The Alabama Republican Party put on an incredibly well-organized Summer Dinner as a fundraiser. They brought in big names from outside, like Republican National Committee Chair Lara Trump, and Tennessee GOP Senator Bill Hegarty. But many in the audience gave an incredibly tepid response during the speeches. The reason for the somber mood among many attendees could well be former President Trump’s Debate performance. If the Republican Party recognizes this, they’ll have a good chance to recover, and fire up their base again.

RNC Chair Lara Trump came out to greet the audience with a lot of energy and did her best to fire them up. She’s got a good delivery, and while some of the speech stayed on a few points just a little long, it was as good as any politician’s. But the audience response ranged from polite golf applause to a quiet smattering of clapping to utter silence on some lines.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.