Four key takeaways from Republican midterms convention

The Republican Party's first midterms convention had all the trappings of the traditional presidential election-year gathering: supporters in sparkling costumes, a conveyor belt of candidate speeches, and vendors selling campaign merchandise.

But unlike an ordinary convention, no official party business was conducted in Dallas, with the event instead serving as a rally for Republicans who are seeking to boost turnout and avoid losing control of Congress in November.

President Donald Trump, whose grip over the party remains absolute, delivered a lengthy keynote speech on Wednesday during the opening night of the two-day event. He covered many of the subjects he has returned to time and again this year - with a few surprises thrown in.

The vast arena was filled with diehard Trump supporters sporting red MAGA gear from his past presidential campaigns. A decade after his first White House run, Trump is still beloved among his base and he has bent the party to his will in the years since.

The old-style Republican establishment, or what's left of it in the Trump era, was nowhere to be seen. Senator Susan Collins of Maine and other Republicans running in competitive races chose to stay away.

The absence of more moderate Republicans was glaring and offered a reminder of just how much the party has changed.

It also raised questions about the effectiveness of holding an unprecedented midterm convention in the first place.

The core audience, both in the arena and watching on television, appeared to be Trump loyalists, not the moderates and swing voters the Republican Party needs to turn out in large numbers in November.