I’ll be watching the Republican convention 

To the Editor;

Rarely do I find Matthew Gagnon with anything significant to say; his column last week, “Political conventions don’t matter,” is no exception.

His assertion that today’s political conventions are “pointless, meaningless, self-indulgent wastes of time that no longer have any real significance” is somewhat cogent, but his attempt to seal the case with his conclusion that people watching either the Democratic National Convention or Republican National Convention “have already made up their mind in the election, and want to experience the self-affirming warmness of validation in that decision” is way off the mark.

To be clear, I am unenrolled and have been since 1968. I hardly watched any live coverage of this year’s COVID-abbreviated DNC, but you can bet your last Roger Stone Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card that I won’t be missing any of the upcoming Trump reality circus that the RNC will certainly provide us. 

With many leading Republican figures coming to their senses – albeit three years too late — and opting out of participating in this horror show, others along with the president himself will certainly provide entertainment we won’t be able to keep our eyes off. Sort of like trying to drive by a highway wreck without looking.

So Gagnon, who seldom hits the nail on the head with his commentary, comes up with another sore thumb. Contrary to his assertion, millions of us concerned with the possibility of four more years of Trump inanity, incompetency and destructive policies will be watching the RNC. Fox News will certainly cover it, but I expect to watch on the Comedy Channel.

Rodney L. Hanscom

Holden