Iowa Republicans reflect on convention journey

CLEVELAND - Nobody should be surprised. The 2016 Republican nomination fight was a strange journey, divisive at times and dominated by a singular figure.

There's no reason the four-day convention that ended here Thursday would be any different.

The first day was marked by an insurrection over the rules, which was tidily squelched by party leaders and Donald Trump's camp.

A plagiarism scandal erupted over Melania Trump's speech on Monday. And, on Wednesday, Ted Cruz, the man who had the loyalty of so many delegates here, exited the stage amid a rain of boos, as he defiantly refused to bow to the man who had defeated him.

Still, for all the twists and turns, party leaders say they're determined to unite a party by focusing on the prospect of the horrors of a Hillary Clinton presidency, the promise of a Mike Pence vice presidency and the idea that Trump will capture the country's yearning for change.

Party leaders say four days in Cleveland brought them closer.

'I've seen a transformation here,” Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann said Thursday.

All week, Kaufmann sought to foster harmony and convince anybody who would listen that it existed and was growing.

In some quarters within the delegation, it was evident. State Sen. Jason Schultz, a Schleswig Republican who was a Cruz backer, said he grew closer to Trump after seeing his children speak. Schultz said they reflected a man, who while not a moral pillar in his eyes, was somebody 'whose fruit is good.”

Donald Trump Jr., in particular, made an impression on people in the Iowa delegation. And by the time his father closed the convention amid the traditional balloon drop, Schultz was even more impressed.

'He spoke in terms that the left considers offensive, and the crowd cheered his straight talk,” he said.

Still, if the delegation is a reflection of the conservative wing of the GOP in Iowa, there's still work to do.

Kay Quirk, an Alta resident who wanted Cruz to be the nominee, said early in the week she was 'working through” the idea of Trump as her party's nominee.

On Wednesday, she said, 'I don't know that I've moved in either direction.” But by the time Trump's speech was nearing its end Thursday, Quirk texted a reporter she'd seen enough and was leaving the floor. The speech was too focused on him and mentioned the LGBTQ community but not the Constitution or conservative values. 'No gestures shown to the conservative base,” she wrote.

Bob Vander Plaats, the chief executive of the Family Leader, a delegate who supported Cruz, suggested it wasn't so important that people leave Cleveland united, but that the convention laid a foundation.

'I think this is a good process,” Vander Plaats said Thursday morning. 'People are on a journey, and I think people need to recognize that and appreciate that, validate that. To try to force them to get to a place they're not ready to go yet, that would be a mistake.”

Dennis Guth, a state senator from Klemme, also a Cruz backer, said that Trump had gained credibility with him over the convention. He, too, cited his family's influence, and the most common rallying point of the whole convention: The idea of a Hillary Clinton presidency. 'We need to unite the party,” he said.

It's an imperative that also will be on display 400 miles to the east, where Democrats, riven by a primary fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, also will work on their own brand of healing as the party's convention begins Monday in Philadelphia.