Act Four: At the conventions, political theater as preview

Donald Trump is a better speaker, but Hillary Rodham Clinton may be better at recruiting supporting players.   Alyssa Rosenberg on culture and politics   Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson speaks at the National Libertarian Party Convention in Orlando on May 27. (John Raoux/Associated Press) Every week, I answer a question or respond to a comment from Monday’s Washington Post Live chat in this installment of the Act Four newsletter. You can read the transcript of this week’s chat here, or submit questions for the June 27 installment of the chat here. And if you want to watch me discuss “Game of Thrones” with Washington Post Style editor David Malitz, you can find us and an adorable stuffed dog here. This week, a reader writes in with a note that raises interesting questions about political theater: “The Daily Show” (I think) ran a piece from the Libertarian “convention” that disabused me of any possible notion they were a viable third party. A consistent platform plank for most candidates: eliminate driver’s licenses. Too “Big Brother.” It looked like a Ren Fair except with shrooms instead of mulled wine. My friend Jamelle Bouie has said repeatedly that he thinks this election, in addition to its very serious consequences for the nation, is a fascinating political science experiment. Donald Trump is running a campaign that simply doesn’t function like other bids for the presidency. He doesn’t have a turnout operation, he’s not running big ad buys, and he’s not particularly courting his party’s establishment. Instead, he’s basically seeing how far he can go on earned media, which is to say he’s testing whether you can be elected on political theater alone. And for as much as I disagree with Trump’s messages, I do think he is a talented performer. A huge question for both him and Hillary Clinton going into this summer is going to be how they manage the large-scale political theater that is their conventions. Trump has strengths as a speaker that I think Clinton lacks. But he’s going to be harder-pressed to fill out his schedule with high-profile speakers, and he’s likely going to have to deal with more chaotic protest conditions. There are a lot of days between now and the election; maybe eight of them, split between Cleveland and Philadelphia, won’t be decisive. But if the Libertarian convention made a poor case for the party as a national phenomenon, the Republican and Democratic conventions will illustrate how Trump and Clinton might use the pulpit of the presidency. Think of the conventions as previews of coming attractions. I’ll be braced to see how they come out. In politics, there aren’t reshoots. ADVERTISEMENT   On ‘Game of Thrones,’ will women rule any differently than men? Women may be more likely to push policies that improve life for women and families. But they sometimes end up more hawkish than men. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   What Hollywood can learn from ‘Finding Dory’ Don't make individuals represent their communities. And don't set expectations low. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ‘UnREAL’s’ exposé of ‘The Bachelor’ is the most politically dangerous show on TV In 'UnREAL,' multiple issues collide all at once, the way they do in the real world. The result is the most dangerous show on TV. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   How the Smithsonian is preparing to stage a national conversation on race The National Museum of African American History and Culture is preparing to help its visitors through exceptionally difficult issues. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6, Episode 9 Review: “Battle of the Bastards” Sansa and Dany have saved themselves with blood and fire. But can they save their nation? By Alyssa Rosenberg  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Intersect The corner of the Internet and interesting, in your inbox weekly. Sign Up »         Share Act Four:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Act Four. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071