RNC will be a monster moment for Milwaukee. Are you excited or dreading it? | Opinion
It's here, finally.
After years of discussion and planning, Milwaukee will host the 2024 Republican National Convention on Monday. The transformation of the area around the Fiserv Forum is stunning as crews have been working for weeks to prepare for the 50,000 people expected for the convention.
It's a monster moment for Milwaukee on a couple of levels — and we want to hear from you throughout the convention.
For starters, the convention is an event that will attract global attention. A small army of TV satellite trucks and trailers is set up in a parking lot around Fiserv, showcasing the event as well as its host city. It's also a huge economic opportunity, though the full impact won't be known immediately. Anecdotally, some local business owners have reported soft bookings prior to the event, but things can change quickly.
It's also a moment for Milwaukee to shine following the disappointment of the cancelation of the Democratic National Convention in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outside of serving as the host, the politics of the event are equally monumental. The convention serves as a mechanism to formally nominate Donald Trump for the presidency four years after he was defeated by Joe Biden for a second term.
Trump is the only former president convicted of a felony and faces criminal charges for election interference as well as his handling of classified documents. Biden, for his part, is facing calls within his own party to not seek reelection following a poor performance in a debate against Trump last month.
For something this large, disruptive and significant, people have opinions. And we'd like to share yours as the RNC kicks off. Fill out the form asking about your thoughts as this show gets started, and we'll start posting your comments as soon as they start rolling in over the weekend.
Who should be Trump's VP? Look for a new question each day of convention.
We want to share your views throughout the convention. Look for a new question each day, including on who you'd like to see as Donald Trump's vice president pick as well as rating Trump's acceptance speech Thursday night. Each day we will post fresh perspectives from the convention from James Causey, Kristin Brey, and other contributors.
Readers can also continue to submit letters to the editor. Write: Letters to the editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 330 E. Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 500, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Fax: (414)-223-5444. E-mail: [email protected] or submit using the form that can be found on the on the bottom of this page.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: RNC is finally here, Milwaukee. How are you feeling about it?
