ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Orange County GOP leader Fred Whitaker liked what he saw on the first night of the Republican National Convention. 

With so much riding in this election cycle, Whitaker said he saw a presentation highlighting the importance of economic entrepreneurship and self-made determination.

He said people could learn a lot from former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida businessman Maximo Alvarez, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. 

“You had so many people that gave their story. Nikki Haley, Maximo Alvarez, Tim Scott, these are people that came from humble beginnings and fulfilled the promise of America, and that promise continues for everyone else,” said Whitaker, who serves as the chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County.” If you look at [Democratic Presidential candidate Joe] Biden’s view of the world vs. [President Donald] Trump, it would be a huge step backwards in terms of economic freedom and our strength in the world.”  

Former California Republican Party Chairman Shawn Steel said the first night of the convention had set the tone for what is to come for the next few days. Steel said the television production was very “Reaganesque.”

“Much like you saw on day one, you’re going to see a lot of empathy from Trump,” said Steel, who is currently serving as California’s committeeman for the Republican National Committee. “You’re going to see Trump appealing not only to the middle-class suburbanites but also the working class and blue collar workers.”

Like its opponents last week, the Republican Party kicked off the four-day RNC on Monday as a virtual event to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

On Monday morning, the GOP officially nominated President Donald Trump and running mate Vice President Mike Pence for a second term in the White House. The two will go face-to-face in November with Democratic nominees Biden and running mate Kamala Harris.

The two-hour virtual event themed “Land of Promise” featured several speakers, including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump Jr., and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Also on the speaking list: Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who wielded weapons in front of their home during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in St. Louis.

Unlike the prior week, in which Democrats and Republicans supporting the Biden-Harris ticket spoke out against the president, Trump’s campaign said it would highlight the stories of everyday Americans inspired by and empowered by Trump. Throughout the night, many speakers accused Biden of promoting a socialist agenda, wanting to defund the police, and falling for political correctness and cancel culture.

For local Republicans, this election is a chance to reclaim the party’s status in Orange County, a GOP stronghold historically and a key battleground area that often determines the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. Last year, the county recorded more registered Democrats than Republicans, the first time that happened in more than four decades.

Clement Tagle III, a Republican and board director for the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles, watched the convention on Monday. Tagle said he enjoyed what he saw and heard.

During the convention, one video touted Trump’s coronavirus response, suggesting that Trump took decisive action to save lives and that he immediately banned travel to and from China and other coronavirus epicenters.

Tagle said he agreed that the president has done his best to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but that he couldn’t have anticipated the pandemic.

“President Trump is doing the best that he can,” Tagle said as he watched clips of the convention at his home in Westminster. “We’ve never seen anything on the planet like this. Trump is only one person, and he’s doing the best possible job that he can. It’s very difficult to say how well or how poorly he’s done. No one on the planet has ever seen anything like this.”

Tagle said if Trump is not re-elected for another four years, the progress Trump has made with curbing illegal immigration, supporting the pro-life movement, and kick-starting the economy will be harmed.

While Republicans praised Trump, some Democrats noticed how Trump downplayed his role in the coronavirus crisis on the first night of the RNC.

“Trump reneged in his duty to protect the American people,” said Prosy De La Cruz, a former Los Angeles city civil service commissioner and  California Dept. of Public Health regional administrator. De La Cruz is currently a columnist, writer, and author. “Had he taken that mission seriously, we could have reopened businesses all around the U.S. Had he taken his presidential oath to heart, we would not have 177, 248 deaths, a whopping 21% of worldwide deaths from the coronavirus.”

Melissa Ramoso, the state chair of the California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, said Trump’s lack of action to stem the global health pandemic has led to millions of people losing their jobs.

“We have historic unemployment,” said Ramoso, who is also a city council member for Artesia. “There is willful ignorance of climate change from our administration. There continues to be systematic racial inequality. Republicans have no platform, yet they still are just walking the planks for Donald Trump.”

Steel, the former state Republican chairman, said Trump has made finding a vaccine or another effective medical treatment a priority by the end of the year.

The big focus for Trump is to jump-start the economy, Steel said.  

Whitaker, the Orange County GOP leader, said more Republicans are needed in local and national leadership positions. In California, several ballot measures would increase taxes for some high-income earners, and this could have an inverse effect on the state’s economy. Many business owners may leave the state.

“We need Republican leaders to balance this out,” Whitaker said.

The biggest takeaway of the night for Steel and Whitaker was watching several minorities discuss their success. Whitaker was touched by Sen. Scott’s upbringing and how his grandfather dropped out of school to pick cotton and never learned to read or write.

Yet, just a few decades later, he witnessed his grandson become a U.S. Senator.

“Our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime, and that’s why I believe the next America century can be better than the last,” Scott said.

Whitaker said when he hears success stories like Scott’s, it makes him feel proud to be a Republican.

“If you look at tonight’s theme and those who spoke, it destroys this Democrat narrative that the Republican Party wants people to fail,” Whitaker said. “We think well of all people and want them to have an opportunity to succeed.”

“If you look at [Monday’s] theme and those who spoke, it destroys this Democrat narrative that the Republican Party wants people to fail,” Whitaker said. “We think well of all people and want them to have an opportunity to succeed.”