The Democratic Party’s plan to crash this month’s Republican National Convention is heavy on gimmicks and stunts meant to highlight a possible “Trumpocalypse,” as well as to ridicule the presumptive GOP candidate’s purported spray tan, tiny fingers, and dog whistle proclivities.
The Democratic National Committee’s “Counter Convention Plan Sketch”covers 22 pages and outlines the party’s activities in Cleveland, where the Republican convention begins July 18. Democratic operatives will launch their operation a week earlier, on July 11, to coincide with the opening of the RNC’s summer meeting.
A copy of the plan was obtained by the hacker “Guccifer 2.0,” who breached party servers and made off with DNC financial records, e-mails, research reports, and other documents. In e-mails to TSG, “Guccifer 2.0” has claimed to be a Romanian “hacktivist,” though security researchers who have examined the DNC breach have said that the infiltration appears to be the work of a Russian espionage unit.
The DNC plan notes that the party’s efforts in Cleveland will cost in excess of $800,000. In addition to 16 staffers on the ground, the party will have numerous surrogates available for media interviews and an RV to “serve as a mobile billboard” and green room. The plan was honed when the GOP field narrowed to Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich. Subsequent updates focused primarily on “gimmicks” to ridicule Trump.
One “live-staged” activity listed in the plan is a “Jerry Springer ‘Live’ fake show between Trump/Cruz/Kasich delegates.” While this stunt in not further described, the plan notes that, “Jerry said he wanted to be involved.” Springer, 72, is a former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati.
DNC officials also plan to “infiltrate friendly union hotels and properties around the convention that Republicans will be patronizing to distribute ‘care’ packages” to those who will be sickened by Trump’s nomination.
The plan also envisions a citywide strike by fast food workers, presumably over the fight for a $15-an-hour minimum wage. In the alternative, the strike could occur at “franchises around convention,” which will be held at the Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland. – READ MORE