esquire.com – CLEVELAND, OHIO—You know when you see a dog’s hair stand up on its back? When its kind eyes turn predatory? It’s an involuntary reaction, a mix of defense and aggression. The dog radiates a certain energy and you instinctively take a half-step back. Something is about to happen, and it’s going to go one way or another.

That was the vibe on the floor of the Republican National Convention last night. The energy inside Quicken Loans Arena was different than every other night of the week. It was angry. Seething. Dark.