz was my guy. I thought he was going to be it, but he wasn’t. He (Trump) became our standard bearer and you support them. If you don’t, you’re giving aid to the enemy.”
“Enemy” may seem a bit harsh but in today’s political climate the word fits right in, especially in Cleveland.
Protests?
The Republican National Convention opened Monday with vociferous attacks on the Democrats’ standard bearer, Hillary Clinton. An eclectic line up of speakers that included actor Scott Baio, Duck Dynasty frontman Willie Robertson, former Texas governor and GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani and Melania Trump took to the stage in an effort to unite and electrify GOP voters.
Did it work?
“It’s been great so far,” says Blackburn, who’s serving as an alternate with the Georgia delegation, “A lot of unity. The issues about protests and such, I haven’t seen one.” He dismisses national media reports of a delegate protest over convention rules. “That fizzled out after a few minutes. They put their face in front of the camera and then sat down or left.”
The Trump card
Asked to weigh in on the controversy that erupted over Melania Trump’s convention speech, in which some have accused her of plagiarism, Blackburn says, “People who were there knew it was genuine and from the heart. I bet you could go through speeches from first ladies of the past…and find common themes and words.”
From his perch in the stands above the convention floor, Blackburn knows he’s witnessing history unfold. This year’s GOP convention is as unconventional as Donald J. Trump.
He describes Trump’s dramatic surprise entrance Monday night as a cross between a rock concert and the WWE. “It was great to see Trump come out. He’s got a funny side, too.”
On party unity
This is Blackburn’s first turn at the convention and he says he hopes it won’t be his last. He’d like to return some day as a delegate. Between now and then, though, there’s a general election and it’s one Blackburn says he expects Trump will win.
“As things go along I think you’ll see people coalesce around Donald Trump.” He points to GOP nonagenarian Bob Dole as an example. The former Kansas Senator and WWII veteran showed up at the convention Monday to show his support for the Trump/Pence ticket. “We’ll see as this thing rolls along to when he’s elected, Carson, Christie, Gingrich will all have places in the Administration. I think the unity’s there.”
Whether it’s enough to win in November, though, has yet to be seen. There are still two full days of conventioneering left before GOP delegates head home, and a whole lot of campaigning to be done before Americans head to the polls.
Republican National Convention
Cleveland, Ohio
July 18-21, 2016
Photos by Carl Blackburn
