Trump sounded different than we’ve ever heard him before at the outset of his convention speech, compellingly recounting his near-assassination last week. He spoke softly, he sounded humble, he didn’t seem particularly interested in chants from the floor. It created a powerful mood. If he had ended shortly thereafter after hitting a few key themes, it would have been an incredibly effective, memorable performance. Instead, he rambled at length, and stepped on the effect he created at the top with a bunch of rally-like riffs. I wouldn’t exaggerate how much the speech is going to matter one way or another, and perhaps it matters most that the material at the beginning will be what’s replayed. But the candidate would have been better served trusting and sticking to what his speechwriters produced for him.