Conservatives—those who have not yet embraced Donald Trump—have been giving the Democratic National Convention largely positive reviews this week. On Monday, Michelle Obama earned plaudits from conservatives for a speech full of “heart, poetry and grace.” On Wednesday, President Barack Obama was compared by conservatives to Ronald Reagan. The final day was more of a mixed bag—Hillary Clinton’s big speech faced heavy criticism, but other key parts of the program brought longtime Republicans to tears. Overall, the response was fairly consistent: This had been a good week for the Democratic Party.
Let’s start with the criticism of Hillary’s speech. Most disliked Clinton stylistically and felt that she drove away center-right voters by articulating a liberal policy agenda.
Former Reagan and H.W. Bush speechwriter John Podhoretz:
I was honest enough to say Michelle & Barack were amazing and Trump was terrible. Let's see if liberals will be honest about this one
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 29, 2016
Fox News contributor Guy Benson:
AdvertisementThe worst primetime speeches at this convention were delivered by nominee and her running mate. #DNCinPHL
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 29, 2016
Weekly Standard senior writer Stephen Hayes:
Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementA pedestrian speech. Doesn't rise to the level of mediocre. And endless parade of cliches and banalities, poorly delivered. #DemsInPhilly
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) July 29, 2016
Commentary’s Noah Rothman:
AdvertisementLot of non-ideological cross-partisan outreach in the last two days of prime time programming. None at all in Hillary's speech.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) July 29, 2016
Red State’s Erick Erickson:
Advertisement AdvertisementAll that work over the past two nights to draw in wavering Republicans just went up in smoke. Trump thanks you, Hillary.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016
Hillary’s progressive laundry list should have been cut from this speech to get center-right voters who hate Trump. She lost them.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016
Former Ted Cruz aide Amanda Carpenter:
Advertisement AdvertisementIt sure seemed like Dems had a shot at getting GOP voters until Hillary started talking tonight.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) July 29, 2016
Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein:
AdvertisementThis is why Dem outreach to Rs is a risky strategy, b/c it's all a big windup for Clinton to explain a very liberal policy agenda.
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) July 29, 2016
Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson:
AdvertisementShe's losing me, again. Right back to where I was at the start of the night. *shrug
*— Kristen Soltis Anderson (@KSoltisAnderson) July 29, 2016
Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway:
AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementSomeone once told me HRC spoke like a Wheel of Fortune contestant slowly sounding out the puzzle.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) July 29, 2016
Still, many conservatives were able to acknowledge that—even if they weren’t fond of Clinton’s speaking style or substance—the messaging of her speech was effective and the optics were good.
Republican strategist Mike Murphy:
AdvertisementSo far this is landing with a minor thud. Weakly written and HRC just not an eloquent speaker. But the united USA message has great power.
— mike murphy (@murphymike) July 29, 2016
National Review’s Jim Geraghty:
AdvertisementThis is a well-written speech, but can you picture Hillary skeptics out there saying right now, "wait, I've been wrong about her all along?"
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) July 29, 2016
Former Mitt Romney adviser Stuart Stevens:
AdvertisementThis is a good speech.
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) July 29, 2016
There's a logic to this speech that is in American mainstream. Trump was dark and outside mainstream. https://t.co/YMzbzM7tjg
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) July 29, 2016
Washington Postcolumnist Jennifer Rubin:
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisementagree, it is much more American in spirit and tone than his
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) July 29, 2016
She LOOKS very good -- suit, hair, makeup (sorry guys, this matters) and that is what people SEE
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) July 29, 2016
National Review’s Rich Lowry:
AdvertisementStaging here is great, looks terrific on TV, only thing lacking is the speech
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) July 29, 2016
Conservative commentator Mickey White:
AdvertisementShe legit has never looked better. She's ready for her coronation close up.#DemsInPhilly
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) July 29, 2016
American Enterprise Institute Andrew Quinn:
Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementIt is unbelievable how much more mutual chemistry Hillary and Kaine have together than Trump and Pence, who seem mutually allergic.
— Andrew Quinn (@AndrewCQuinn) July 29, 2016
And many conservatives thought the portions attacking Donald Trump were particularly effective.
Hayes:
AdvertisementShe's right about this: "There is no other Donald Trump. This is it."#DemsInPhilly
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) July 29, 2016
Erickson:
AdvertisementAdvertisement“There is no other Donald Trump. This is it.” This is a good section of her speech. “America is great because America is good.” Strong.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016
Holy crap! “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man you can trust with nuclear weapons.” BOOM.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016
National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru:
Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThis is a strong passage and her best delivery of the night.
— Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) July 29, 2016
Clinton: Trump "loses his cool at the slightest provocation...A man you can bait w/ a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons."
— Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) July 29, 2016
The biggest success of the night, though, according to conservatives was the stirring testimonial of Khizr Khan, a Muslim American father whose son died a war hero in Iraq.
Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush national security adviser John Noonan:
AdvertisementThis is a powerful story and a damning indictment of Trump. Captain Khan has done a hell of a lot more for his country than Trump ever will
— John Noonan (@noonanjo) July 29, 2016
Gingrich and Cheney press secretary Rich Galen:
How can it be that I am standing at my kitchen counter sobbing because of the messages being driven at the DNC? Where has the GOP gone?
— Rich Galen (@richgalen) July 29, 2016
John Kasich and John McCain strategist John Weaver:
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AdvertisementI will take the America of Khizr Khan & his fallen son over Trump's distorted & selfish version every day of the week.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) July 29, 2016
Erickson:
AdvertisementMost powerful words spoken in the last two weeks: “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.” #Khan
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016
Finally, multiple conservatives determined that whatever they thought of Hillary’s speech, it had been a good convention in the end for the Democrats.
Erickson:
Key takeaway for me about this week: The Democrats know how to take on Trump better than the GOP did. They’ll ridicule him and mock him.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 29, 2016
Hot Air’s John Sexton:
Advertisement AdvertisementHillary praising the military, the police, the founding fathers--which convention is this?
— John Sexton (@verumserum) July 29, 2016
Republican operative Rory Cooper:
Advertisement AdvertisementThat was not a good speech, but it was a good convention.
— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) July 29, 2016
Read more Slate coverage of the 2016 campaign.
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