memeorandum: First night of RNC 2020 was very effective, to media's dismay (John Podhoretz/New York Post)

12:45 PM ET, August 25, 2020

Top Items:

John Podhoretz / New York Post:

First night of RNC 2020 was very effective, to media's dismay — The first night of the Republican National Convention was, all in all, sensationally effective — and effective in ways that the mainstream media and its Twitter chatterers clearly found it impossible to understand.

Discussion: Washington Post

David Frum / The Atlantic:

The Platform the GOP Is Too Scared to Publish — Republicans have decided not to publish a party platform for 2020. — This omission has led some to conclude that the GOP lacks ideas, that it stands for nothing, that it has shriveled to little more than a Trump cult. — This conclusion is wrong.

Discussion: National Review and Raw Story

John Daniel Davidson / The Federalist:

I Was Wrong About Trump. He Didn't Destroy the GOP, He Saved It — At the RNC four years ago, I thought Trump couldn't win the White House and that his nomination would destroy the Republican Party. I was wrong. — When the Republican Party formally nominated Donald Trump four years ago …

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story, The Guardian and National Review

Will Thorne / Variety: Republican National Convention Night 1 Down on DNC in Early Numbers

Matthew Continetti / Washington Free Beacon:
The Mirror-Image Convention — The first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics

Kyle Balluck / The Hill:
First night of GOP convention delivers nearly six times more views than start of Democrats' event on C-SPAN livestream

Discussion: Axios, Reuters, The Gateway Pundit, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, New York Post, Gizmodo and Breitbart

NBC News:
Diplomats aghast as Pompeo set to address GOP convention from Jerusalem

Discussion: The Hill, The American Independent, WTOP, Daily Kos, POLITICUSUSA, The Week, Axios, Project On Government … and Politico

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
GOP Convention Scores First Night Hit

Discussion: Instapundit and ABC News

Associated Press:
Republican Convention takeaways: All Trump, all the time

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
I was promised optimism! — In the spin before the Republican National Convention began …

Discussion: Raw Story and The American Independent

detroitnews:
James at GOP convention: Democracy is ‘all or nothing proposition’

Discussion: Townhall

The Daily Beast:

Trump Administration Insider: President Wanted to ‘Maim’ Migrants — Miles Taylor, former DHS chief of staff, recalls the moment he said to himself “what the f*ck is happening” during a Trump meeting. Plus, the gang shits on night one of the RNC. — You thought what happened on-screen during …

Discussion: Raw Story and POLITICUSUSA

Bob Brigham / Raw Story:
Was Donald Trump, Jr. ‘coked out of his mind’ during RNC speech?

Discussion: The Wrap and Althouse

Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Former Trump DHS officials launch anti-Trump group

Discussion: Fox News, POLITICUSUSA, Washington Post, CNN, IJR, Breitbart, One America News Network, Washington Times, Raw Story, CNN, The Hill, The Week, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast, Reuters, CNN, CNBC, Just The News, USA Today, CNN, NBC News and Fox News

Adam Harris / The Atlantic:
The Battle for the Future of the GOP Is No Contest

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Vox, American Prospect, The Hill and Redstate

Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times:
RNC speakers paint California as a dangerous dystopia

Discussion: Breitbart and New York Times

Ryan Lizza / Politico: It's Nikki Haley vs. Don Jr. for the soul of the GOP

Rob Eshman / The Forward:

The rabbi who is neighbor to Mark and Patricia McCloskey speaks out: ‘They are bullies’ — When Rabbi Susan Talve heard that Patricia and Mark McCloskey would be among the speakers addressing the Republican National Convention, she decided she could no longer stay quiet.

Discussion: Vox, BuzzFeed News, Slate, Spectator USA and The 19th

CNN:

Fact check: First night of the Republican National Convention features more dishonesty than four nights of DNC — Washington (CNN)The Republican National Convention started off with a parade of dishonesty, in stark contrast with last week's Democratic convention.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Associated Press, Politico, The Guardian, New York Times, Real Clear Politics, Daily Kos, Vanity Fair, Fox News and Breitbart, more at Mediagazer »

Matt Lewis / The Daily Beast:

I Thought I'd Be Mocking the McCloskeys. Boy, Was I Wrong. — You may not believe me if you're a liberal Democratic who lives in a cosmopolitan area, but they came across as people many viewers could identify with. — BEAST INSIDE — If you fear Donald Trump, you should be afraid …

Discussion: Raw Story, Althouse, Politico, Breitbart and New York Times

Washington Post:
Fact-checking the first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention

Discussion: New York Times, Sean Hannity, Townhall, Just The News, New York Post, Washington Times, Breitbart and The Week

Clare Proctor / Chicago Sun-Times:

Jacob Blake's father says son's paralyzed from waist down after police shooting in Kenosha — The police shooting of Jacob Blake, 29, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is drawing national attention, including this protest Monday in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed by police earlier this year.

