Washington: Democrats are kicking off their national convention in Chicago this week to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as their chosen candidates for the 2024 presidential election.
More than 50,000 people are expected in the Windy City for the four-day event (beginning Tuesday AEST), which will mark the first in-person Democratic convention in eight years (the last one in 2020 was entirely virtual due to COVID ravaging the US that year).
The convention will be the first opportunity for emboldened Democrats to ride the wave of momentum surrounding Harris following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz on stage together during a campaign event in Philadelphia on August 6.Credit: Getty Images
It will also be an opportunity for the 59-year-old vice president and her chosen running mate to introduce themselves to American voters.
They will present a stark contrast to their rivals Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
These are the five things to watch.
One big party
There are few Democratic gatherings quite like the US Republican and Democratic Presidential nominating conventions: tens of thousands of ecstatic supporters; a sea of red, white and blue balloons, and political stalwarts rubbing shoulders with celebrities.
But Democrats say the party hasn’t been this energised since Barack Obama’s history-making campaign in 2008, and with Harris and Walz having already clinched the nomination, much of this week will be ceremonial – and a big celebration of the new presidential ticket.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laughs with Late Show host Stephen Colbert, seen in character on the convention floor.Credit: AP
Things kick off on Monday night with speeches from President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Barack and Michelle Obama will address the convention on Tuesday night, as well as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, while Bill Clinton and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday night.
And while speculation mounts over if or how Beyonce will weigh into festivities after offering her song Freedom to Harris’ campaign, a star-studded line-up has already been booked for various events taking place throughout the week.
Among those taking part in festivities in and around the convention are singer-songwriter John Legend, Veep star Julia Louise Dreyfus, Hollywood actress Uma Thurman and rapper Lil Jon.
Pro-Palestine protesters converge
While the vibe inside the United Convention Centre will resemble a party, the streets of Chicago – home to one of the biggest Arab-American populations in the country – will be heavy with thousands of protesters angered by the United States’ ongoing support for Israel.
Protests over the war in Gaza have been taking place across the city for months, but the DNC provides a prime-time backdrop for thousands of demonstrators to try to make their voices heard on a national scale.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are expected to attend the convention too. Credit: AP
Harris has adopted a slightly different tone to Biden on the war, with a greater emphasis on mounting civilian casualties, but the lack of a major policy shift continues to rile many progressive voters.
“The people marching with us are the people that the Democrats claim to represent,” said Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesman for the March on the DNC Coalition, which comprises about 200 different activist groups.
“We’re marching to demand an end to the genocide and end all US aid to Israel – and our position hasn’t changed just because Biden has withdrawn. It doesn’t matter who’s at the top of the ticket. They are all complicit.”
Hero’s welcome for Biden
It’s hard to believe it was only a month ago that America’s 81-year-old president ended his bid for re-election after weeks of growing pressure from within his own ranks.
This week, he will receive a rousing welcome from those same people as he passes the baton to a new generational leader, who could end up making history as the first-ever woman to occupy the Oval Office.
US President Joe Biden will be praised – for succumbing to pressure to not to run again.Credit: AP
Instead of giving the acceptance speech he wanted to give as the party’s presidential nominee on Thursday night, Biden will kick things off on Monday by making the case for Harris, while also warning about the threat to democracy if Trump returns to power.
The first day of the convention will also include a series of tributes to Biden as he prepares to end half a century of public service: firstly, as a US senator, then as Barack Obama’s vice president, and finally as the nation’s commander-in-chief.
Expect to hear chants of “thank you, Joe!” as speakers tout the accomplishments of his administration over the past four years, from leading the country out of the global pandemic to record investment in infrastructure, climate and health care.
Harris’s big moment
One month after an emboldened Trump survived an assassination attempt and accepted the Republican presidential nomination, it is now Harris who is riding a wave of momentum as Americans head towards the November 25 election.
But while the vice president has managed to consolidate the Democratic base (many of whom were considering sitting out the election under Biden, or considering a third-party candidate such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr) polls show the race is still anyone’s to lose.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Pennsylvania.Credit: AP
To that end, Harris will need to use her Thursday night acceptance speech to galvanise not just the rank-and-file, but reintroduce herself to the doubters and disengaged voters.
She will also need to explain to the world what kind of president she would be – something that will no doubt require a delicate balancing act, given her central role as Biden’s deputy.
“Kamala Harris wants to say she’s been an important and consequential vice president, but if you take that route, then you have to bear the brunt of your administration’s failures as well,” says Chris Nicholson, a veteran GOP political consultant based in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. “She’s going to have to thread the needle carefully.”
Trump will be miffed
After spending two years and considerable resources preparing to battle an ageing Biden, Trump – who is now the oldest candidate to be nominated to run for president – has clearly struggled to recalibrate.
The 78-year-old has spent the past few weeks attacking Harris on everything from her racial identity and crowd sizes, to her looks and the way she laughs – despite senior Republicans begging him to focus on policy over personality.
Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s campaign pollster, reckons that while Harris is likely to get another bump in the polls coming out of the convention, the honeymoon won’t last.
Still a close race: Republican presidential nominee former president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign.Credit: AP
“The Democrats and the MSM will try and tout these polls as proof that the race has changed. But the fundamentals of the race stay the same,” he wrote in a campaign memo.
“Democrats deposing one nominee for another does NOT change voters discontent over the economy, inflation, crime, the open border, housing costs not to mention concern over two foreign wars. Before long, Harris’ ‘honeymoon’ will end and voters will refocus on her role as Biden’s partner and co-pilot.”
The Trump campaign has hired long-time Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski as it seeks to regain momentum, and Trump himself has even suggested that his former presidential rival Nikki Haley – who appeals to moderates and independents – should play a role in his advising campaign.
Expect him to sharpen his attack lines during the convention as he prepares for his first debate against Harris in Philadelphia on September 10.
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Source Agencies
