A year ago, when Donald Trump came down the Trump Tower escalator to announce his candidacy for the presidency of the US, he was greeted by chortles and confusion from much of the press corps - and the Republican establishment the New York property developer was about to raze. No one is laughing any more.A former reality TV show host seeking the nation's highest elected office, Trump was officially nominated on Tuesday as the Republican Party's presidential candidate, the same title once held by historic figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.The convention that is unfolding around his White House bid has so far failed to give a clear answer as to what Trump's nomination means for the party that has lost the popular vote in five of the past six national elections.SIKH IN SILK: Indian-born Harmeet Dhillon, a GOP national committee member, about to deliver the opening invocation at the convention Picture: JIM WATSON/AFP PHOTOBut the second night of the four-day convention was not about Trump. Most speakers focused on attacking Hillary Clinton as the crowd chanted "Lock her up!"On a night that was supposed to be devoted to the economy there was little talk about how the party or Trump would "make America work again".House Speaker Paul Ryan, the highest-ranking Republican official in the US and a reluctant Trump supporter, was the most eloquent speaker on the topic, but he seemed to be shoe-horning his own political philosophy of traditional conservatism into an evening focused on other priorities. It may be Ryan's party someday, but not this week.LIKE-MINDED: Right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders with a delegate at the Republican National ConventionKimberlin Brown, a soap opera star and avocado farmer, served as an unorthodox headlining speaker on Tuesday night. But the arena was less than half full by the time she finished her speech.At the Republican convention's halfway point, Democrats could barely hide their hopes for their own convention next week."Their theme should have been, 'Make the Republican Party Work Again', because it clearly isn't," said Luis Miranda, communications director for the Democratic national committee.HAIR-RAISING: Boxing promoter Don King expounds for the media at the convention"Our convention is going to be the exact opposite. It's going to be well organised and we're going to have a candidate that not only knows what she's doing, but really understands the challenges."There is time for Trump, 70, to salvage his convention. The red, white, and blue balloons were locked and loaded, ready to drop after Trump's speech.On Tuesday Trump's eldest son and youngest daughter gave stirring tributes to their father.On the podium Tiffany Trump, 22, who recently graduated from college, recalled her father's encouragement when she brought her report home as youngster.Donald jnr, a vice-president in the family real-estate and branding business, sounded like one of his father's delegates, giving a speech rich in stories of his father's knack for inspiring employees and refusing to back down.But some Republicans and political analysts doubt Trump's family can make him more popular, especially with Melania Trump's mixed performance in public opinion surveys. "There's a heavy discount applied to anything said by a family member," said Alan Abramowitz, a political-science professor at Emory University."The fact that you've treated your family well and taken care of them doesn't really offset these negative perceptions among Latinos and African-Americans about things you've said and done."Ryan Williams, a spokesman for GOP nominee Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign, noted that views of Trump are deeply entrenched."Trump has been defined for 30 years in the national spotlight by his television persona, his business dealings and his tabloid exploits," Williams said."Voters already know Donald Trump and have fairly set impressions of who he is."So far, anyway, the convention hasn't done much to change that. ..