Tonight marks the last night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. All week, acclaimed photojournalist Barry Goldstein has been speaking with and documenting RNC attendees from Massachusetts for GBH partner New England Public Media as part of a brilliant multimedia feature, “Red in a Blue State.”
Goldstein joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath, calling in from Milwaukee to discuss the mood on the floor of the 2024 convention. What follows is a lightly edited transcript.
Arun Rath: Excited to talk with you about what you’ve been seeing this week — and I think it’d be great to start with a piece of tape from one of the convention attendees with a perspective on what it’s like being a Republican in Massachusetts. Could you set it up for us?
Barry Goldstein: Sure.
[pre-recorded interview]
Mike Valanzola: You know, although we’re outnumbered and although, we don’t hold, you know, too many positions outside of a small fraction of the Legislature and generally, you know, pretty strong Republican governors, it can get quite lonely in Massachusetts, that’s for sure.
But I joke oftentimes — you know, I grew up in the western and central part of the state. And we often say: “You’ve got Worcester, you’ve got Springfield, and you’ve got Alabama in between.” The part of the state that I grew up in, far more conservative, a lot more red. I mean, my hometown voted for President [Donald] Trump four years ago.
Where I live and who I interact with and who I see on a more immediate basis, it doesn’t always feel like a blue state.
[recorded interview stops]
Goldstein: So there you have one perspective.
Rath: And what’s the name of the gentleman?
Goldstein: That’s Mike Valanzola, who works in IT. And he’s a member of the Massachusetts delegation — lives in Wales.
Rath: And would you say his point of view is shared by the other Massachusetts delegates that you’ve been talking with and spending time with?
Goldstein: To some degree. I would say that it varies depending on whether you’re from Boston or a smaller community, and what kind of work you’ve had.
I spoke with Thomas Hodgson, who was the sheriff in Bristol County for over 20 years and ran each time as a Republican — and was elected, as he said, overwhelmingly each time.
I talked with Dr. Elizabeth Hinds-Ferrick, who works for the state in the Department of Transitional Assistance — heavily involved in helping youth and educational issues — lives in Boston.
Each of them sort of has a different take, depending upon their background and what type of work they’ve been doing.
Rath: Do you have a sense from the Massachusetts Republicans [who are] feeling lonely now: Is it lonelier than it used to be now that Donald Trump is a standard-bearer for the party? Someone who is especially reviled in Massachusetts?
Goldstein: Actually, I think it’s probably the opposite. And again, this is just my opinion from a relatively small sample. The sense, though, I’m getting from these folks is that the momentum, at the moment, is in their favor. They’ve all spoken rather eloquently about how they’re starting to gather more support in their communities for their positions, that the numbers of people who are sympathetic to these views seems to be growing somewhat.
So I would say: Rather than feeling more lonely or hopeless, they’re feeling — perhaps optimism is too strong a word — but perhaps a bit more positive.
Rath: Well, talk a bit more about the mood of the Massachusetts delegates, particularly with the convention there. I imagine it must be exciting: How are they been reacting to all of it?
Goldstein: Sure. I’ve been to three or four convention cycles. People who I interview and speak with, when I mention this, say: “Oh, how does this compare with other conventions, and in particular, of course, other Republican conventions? And the answer is that this convention, the level of excitement is very high.
Given the recent events, they really feel that their candidate is in a very strong position. And so that sense of excitement really is palpable. You sense this speaking to people individually, and of course you can see this on TV, watching from the floor.
These folks really feel that Donald Trump is going to be the next president. They have no doubt about that.
Rath: How do they feel about the selection of JD Vance as his running mate?
Goldstein: They are ecstatic. They love Vance. They think this is a fabulous, fabulous ticket.
I was on the floor during Vance’s entire speech, and there were just spontaneous outbursts: “We love you” — this sort of thing. So, yes, this goes beyond the sort of standard diligent support for the party chosen. These folks really seem to love their candidates.
Rath: These political conventions are, of course, staged and produced, made to look good for television. We have a sense from home of what’s projected — I know the feeling can be very different from what things are actually like on the floor. I’m curious, from your sense: How much of what we’re seeing on television — in terms of the speeches and the packaging — how much does that scan with what you’re seeing, actually there with the delegates?
Goldstein: There’s actually a pretty close correspondence. You’re right, a lot of things are certainly staged. The signs that are given out during very particular parts of the presentation, depending upon who’s speaking. The large chants are very much orchestrated. They have people on the floor who choreograph and organize all this.
But I would say, despite all of that, [there’s] this — again — sense of optimism and incredible energy. You see this in the corridors of the convention center, you see it outside when you talk to people. They are just really excited.
“Red in a Blue State”is a series from New England Public Media that spotlights Massachusetts delegates at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
