GOP Opens First Midterm Convention as Candidates Skip

RNC Chair Joe Gruters framed November as "one simple choice: lower costs, lower taxes, secure borders, and common sense versus higher taxes, wide open borders, and the radical liberal agenda the Democrat Party has fully embraced." He predicted voters "are going to deliver a landslide for common sense."

Trump, explaining the speaking list, said: "Everybody wants to be there, but we're really asking only those Candidates that are in tight Races, a little up, a little down, or even, to speak. We want to save the 'stage' for them."

Cruz conceded the climate is rough. "Midterms are tough for the party in power. The Left is energized. Republicans control the White House and Congress, and too many conservatives are complacent," he said, arguing the party now has to defend its record.

Texas Democrats are billing the event a "Billionaires' Ball," saying that "while the richest and most powerful mingle at their $25k-per-ticket Billionaires' Ball, We The People will come together to stand up for our democracy, our freedoms, and our future."

Hinojosa told Fox 4 in Dallas: "I think that if they're just going to hammer home culture wars, nobody's interested. Really, nobody is interested. Nobody has the patience for that anymore."

On the right, Hot Air called the two-day event "a grand experiment in American politics." The Washington Examiner asked whether the midterm result is already baked in, noting the convention "is designed to move the needle" on turnout — "maybe it will succeed."

On the left, Salon's Amanda Marcotte, quoted by Raw Story, described the Dallas "shindig" as evidence of the erosion of Trump's power over his own party. AlterNet said the RNC is "embarrassing itself with a shindig no one else wanted."

On MSNBC, Joe Scarborough laughed as reporter Vaughn Hillyard ran down how thoroughly Trump's image dominates the convention signage, Mediaite reported.