Day 3, Live blog: Rubio, Cruz, Walker, Pence, oh, and another Trump

QuickenLoansArenaNight

11:22pm The Republican National Convention in Cleveland adjourns until 7:10p.m. Thursday.

11:18PM Donald Trump has left the house.

11:10pm Pence: “My fellow Americans, I believe we have come to another rendezvous with destiny. And I have faith, faith in the boundless capacity of the American people. And faith that God can still heal our land. But we have a choice to make…

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“We have but one choice. And that man is ready. This team is ready. Our party is ready. And when we elect Donald Trump the 45th president of the United States together we will make America great again. Thank you.”

11:08pm Pence: “We cannot have four more years apologizing to our enemies and abandoning our friends. America needs to be strong for the world to be safe. And on the world stage Donald Trump will lead from strength. Donald Trump will rebuild our military and stand with our allies. Donald Trump will confront radical Islamic terrorism at its source and destroy the enemies of our freedom.

“And if the world knows nothing else, it will know this: America stands with Israel!” (Huge ovation)

11:02pm Pence: I can tell you firsthand, there’s a lot of Americans out there who feel Democratic politicians have taken them for granted. It’s union members who don’t want a president who promises to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. Those miners want an American energy policy. And they know Donald Trump digs coal.”

10:58pm Pence: “And my fellow Americans, when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America, the change will be yuuge.”

10:50pm Pence: “They tell us that this economy is the best that we can do. It’s nowhere near the best that we can do. It’s just the best that they can do….

“Donald Trump gets it. He’s the genuine article. He’s a doer in a game usually reserved for talkers…The man just doesn’t quit. He’s tough. He perseveres. He’s gone about as far as you can go in business, but he’s never turned his back on the men and women who make this country grow…I’ve seen this good man up close. His utter lack of pretense. His respect for the people who work for him. And his devotion to his family. And as we say back home, ‘You can’t fake good kids.'”

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10:44pm Mike Pence: “For those of you who don’t know me — which is most of you — I grew up on the front row of the American Dream…The heroes of my youth were John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I watched my Mom and Dad build everything that matters — a family, a business, a good name.”

“You know, growing up I actually started politics in the other party — until I heard the voice of the 40th president and I signed on for the Reagan Revolution.”

10:30pm Gingrich continues: “We are sleepwalking through history as though this (terrorism) is all about politics….The first step[ forward to safety is electing a leader who will be truthful with the American people about the realities Americans face.”

10:22pm Newt Gingrich praises Trump’s unity effort by inviting his former primary competitors to speak at the convention with no obligation for endorsement.

He lists numerous ISIS attacks with hundreds dead, all within the last 37 days. “We cannot let ourselves grow numb to these accumulating atrocities…Let’s be clear, Donald Trump is right. We are at war with radical Islamists. We are losing the war. And we must change course to win the war.”

10:14pm “To the unemployed voter sitting at home watching me right now, wondering how you’re going to make your next mortgage payment or rent payment, my father is running for you….To the school teacher forced to walk through a metal detector each and every day to an under-funded school, my father is running for you. To the laborer watching me right now forced out of a job by undocumented workers, illegal immigrants, my father is running for you…

“This November I ask you to be true to yourself, vote for the candidate who you know is running for the right reasons. Vote for the candidate who has never been a politician. Vote for the candidate who has never received a government paycheck. Vote for the candidate who can’t be bought, sold, purchased, bribed or intimidated or steered from the path that is right and just and true. And, quite frankly, friends, vote for the one candidate who does not need this job.”

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10:04pm Eric Trump is happy to be in Cleveland. He describes 13 months ago how his father sat the family down not to consult but to inform them he was going to run for president because he could no longer stand by and watch the decline of the beloved country that has given him and his family so much.

“It’s time for a president with common sense.”

9:56pm Trump is standing in the back of the audience applauding Cruz, apparently. As Cruz leaves the stage to some boos, Trump walks to a seat with his children. A a video runs of them praising their Dad. Have they mentioned his hard work, demand for excellence, overcoming any challenge, loyalty and never giving up?

9:56pm Well, it sounds like there might still be hard feelings between Trump and the man he kept calling Lyin’ Ted. Congratulating Trump was the only time the billionaire’s name came out of the Texan’s mouth. He never specifically endorsed Trump for president. Cruz focused instead on the Clinton-Obama axis of evil. And on Republican values.

“Vote your conscience. Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to protect your freedom and be faithful to the Constitution.”

Maybe you recall such a speech in 1976 by Ronald Reagan who lost a primary fight to Gerald Ford and in a convention speech laid out his commitment to conservative principles for his successful presidential run in 1980.

9:40pm Donald Trump is in the house to hear the speeches of his son Eric and vice presidential partner, Mike Pence.

9:38pm Ted Cruz speaks: “I want to congratulate Donald Trump on winning the nomination last night. And like each of you, I want to see the principles that our party believes prevail in November. Conventions are times of excitement. but givenr the events of the past two weeks I hope you’ll allow me a moment to talk about what’s really at stake.”

