The first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is now over. And in a jam-packed two-hour-long convention session livestreamed from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time last night, over a dozen Democratic speakers made powerful speeches aimed at tying a divided American public together. (The livestream replay can be watched here.)
Key Moments
There were a number of major speeches given over the night. The highlight of the evening was Michelle Obama’s 20-minute speech. In an extremely powerful, personal speech, the former First Lady aggressively blasted Donald Trump and harshly criticized him for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that Trump is “the wrong president for our country,” and that “he has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job.” She called out Donald Trump for governing with a “total and utter lack of empathy,” while also creating “chaos” and sewing “division” among the American people.
Bernie Sanders, a Senator from Vermont, was also a major speaker at the night’s convention too. Speaking in front of a woodpile backdrop, he made clear that his supporters must vote for Joe Biden, because if Donald Trump is reelected, “all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy.” He criticized Trump for concocting “fraudulent executive orders that do virtually nothing to address the [COVID-19 pandemic] while threatening the very future of Social Security and Medicare,” all while cutting $600 per week unemployment checks and $1,200 stimulus checks. Fearing a repeat of 2016, where Sanders supporters refused to vote for Hillary Clinton, he called for Americans to “come together” and elect Joe Biden, because “the price of failure is just too great.”
Former Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich, who also ran for president as a Republican in 2016, also made a speech at the DNC. Arguing that Trump has been a “disappointing” and “disturbing” failure, he said that although he was “proud” of his Republican heritage, Trump’s first term “belied those principles.” He also said that his attachment to the Republican Party “holds second place to my responsibility to my country.” He made clear that for him, “the choice is simple. I’m with Joe.”
Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, now one of the most recognizable figures related to COVID-19, gave a speech at the DNC. Demonstrating the success of his state in containing the pandemic, he decried the president’s pandemic response and said that the America’s failure to contain the pandemic is a “symptom” of American division. Again, he affirmed his endorsement of Joe Biden.
Another hit was a short speech given by an Arizonan woman named Kristin Urquiza who had lost her father due to COVID-19. She said that her father’s “only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life.” She blasted Trump’s “dishonesty” and “irresponsible actions” for making the pandemic much worst. She also said that “one of the last things my father said to me was that he felt betrayed by the likes of Donald Trump,” and that when she votes for Joe Biden, she would “do it for her dad.”
Analysis
The convention, centered on the concept of American unity, is sure to give Joe Biden a boost in poll numbers.
By making this year’s election a referendum on American democracy and casting it as the most important election in modern history, the convention tries to appeal to voters who are on the edge of voting for Donald Trump. By implying that a vote for Trump means a vote to sabotage democracy, it can help swing voters onto the Democrats’ side.
It also appeals to many subgroups of people. For instance, Bernie Sanders tried to tie together the progressive vote by stating that “the price of losing is just too high,” and that although Biden may not be the most ideal candidate, Trump must be removed from office. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also tried to portray Joe Biden as friendly to the automobile industry and will include bailouts for the industry too, which may help swing over many blue-collar workers. Many scenes of Amtrak were included, too, which may help sway over those working in the railroad industry.
The convention was also very themed around unity. By continuously mentioning “We the People,” playing the national anthem, mentioning the American values of freedom, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, and the preamble to the Constitution, the Democrats try to frame themselves as the party that will unite together an extremely polarized, divided nation. It also tried to cut down on an intra party fight between progressives and centrists, by framing this election as an opportunity to “remove the most dangerous president in history.” This was in stark contrast to 2016, where Sanders and Clinton were still battling over the nomination.
All in all, the DNC started off with a very successful day. We’ll see what more we have in store for us with speeches from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Former President Bill Clinton, Dr. Jill Biden, Former Sec. of State John Kerry, Senate Dem. Leader Chuck Schumer, the Roll Call Across America, and more. Make sure to follow the blog so you don’t miss any of my analyses.