Democrats from across the nation gathered in Chicago from Aug. 19-22 for the first look at the new faces of the Democratic party. The party has rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz since President Joe Biden withdrew himself from the upcoming election. According to ABC News, the Democratic party has sought to evoke a sense of joy and freedom, while attempting to portray their atmosphere and policies in contrast to the Republican party.
During his speech on the third night of the convention, Walz emphasized the difference between Republicans’ and Democrats’ definitions of the word freedom.
“[Republicans] mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor’s office, corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers,” while Democrats mean “freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall,” Walz stated, referencing the prevalence of school shootings in the country and taking a jab at the many Republicans who are against gun control, even when it comes to assault weapons.
Walz and others also spoke of “real freedom” in the form of lowering housing prices and taxes for the middle class. He also spoke on the right to abortion, which has been a critical issue in America’s political landscape since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
According to CBS News, freedom has been a theme of the Harris-Walz campaign from the get-go. In demonstration of that, “Freedom” by Beyoncé was a major theme song of the event.
According to the Washington Post, the war in Gaza was one of the most polarizing issues for the Democrats. The Washington Post reports that the Democrats mostly skirted this issue, with the main speech about the topic coming from the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli who Hamas took hostage in its initial attack on Israel. The speech, which encouraged a deal in which the many remaining hostages held in Gaza would be freed and the war would end in a ceasefire, was viewed positively by pro-Palestinians and pro-Israelis alike.
According to the DNC website, 87.2 million viewers watched the event over the course of the week. In comparison, 76.3 million viewers watched the Republican National Convention, which took place in mid-July.
This came in the wake of former president Donald Trump’s claims about his ability to pull in large crowds, including his statement that “[n]obody has spoken to bigger crowds than me.” According to NBC News, Trump even claimed to have drawn larger crowds than those of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at several of his rallies.
Of the swing voters who watched the Democratic convention, many seemed to have favorable views. The Washington Post conducted a survey in which two-thirds of respondents had positive opinions about the convention as a whole, with some such respondents citing Harris’ superior favorability when compared with Biden. Respondents also added that several Republicans spoke at the convention in support of Harris, including Geoff Duncan, the lieutenant governor of Georgia.
Duncan, addressing his fellow Republicans, proclaimed that voting for Harris would make one not a “Democrat,” but a “patriot.”
Other undecided voters who watched the convention observed the positive atmosphere. “There’s more excitement and anticipation with Kamala Harris than I’ve seen since Obama,” said one respondent, a 55-year-old woman from Pennsylvania, a key battleground state.
Many respondents who had unfavorable views of the convention believed that the speakers put too much focus on attacking Trump and not enough on policy and addressing critical issues for voters.
An Independent from Michigan said Harris “failed to outline policy proposals and tell us what she would do as president.” In contrast, another respondent, a Democrat from Michigan, said that while he is “100% anti-Trump,” he felt there was altogether “too much Trump-bashing” and not enough focus on Harris.
The convention concluded with Harris’ speech, during which she accepted the party’s nomination, making her the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to become the presidential nominee of one of the two major parties.
During her speech, Harris told the country her story. She was born to middle-class immigrant parents from Jamaica and India, an upbringing that instilled in her values like a strong work ethic and the importance of taking a stand. According to the Washington Post, Harris attempted to appeal to the middle class, stressing that as a child of the middle class herself, she has their interests at heart.
Harris also used the speech as a further opportunity to differentiate herself from Trump. A former prosecutor, Harris stated that she has “only had one client: the people,” in contrast to Trump, whose only client is “himself.”
Finally, Harris emphasized that America needs change. She described her campaign as “a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past” and into a promising new future led by a younger generation.
According to NPR, Harris and others left supporters joyful, excited and hopeful. Former first lady Michelle Obama declared that “hope is making a comeback.”
A Nevada woman said that her favorite part of the convention was how “hopeful and inspiring” the speakers were. Countless Democrats were left with a kind of optimism not felt by the party in a long time.
