Hope Just Made a Comeback
Democrats show Republicans how a convention is done
I was all set to hit the “publish” button on a piece about the latest in Trump-related criminality when I realized that ignoring the Democratic National Convention would be the closest thing I could think of to malpractice.
Like most party conventions, I expected this to be a snooze-fest. But the last two nights have been so good, hopefully, this brief recap—with plenty of links—will be a welcome read for those of you who missed it so far.
I’ll drop the latest episode of Trump-induced craziness in a separate post.
Night One
Aside from Monday’s super blue moon, the kickoff of the DNC Convention was the evening’s biggest must-see event. The night boasted an amazing lineup of the Democratic Party’s stars, including fiery speeches from Hillary Clinton and AOC and an inspiring mini-sermon from Senator Ralph Warnock. Oh, and the Harris-Walz campaign also dropped a killer campaign ad:
Night Two
Aside from the roster of A-list of speakers, last night featured several Republicans who’ve left MAGA’s dark side for the Democratic Party’s big tent.
Technically, the night’s keynote speaker was former president Barack Obama, who as usual, understood the assignment. However, he was preceded by his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, who was every bit his oratory equal. Which speech was better? You decide.
One of the evening’s highlights—and there were many—was a celebratory roll call (the official process was completed virtually earlier this month). Instead of the usual boring roll call, Democrats turned the process into a dance party, featuring a musical salute to each state, led by DJ Cassidy.
Alabama kicked things off to the tune of “Sweet Home Alabama.” When Georgia’s turn arrived, Lil Jon made a surprise convention appearance. The musical selection was so good, Axios even created a Spotify playlist. Looking ahead, John Legend is scheduled to perform tonight, and Pink appears on Thursday.
It is notable that, because so many musicians have blocked the Trump campaign from use of their music, Republicans can't replicate last night’s musical tour de force. But given the Party’s disdain for popular culture, I doubt they would even try.
The Flex
In a politically daring piece of stagecraft, Harris and Walz held a simultaneous campaign rally 80 miles away in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Pfizer Center—the same location where Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party’s nomination last month. Harris made a perfectly timed appearance on stage just as California’s delegates cast the deciding votes.
To be clear, supporters of the demo filled the 23,500-seat United Center and the 15,000-seat Pfizer Center with supporters. To put it mildly, that is a major flex. Last night’s political badassery displayed something previously unseen by Democrats: swagger.
Hopefully, Harris and Walz can keep the momentum going until Election Day.
I'm just smiling for no reason. I missed feeling hopeful