By Jessie Seigel / August 25, 2024
The Democratic National Convention, filled from the floor to the rafters!
Last week’s Democratic National Convention was like a rollicking four-day party—with terrific speeches that truly hit the mark, and attendees drunk on hope, joy, unity, and determination.
I have been waiting decades for the Democrats to stop bending over backwards to compromise with Republicans, allowing them to pull the so-called political center farther and farther to the right. So, it was wonderful to watch the Democrats unifying behind their pre-Reagan principles and, with wit and plain speech, finally stop pulling their punches and rediscover their fighting spirit.
Pundits generally like to engage in handicapping the horse race, speculating beforehand about what the principals to speeches or debates “need to do” and telling an audience what they should think of what they saw afterwards. I think people should mostly watch speeches and debates without that outside influence, and make up their own minds. Here, I am briefly expressing my own reactions—admittedly informed by my own predilections—but readers really should watch these speeches and judge for themselves.
All of the main speeches—those of President Biden, former President Obama, Michele Obama, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, Vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, and Vice-President/presidential candidate Kamala Harris—were excellent.
In particular, it was a pleasure to see Michele Obama stop “going high” and instead deliver a forthright and occasionally sardonic attack on former president Donald Trump and his agenda—one of the best of the convention.
It was heartwarming to hear Doug Emhoff speak about his courting of Kamala and her relationship with his children.
It was delightfully refreshing as well as stirring to hear the acceptance speech of the well-qualified and down-to-earth Tim Walz, not to mention the poignant view of his son weeping with pride and calling out “That’s my dad!”
Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech eviscerated the destructive past actions and future plans of Trump and the Heritage Foundation--both domestic and foreign--in the strongest possible terms. And Harris laid out the agenda she will pursue to protect the Constitution and the nation in words that do honor to the party of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Harris’s straight talk held a power I have almost never heard before from public officials or candidates.
Many of these major speeches were delivered late into their respective evenings. If you missed them, you can watch what you missed by clicking on the linked names above.
However, there were other speeches, delivered earlier each day or evening, that were not televised on all networks but are also very much worth watching. I have listed the speakers below, and highly recommend that readers take the time to watch them. Just click on the names.
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers spoke as the most rousing advocate of workers rights since Walter Reuther.
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez also spoke extremely well for workers rights.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin—constitutional scholar and lead impeachment manager in Trump's second impeachment trial—usually speaks judiciously about the constitutional effects of Donald Trump’s actions. However, in this speech, he lays out the dangers without ceremony and in no uncertain terms.
In his speech, Reverend Al Sharpton began by noting that his organization does not endorse candidates, but does analyze their positions and actions. He went on to remind the public of Trump's virulent racism, and introduced the wrongly convicted Central Park Five, whom Trump had tried to get executed. (According to The Guardian, in 1989, when the Central Park Five were tried and convicted of rape, Trump reportedly paid $85,000 to take out advertising space in four New York City newspapers--including the New York Times--pushing for their execution. The Central Park Five speakers pointed out that even after they were exonerated and the real perpetrator found, Trump refused to acknowledge their innocence.)
Based in part on Oprah Winfrey's promotion of the careers of Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil, I have often considered her a gullible, if well-meaning, lightweight—but Oprah's speech was superb.
Overall, the various speeches at the Democratic National Convention were inspiring, and the reaction of the delegates were contagiously euphoric. We are, of course, still at the beginning of the work needed to save democracy. The right wing’s nefarious attacks have already begun and, as Michele Obama warned, they will get worse. And make no mistake—even if the Democrats win the election and take office, those forces might appear to disperse, but they will not disappear. They will regroup and keep working to undermine democracy.
Nevertheless, it was good to experience—even through a television screen—a bit of joy and high spirits before diving into the larger fight.
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The democrats indeed seem to have found their mojo and are emanating a lot of excitement. The speeches were stirring, but you omitted someone who I thought gave one of the best speeches of the convention - Adam Kizzinger. He spoke succinctly about the need for Republicans to back Harris because policy differences between the candidates are less concerning than the absence of human decency in the Republican candidate.
I also wonder - in light of the renewed excitement and energy brought by Kamala Harris - do you still believe that Biden should not have stepped down as you’ve previously written?
I agree!! A joyous event!