At the DNC, Democrats took back America. They reclaimed patriotism, joy, and optimism towards the country’s future and the freedoms we need to protect, unlike the messages of doom, gloom, and despair we heard at the RNC.
The DNC looked like America. The speakers, delegates, and other attendees were black, white, brown, gay, straight, poor, rich, veterans, teachers, coaches, entertainers, immigrants, and most importantly, all regular American citizens. This diversity showed what the country is made of and what its future can be, a continued beautiful blending of all sorts and types of people.
The convention opened with a heartfelt and well-deserved thank you to Joe Biden, starting with a surprise appearance by Kamala Harris, who thanked President Biden for his leadership and service. Each following speaker spoke of the important accomplishments of Joe Biden’s four years in office and also, to a person, noted Harris’ participation in those accomplishments and her ability to continue the work.
At the end of the first night, after an introduction by his daughter that brought the entire convention to tears, President Biden took the podium himself – to a thunderous ovation – and addressed the convention. He shared his pride in his accomplishments, his love of this country, and his confidence in Kamala Harris – the ultimate passing of the torch.
Presenters reflected on the leaders that came before Kamala Harris – both political and civil rights – and how those people laid the foundation for Kamala Harris’ rise to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in 2024. Hillary Clinton especially reflected on the women who came before Kamala: Shirley Chisolm, Geraldine Ferraro, and Hillary herself. She talked about seeing Kamala Harris on the other side of the cracked glass ceiling taking the presidential oath of office.
Shawn Fain, wearing a “Trump is a scab” t-shirt, reminded us that President Biden is the first president to walk a picket line while Trump staged a visit to a non-union automotive plant. He stressed the importance of the freedom of workers to unionize. Other speakers, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders drew attention to the needs of the working class, including unskilled and service workers and the need for a living wage and respect for union organizers. They see Kamala Harris as one of the real patriots who work to defend working people and not billionaires.
These speakers grounded the convention in the past, recognized Joe Biden’s leadership and accomplishments, noted Harris’ part in those accomplishments, and connected the party’s past to the future.
They also reminded us that, as Jasmine Crockett said, “Kamala Harris has a resume, and Donald Trump has a rap sheet.”
Woven throughout the convention was discussion of the consequences on our freedoms of a potential second Donald Trump presidency – especially in terms of reproductive rights. Americans directly affected by the reversal of Roe v Wade, including a couple who lost their baby due to an ectopic pregnancy and who almost lost the wife’s life or future ability to bear children, and a survivor of incest, spoke of their struggles and the need to preserve a woman’s right to choose her healthcare.
Gun violence survivors and the families of gun violence spoke of their experiences, and their heartache, making clear we need to enact common sense gun control legislation – to require universal background checks and ban assault weapons. Gabby Giffords speech was a reminder of both the dangers of guns in America and the resilience of American citizens. Tim Walz spoke of the need for children to be free from fear or being shot when they go to school.
Each of the speakers, many of whom were regular Americans, just like us, told a story of an America that has not quite met its potential. They clearly laid out issues that need to be addressed in Kamala Harris’s first term.
The Obamas who brought their charisma and power to the stage. With humor and pointed comments, they summarized the danger of Donald Trump, and the promise of Kamala Harris. Michelle Obama in particular called out Trump’s approach to race relations in the country, wondering aloud if he understood he might be trying to get one of “those Black jobs” he talks about. She also discussed Trump’s history with the Obamas, saying “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.” She ended by encouraging folks to “Do something!”
President Obama reflected on his decision to ask Joe Biden to be his vice president and on the friendship and brotherhood they developed over his 8 years in office. He especially called out Biden’s empathy and how that trait, more than anything else, was what the country needed during these past 4 years. And, he gave Kamala Harris a full-throated endorsement, saying “Kamala Harris is ready for the job. This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and a champion.”
He concluded by giving us our marching orders saying, “…if we each do our part over the next 77 days — if we knock on doors, if we make phone calls, if we talk to our friends, if we listen to our neighbors, if we work like we’ve never worked before, if we hold firm to our convictions — we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States and Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States.”
Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, reintroduced himself to the country, sharing details about himself, his family, and Kamala too. (I really want to hear that voicemail!) He showed us a side of Harris we can’t know from her public persona – the Mamala to his children, the woman who encouraged him to connect more with his faith, the partner who stood by him with joy. And he reminded us about her toughness, a woman who, as a prosecutor, protected women and children from abusers and took down corrupt banks and transnational gangs. He called her a joyful warrior.
Tim Walz‘ acceptance speech as the nominee for vice president showed us why Harris chose him. His down to earth humility combined with his progressive nature and his work for the people of Minnesota in his varied positions over the years make him the perfect fit for this slate. As a former teacher the importance of funding for schools was key, as was making sure no child goes to school hungry. His family, and especially his son Gus, are us. And Coach Walz even gave us a “for-real” football coach peptalk to get us going.
Kamala’s sister shared stories of their upbringing and about their “mommy,” an immigrant who came alone to this country at the age of 19, met and married the Harris’ father, and eventually raised them as a single working mother. Maya Harris said "Mommy understood the power and the possibility that comes with knowing and showing who you truly are. She knew we could be the authors of our own stories, just as she'd been the opportunity that she wanted for Kamala and me. That's a distinctly American story."
Kamala Harris accepted the party’s nomination in a speech that was more like a state of the union. It told us how she came to be the person she is, demonstrated her vision for America, and outlined what she will do to make that vision come true and to protect our freedoms. She promised “to be a President for all Americans,” stating “You can always trust me to put country above party and self.”
She reminded us that she has always worked For the People, and will continue to do so. She reflected on her childhood and how her single mother relied on a group of friends and neighbors to help care for Kamala and her sister, and how that experience taught her a sense of community. She told us the lessons her parents taught her. From her mother “never complain about injustice” but to “do something about it.” And from her father, “to be fearless” and “run, Kamala, run. Don’t be afraid. Don’t let anything stop you.” And she shared the story of her best friend’s sexual abuse by her step-father, and how that situation inspired her to become a prosecutor, to defend innocent victims such as her friend.
She demonstrated her nuanced understanding of the war in Gaza, reinforcing her commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself while also recognizing the devastation of the last 10 months in Gaza and the desperation of the starving Gazan people “fleeing for safety, over and over again.” She ended by saying “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”
She talked about the dangers of a second Trump presidency, reflecting on his role in the January 6th insurrection, and on the power he would wield and how he would wield it – unfettered by the law – because of the Supreme Court’s recent decisions. In summary, she talked about the serious consequences of electing this unserious man.
Harris went on to discuss her vision for the future. She sees a country with an “opportunity economy” and vowed to bring together workers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and American companies to create that economy. She wants a country that limits profits from greedy corporations and financial institutions, and one that imposes no tax increase on the middle class but instead increases taxes on billionaires and large corporations.
She sees a country where women have the right to determine their own healthcare and said that Trump and his allies “Simply put…are out of their minds” with their plans to restrict birth control, ban medication abortion, enact a national abortion ban, and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.
She sees an America where “we can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border” and said she refused “to play politics with our security….and will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that [Trump] killed and…will sign it into law.”
She sees a country that strongly supports it allies and that fights autocrats.
She sees an America that shows “each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.”
One of the overarching themes of the convention was joy. The joy felt those in attendance as they saw the promise the Harris Walz ticket brings. The joy of people coming together to celebrate the future and promise of our country. The joy of being able to take action to elect Kamala Harris.
Woven throughout the convention was a clear and present love of this country. Republicans paint Democrats as unpatriotic, and the DNC was an overt demonstration of just how untrue that is.
Americans are on the precipice of making great history. Together, we can take back America from the right-wing extremists. This convention showed us the way. If we work hard, are truthful, remain positive, apply joy, we can win the election. Amanda Gorman summed up the calls to action we heard: “Let us not just believe in the American dream. Let us be worthy of it.”
When we fight, we win!
