Republican Convention ’16 — A Distortion Field

After watching, listening and astutely looking at the first two days of the GOP convention, I couldn’t find a more fitting image than the one above.

Given the weakness of the speakers and the poverty of argument. (I agree with Andrew Sullivan that it’s all about feelings, mostly hard or irrational ones.)

Given the O’Reilly call in during the Benghazi testimonial….

Given the disconnect between the scarce and barely tolerated-establishment pols and the rank amateurs….

Given the weird scheduling and the Melania FUBAR and the chants to lock up Hillary and the medley of mock trial, Lucifer and avocados….

Given all that and pages of footnotes more, what I realize I’m witnessing (and being subjected to) is a distortion field. Or, a political party convention in a fun house mirror.

In all the strangeness, other photographers have been wrestling with the same disorientation. I’ve got a lot more pix in the hopper (which you can see more of on our Twitter and Instagram feeds). Below, however, I’ve sampled several based on that stage set that makes you think you’re trapped in Trump’s maze. Or, that the Donald (or, is it Alfred Hitchcock?) has been beamed down from an alien planet (though others saw Monday’s grand entrance inspired by Beyoncé, or Wrestlemania).  Then, there’s what looks like a compact case with Melania (channeling Michelle Obama) opposite balloons. Beyond the arena, we have a guy taking a selfie in front of a ring of Old Glories while a woman from Code Pink flashes a “victory” sign in what otherwise seems like a makeshift dressing room. Then, we have anarchist pedestrians and a human Hillary prison smokestack.

Like I said, the only way to make sense of Trump’s GOP takeover and the hijacking of the nominating ritual is in terms of distortion. What’s real is surreal.