TALKING LOUD, SAYING NOTHING: Watching the collective epileptic seizure that’s been emanating this week from Cleveland, I’m most struck by all that’s not been said. Yes, the gynophobes and misogynists have whipped themselves into a fine lather over how sublimely despicable Hillary is. In another context, I might find “Lock ’er Up” a catchy call-and-response. But in this case, the best friend and political consigliere of New Jersey governor Chris Christie — the guy leading the “Lock ’er Up” charge — was just indicted for bribery on a massive scale. Something about glass houses and stones somehow creeps to mind.
By contrast, conventioneering Democrats showed such amazing restraint in 1972, when Richard Nixon ran for reelection. No “Lock ’im Up” chants were to be heard even though Nixon actively conspired to bribe the Watergate burglars — hired to break into Democratic Party headquarters to see what dirt they had on Nixon’s corrupt dealings with Vegas mogul, recluse, and germaphobe Howard Hughes. When the FBI got too close, Nixon unleashed the CIA to chase the G-men away. In 1986 — though not a convention year — Democrats would have been justified in shouting "Lock 'im Up" about Ronald Reagan, for authorizing a top-down conspiracy to sell missiles to Iran — then illegal because Iran was our declared enemy — and using the proceeds to buy weapons for anti-communist guerrillas (terrorists by today’s lexicon) then trying to overthrow the socialist government of Nicaragua. All this was done despite explicit congressional prohibition against spending a dime to help these “rebels.”
If the Democrats could bite their tongues then, certainly, the Republicans would be advised to follow suit, especially since the FBI just determined Hillary Clinton’s breach of email security precautions — however egregious — did not constitute an indictable offense. Yes, it’s true Donald J. Jr. gave a hell of a speech Tuesday night. But it will never make anyone forget the now infamous “50 words” Melania Trump inadvertently borrowed — plagiarism is theft; shouldn’t we lock her up, too? — from Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention speech. Personally, I cringe when spouses and children give endorsement speeches for candidates. Doesn’t anyone else like them? But it’s actually worse than that.