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9:32pm Marco Rubio video: “Hillary Clinton does not have the honesty, the courage or the independence to be the president we need for the next four years, after the president we’ve had for the past eight. But unlike Hillary Clinton Donald Trump is committed to cut taxes, curb  spending and get our national debt under control.

“Unlike Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump takes seriously the threats from Islamic radicals. And is committed to rebuilding our military. And unlike Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton he is committed to appointing constitutionalist judges who will respect the role of the judiciary. After a long and spirited primary, the time for fighting each other is over. It’s time to come together and fight for a new direction for America. It’s time to win in November.”

9:28pm Lynne Patton, vice president of the Donald Trump Foundation: “I know Mr. Trump. I know his heart. And I know his passion for this country to be true…Donald Trump is the law and order leader we need to heal a divided and wounded nation.”

9:22pm Oh, good. More country music.

9:16pm Gov. Scott Walker, whom you will see again in a few years, is so excited to talk about Donald Trump he literally runs on stage. “You have a choice. You deserve better because America deserves better. The well-connected in Washington are standing with Hillary Clinton because she is one of them…Donald Trump knows there’s a better way forward…

“We believe in a country where power is taken back from Washington and returned to state and local governments where it is more effective, more efficient and more accountable to the people. Why? Because America deserves better..Liberal Washington insiders created our problems. Hillary Clinton is the ultimate liberal Washington insider. If she were anymore on the inside, she’d be in prison…I wouldn’t give Hillary Clinton the password to my iPhone…Time to tell Hillary enough is enough. No more double standards for the Clintons.”

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Walker slips in a little sales message about the Wisconsin governor who didn’t back down returning power and money from the big special interest unions to the taxpayers. “It wasn’t too late for Wisconsin. And it isn’t too late for America.”

9:10pm Darrel Scott, a senior pastor: “Some people call Donald Trump a populist. I call him a patriot….Donald Trump will rebuild the broken trust that now exists between our citizens and our government that over the last eight years have brought the rhetoric of hope but the reality of higher minority unemployment, crime, drug use, with more civil unrest and distress.”

9:06pm Ralph Alvarado, first Latino member of the Kentucky Assembly, supports Donald Trump. And he said so in some Spanish.

9:04pm Eric Trump is a busy guy tonight. Besides speaking soon at the convention in Cleveland, he just sent me an urgent fundraising email. The son of the billionaire GOP nominee says he needs a million bucks by midnight. Might not be from me.

8:54pm Col. Eileen Collins, first female Space Shuttle commander: “The last time Americans launched their own astronauts from their own soil was over five years ago. We must do better than that. Countries that are strong are countries that explore, invent and discover to remain resilient in a changing world….We need leadership that will make America’s space program first again. We need leadership that will make America great again.”

8:34pm As you may have noticed, unlike Mitt Romney Donald Trump is not embarrassed by his wealth. He’s recruited business friend and partner and fellow multi-millionaire Phillip Ruffin to assure us Trump’s handshake is better than any signed contract. Phil runs through a series of half-billion-dollar deals they’ve done together and how much money they have made.

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Phil asked him, Donald, why are you running? “America is broken,” Trump said, “I want to fix it.”

8:30pm Laura Ingraham completes her rousing acceptance speech.

8:28pm It’s only Day Three and there must have already been more than 60 or 70 references to building an America safe for our grandchildren. Nice thought. But, hey, what about those of us here now experiencing the nation we’ve worked in for so long decline and decay?

819pm Radio host Laura Ingraham recalls her childhood when parents taught respect to their offspring and bemoans the lack of same across today’s America. “Donald Trump will restore respect,” she assures.

804pm Rick Scott, governor of “the great state of” Florida, thanks America for its sympathy after the Orlando shooting. “How many more times does the evil of radical Islamic terrorism have to occur before the president of the United States musters the courage to face the truth? How many more Orlandos, San Bernardinos or Fort Hoods will happen before until President Obama decides to be honest?…

“This war is real. It is here in America. And the next president must destroy this evil! Donald Trump is the man for that job…Democrats have lead us not to a crossroads but to a cliff. Now I know some have reservations about my friend Donald Trump. Perhaps he’s sometimes not polite. He can be a little rough or too direct….But this election is not about Donald Trump. This election is about the very survival of the American Dream.”

758pm Yes, folks, this is THE Republican National Convention, not a country music concert. But, see, there are so few economic and foreign problems and political challenges facing the U.S. that they had to fill some time with a harmonica. C’mon, people, clap those hands. Sheesh.

7:54pm  The interest builds on the third night of four of the 41st Republican National Convention, this time in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena. The last time the GOP met in Cleveland in 1936, they nominated Alf Landon, who lost. But before that, in 1924, they picked Calvin Coolidge and he won.

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Tonight’s scheduled speakers include Mike Pence, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio via video, Newt Gingrich and Ted Cruz, who wants to position himself as the main conservative leader for 2020 in the event Donald Trump loses. His supporters have been urged to rush the stage when he speaks. We’ll watch for that here with you.

Also speaking tonight is the nominee’s son Eric Trump with a big mystery: Will he endorse his father? (That’s a joke.)

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