This week won't be an old-time God-and-guns Republican National Convention.
But it's not clear yet what kind of bombastic show it will be, and that curiosity is part of why America will tune in.
"The message needs to be about policy, and how Republicans will keep the country strong, safe and secure," Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Rodney Anderson of Grand Prairie, Texas, said.
But President Donald J. Trump, ever the showman, plans a TV spectacular in North Carolina and then for a small live audience in Washington, D.C., featuring keynote speeches by first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, senior adviser Ivanka Trump and the president, plus a fireworks show.
Texas candidates need a focused appeal to independent and swing voters, Anderson said Friday as party Chairman Allen West of Garland, Texas, and other bigwigs arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the small Monday event there.
"We should be talking about defending law enforcement _ making sure we don't have terrorist attacks _ making sure we are leading the world in the post-COVID recovery," Anderson said.
But Trump seems to realize he is coming from behind. He'll push hard for "law and order," like in his July 4 speech at Mount Rushmore.
Crime fighting and police funding seem to be the top issues for Republicans battling to win college-educated suburban voters, particularly women.
This week, "what suburban voters want to hear is about the threat to funding the cops," Tarrant County Republican Chairman Rick Barnes of Keller, Texas, said.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, chairman of Trump's Texas campaign, is leading the limited Texas delegation for the one-day meeting in Charlotte before events move to the federal Mellon Auditorium in Washington.
On Friday, Patrick was at Trump's speech to the Council on National Policy in Arlington, Virginia. Trump even gave him a shout-out as a "great guy."
Afterward, Patrick said in a statement that Trump "supports liberty and freedom, life, border security, law enforcement, the Second Amendment and lower taxes."
Patrick called Trump a "stark contrast to the four days of doom and despair that we just heard from the Democrats and Joe Biden."
Barnes, the party's Tarrant County leader, isn't at the convention but agreed about Republicans' rosy outlook.
"I think we'll hear a lot of discussion about the future," he said.
"COVID will come to an end. We've got to be ready to rebuild this country. He'll lay out the vision for the future."
Bedford Republican Anne Gebhart, a state Republican committeewoman, said she'll also be watching here and heard the convention telecasts will be "spectacular."
She's expecting "a lot of excitement, a reenergizing of our base, and historic unity of the Republican Party."
Arlington Republican Susan Wright, also a state Republican committeewoman, said Republicans have "some great successes to build on."
"We should hear plans to return to our robust economy _ to expand employment opportunities for everyone _ to expand education opportunities for every child regardless of ZIP code _ and to remove barriers to quality, affordable health care," she said.
For the first time in memory, no Texan is listed in early plans as a speaker.
The closest as of Friday were Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis lawyers and SMU Dedman School of Law graduates facing charges in connection with a July 3 incident where they wielded guns as a protest march neared their home.
Few names have been announced, so expect some Texans to appear in secondary roles, like the Democratic appearances by Texans Leon Bridges and The Chicks.
By the time Trump speaks Thursday from the White House, it will be eight weeks to early voting in Texas.
