With the Republican Party presidential nomination a foregone conclusion, the central purpose of the 2024 Republican National Convention, according to Lake Oswego resident and recent gubernatorial candidate Bob Tiernan, was to energize the base while bringing some independents and Democrats on board for the November presidential election.
Tiernan, the former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party who had been an Oregon delegate in previous elections and received a VIP invite to this week’s convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, said the party accomplished that mission.
“Are you going to tell the Republicans why they should vote for you and, more importantly, the independents and Democrats why they should vote for you?” Tiernan said. “I thought it was extremely successful in that. I think they did a good job discussing the issues, problems and solutions.”
Having arrived in Wisconsin a few days after an assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump, Tiernan said he and other attendees were worried about security at the convention and whether people would stay home for fear of their safety. However, he said the thousands of police officers on hand as well as drones, helicopters and special operations personnel made him and others feel safe.
According to Tiernan, not everyone in attendance was generally a fan of Trump’s bombastic and inflammatory personality but that the Republican candidate emanated a noticeably somber, deliberate and softer tone at the convention. Tiernan said Trump seemed to have taken a “chill pill” and felt his speech and the event itself brought the party together.
“His whole tone, even before he spoke, was one of a low, quiet, methodical, not inflammatory, not accusatory, just a steady handed-discussion,” Tiernan said. “When he spoke last night, his voice was lower; he was speaking slower. He was pausing and thinking and continuing to talk. He showed a lot of compassion last night.”
Tiernan also described former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan’s emphatic speech as “hilarious” and Trump’s running mate JD Vance as the future of the party. He said Vance’s humble upbringing is a nice contrast to Trump’s. Further, Tiernan was invited to a special event by former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus that was attended by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
He also recalled meeting presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and telling the independent candidate he would fit in here in Oregon.
He also felt that people should put aside personality differences between Trump and President Joe Biden and think more about who is capable of solving some of the issues he feels are most important — illegal immigration and border security, the opioid crisis, inflation and the economy.
“The Biden administration has proven they are not fixing these problems at all. That is the message,” Tiernan said.
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