Speakers at the Republican National Convention have focused a great deal of energy on attacking presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but two key party members, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, said Wednesday they'd like to see focus shifting toward the party's future.
"In each convention you'll see whoever the nominee, it's historical that people lay out the arguments against them," McCarthy, R-California, told MSNBC's
"Morning Joe" program Wednesday. "But I always think the best thing is lay out an idea and a vision for the future. If you watch the House Republicans, we're trying to make it about policy not personalities."
Fallin, who takes the convention stage on Thursday night, said her address will focus on the future of the party and not on attacks.
"They're talking so much about Hillary Clinton," said Fallin, which she understands as "there's there's a lot of material there, there's a lot of angst there."
Instead, Fallin said she is "going to be talking about what the Republican Party stands for and remind people, here's our party," including making a call for people who believe "we've got to do more to defend our country and stand up against people who threaten our way of life. If you believe in building jobs, a strong economy, those type of things, that's what I'm going to be talking about."
McCarthy said this year's convention is different than others in the past, including the makeup of the delegates.
"They react different," said McCarthy. " If you listen to these speeches,they respond when people talk. It is a different feel, especially that first night."
Fallin said she thinks the convention is different because the party itself is different.
"We are seeing a lot of people who have never been involved in politics get involved in this election cycle," the governor said. "There are a lot of people who have come to the convention that have never been to one. This is so exciting, so it is different."
She said there is also an excitement for the upcoming election, and maybe "a lot of worry,' as 75 percent of people in recent polls "think America's going in the wrong direction."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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