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Associated Press, Fox News, The Hill, NBC Chicago, New York Post, The Root, Gothamist, Forbes, The Daily Caller, The Week, CBS Los Angeles, KRON4, The US Sun, Breitbart, jsonline, The Daily Beast, Vox, ABC13, New York Times and Axios

Julie Bosman / New York Times:
Fires in Kenosha Reflect Anger After Police Shooting of Jacob Blake

Discussion: Twitchy, The Root, The Post Millennial, CNN, The Daily Caller, CBS New York and Althouse

Associated Press:
Jacob Blake's dad says son left paralyzed by police shooting

Discussion: Redstate, Wall Street Journal, jsonline, NPR, NBC Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times, The Atlantic, Associated Press, New York Post, FOX 5 San Diego, NBC Los Angeles, Slate and Insurance Journal

New York Times:

F.D.A. ‘Grossly Misrepresented’ Blood Plasma Data, Scientists Say — Many experts — including a scientist who worked on the Mayo Clinic study — were bewildered about where a key statistic came from. — At a news conference on Sunday announcing the emergency approval of blood plasma …

Discussion: Gothamist, Raw Story, The Week, Washington Post, Gizmodo and CNBC

Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:

FDA commissioner says he overstated effects of virus therapy — WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to an outcry from medical experts, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn on Tuesday apologized for overstating the life-saving benefits of treating COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, CNBC, New York Post, Fox News and Bloomberg

ABC News:

Jerry Falwell Jr. officially resigns from Liberty University — The embattled religious leader says he informed the school Monday night. — LIVE NOW — After a daylong back and forth, Jerry Falwell Jr. officially resigned from Liberty University Monday night, he told ABC News.

Discussion: Liberty News, Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Fox News, The Daily Caller, The Week, UPI, Virginia Business, Associated Press, New York Post and CNN

Religion News Service:

Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns from Liberty University. Again. — (RNS) — Jerry Falwell Jr., the embattled president of Liberty University and one of President Donald Trump's most vocal supporters, formally resigned from the evangelical Christian university founded by his father Monday evening …

Discussion: BillMoyers.com, Washington Post, The Week, Virginia Business, Politico, Talking Points Memo, New York Post, Raw Story, Daily Kos, National Review, The Daily Caller, Political Flare and The Hill

Natasha Korecki / Politico:

'He's going to be unleashed': Republican DOJ appointees urge against Trump second term — A group of onetime Republican presidential appointees who served as senior ethics or Justice Department aides are endorsing Joe Biden for president, warning that Donald Trump has “weaponized” …

Discussion: Associated Press, AFP, The American Spectator, POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

Carter Sherman / VICE:

An RNC Speaker Said Cops Would Be ‘Smart’ to Racially Profile Her Own Son — “Statistically, my brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons,” anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson said in a YouTube video earlier this year. — CS

Discussion: Raw Story

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:

Gail Sheehy, Journalist, Author and Social Observer, Dies at 83 — In a raft of books, notably “Passages,” she examined cultural transformations as well as the interior lives of public figures. — Gail Sheehy, a journalist who plumbed the interior lives of public figures for clues …

Discussion: Variety

Washington Post:

Melania Trump is about to give her biggest speech in four years. The Trump campaign hopes she can be its secret weapon. — On the eve of her big speech headlining the second night of the Republican National Convention, first lady Melania Trump appeared in front of the White House to talk up her husband's record on women.

Arizona Republic:

California is a failed state. How do we know? They're moving to Arizona in droves — Driving across Arizona, it's hard not to notice a surge in California license plates. The reason for this is becoming more apparent every day. California is a failed state.

Teo Armus / Washington Post: Kimberly Guilfoyle trashed California. She goes way back with two of the state's most important Democrats.

Martha Mendoza / Associated Press:

Redwoods survive wildfire at California's oldest state park — BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (AP) — When a massive wildfire swept through California's oldest state park last week it was feared many trees in a grove of old-growth redwoods, some of them 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth, may finally have succumbed.

Discussion: CBS San Francisco, CBS Sacramento and The Hill

Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost:

A Black Vice Mayor In Virginia Urged A Police Chief's Firing. Now She Faces Charges. — A white Portsmouth resident filed the charges against Lisa Lucas-Burke, who called for the ouster of city Police Chief Angela Greene. — A mounting political and racial controversy stemming …

Lauren Sarner / New York Post:

‘West Wing’ reunion starring original cast coming to HBO Max — President Josiah Bartlet will soon return to the small screen. — That's because “The West Wing” reunion special is in the works at HBO Max. No date has been announced yet, but according to the Hollywood Reporter, it will air in the fall.

Discussion: The Week

Michael Kruse / Politico:

Trump's Scare Tactics Aren't Working on Women in the Suburbs — CORNELIUS, N.C. — A few years back, in the middle of the day in the middle of a week in the spring, in the parking garage of an upscale mall in Charlotte half an hour south from her house here in the suburbs, Susan Sandler was attacked.

Discussion: Washington Post, Raw Story and New Republic