(AFP) – It was Kamala Harris’s big night Thursday but she wasn’t the only US Democrat to knock it out of the park during a week of rousing speeches, celebrity cameos and lashings of hope and joy. Here are some takeaways from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
– Star-studded convention – Oprah Winfrey stole the show, exhorting voters to “choose joy” and Stevie Wonder took the convention to “Higher Ground.” John Legend lit up the United Center with a tribute to Prince, while comic actress Mindy Kaling shared stories of cooking lessons from the vice president. And there was comedy with a serious message from Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson, who brought a giant book on stage to represent the radical Trump-linked Project 2025 governing agenda. There was feverish speculation over a potential appearance by global superstar Beyonce, but it didn’t pan out.
– Family affair – On the biggest stage of their careers, political leaders often look to dewy-eyed family moments that, if seen as genuine, can humanize them and make them relatable to voters. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son Gus touched a nation as he wiped away joyous tears, pointed to his father accepting the vice presidential nomination and sobbed: “That’s my dad!” Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff provided another indelible memory, referring to Harris as “my wiiiiife” as he recounted the goofy, endearing story of their romance. And President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley was a highlight of the opening night as she paid tribute to “the O.G. Girl Dad.”
– Obamas sizzle – Barack and Michelle Obama — the undisputed power couple of Democratic politics — partied like it was 2008 as they gave the convention a shot of star power on Day Two. The 44th president got the night’s biggest laugh as he goaded Donald Trump over the Republican’s “obsession with crowd sizes.” But he was upstaged by the former first lady — by far the country’s most popular Democrat — who spoke of the “contagious power of hope” in the most cheered speech of the week. The party made use of a deep bench of luminaries, including former president Bill Clinton, whose raspy speech was more than twice the allotted time but included some memorable applause lines.
– Gaza fizzles – There were protests across Chicago against the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, and particularly over the decision not to allow a Palestinian American to speak from the main stage. The largest protest Thursday featured several thousand marchers, but was still much smaller than the demonstrations of tens of thousands predicted by organizers, and was not the fly in the ointment that the Democrats had feared. Protests were largely peaceful, although several demonstrators were arrested when they broke through a security fence earlier in the week around the United Center where the main program was staged. Although the activists were largely pro-Palestinian, they were joined by others marching against a variety of progressive causes, from reproductive rights to migrant welfare.
– Bye bye Biden – The president gave an emotional keynote speech to open a conference that he thought just weeks ago he would be headlining. Biden took to the stage, dabbing his eyes, and spoke at length about his achievements while making a case for Harris that was criticized for lacking the pizzazz of the Obama endorsements. Flanked by First Lady Jill Biden and Harris, the veteran Democrat’s final bow marked at long last the passing of the torch for a politician who has been in the public eye for more than half a century. “Democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now democracy must be preserved,” he declared, to one of many standing ovations from the rapt audience.
– Frankie TAGGART
© 2024 AFP
