(CHICAGO) — Democrats are kicking off their convention in Chicago this week to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to top their 2024 presidential ticket.
The gathering marks an opportunity for Democrats to ride the good vibes around Harris, who last month was elevated as the party’s de facto nominee after President Joe Biden ended his own bid. The convention is anticipated to be heavy on messages of “freedom” as Harris and Walz run against former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Beyond highlighting the party’s marquee figures, the event could also offer a platform for protesters critical of the administration’s handling of the war in Gaza and elevate rising stars on the Democratic Party bench.
Here are five things to watch for at this year’s DNC:
It’ll be a party — but for how much longer?
Democrats are euphoric as Harris takes over as their pick and ushers in a polling boost over Biden’s numbers.
That vibe sets up the convention as a party, just weeks after Democrats left their presidential hopes for dead with Biden as their nominee.
“The sheer joy that you see in Democrats these days is just incredible. I mean, it is really remarkable the way that she and the campaign and now Tim Walz have been able to capitalize on both the frustration and a sense of dread of a possible Donald Trump-JD Vance administration. Folks are coming out of the woodwork to give money. They’re coming out of woodwork to volunteer. It’s demonstrable,” said former Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones.
Harris has been enjoying a nearly monthlong “honeymoon” since Biden dropped out, riding a wave of flattering social media praise. That boost is likely to continue this week and for a short time afterwards, enjoying a traditional post-convention bump.
Speculation abounds about how big of a festival the United Center will host, with whispers of whether big-name performers such as Taylor Swift and Beyonce will make an appearance.
After the convention, however, the question will be how long the good times can roll.
Harris and Trump will face off at their first debate on Sept. 10, and a good performance there could extend Harris’ honeymoon.
But while Democrats hope the vibes never change, operatives in both parties have predicted Harris’ campaign will come back down to earth — and then, all bets are off.
More freedom, less threat to democracy
Harris has framed her campaign around a message of “freedom,” even down to highlighting Beyonce’s hit song of the same name.
That message, an umbrella for, in Harris’ words, everything from the freedom to make choices on abortion to freedom to get ahead economically, is likely to take center stage in Chicago — supplanting Biden’s warnings about Trump’s threat to democracy.
The strategy is more forward-thinking, rather than Biden’s rallying cry, which harkened back to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, an event that Democrats still mention, but appeared to resonate less with voters agitating for a more long-term vision.
Still, the “freedom” messaging could dovetail with Biden’s discussions of democracy, some Democrats said.
“I think there was an understanding when we looked at how Trump was really trampling democratic norms, so there’s that connection between democracy and freedom,” said one Democratic strategist with ties to Harris’ team.
To be certain, Harris isn’t running away from Biden.
She’ll still be Biden’s right hand for five more months, and the two appeared together in Maryland on Thursday to tout savings made by allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of certain medications.
Biden heads for a hero’s welcome
Biden is set to be feted Monday night by a base that desperately wanted him to move on and is intensely grateful he did so.
The president’s catastrophic June debate performance started the clock on the end of Biden’s political career, and the fact that he’ll be a one-term president will no doubt be a part of his enduring legacy.
However, Democrats have cast Biden’s decision as nothing short of heroic, and Harris has been singing his praises on the campaign trail, sparking chants of “thank you, Joe.”
“He deserves tremendous credit for such a selfless act,” said the Democratic strategist with ties to Harris’ team. “I’m sure when he speaks on Monday, it’s going to be a huge reception.”
How does the convention handle the war in Gaza?
While Biden’s debate and age were the chief factors in ending his political career, he was also dogged by criticism from the left over his handling of the war in Gaza. And those detractors aren’t going away just because he’s no longer Democrats’ nominee.
Protests over the rising death toll in Gaza will be held blocks away from Chicago’s United Center, and delegates who were sent to the convention by “uncommitted” votes in various states have full access to the event floor, with nothing to stop them from interrupting the proceedings.
It’s unclear precisely how much the convention will deal with the war and if there will be any interruptions at all.
Harris has adopted a tonal shift from Biden, putting more of an emphasis on mounting civilian casualties in the enclave than the president had. But on policy, there hasn’t been as much of a change so far, raising questions over how much of a wait-and-see period she’ll receive from those who were critical of Biden.
Who are the rising stars?
Conventions for both parties are primarily occasions to highlight leaders, chiefly the presidential nominees. But they also serve as opportunities to elevate rising stars.
Perhaps most famously, Barack Obama was selected as Democrats’ keynote speaker in 2004 when he was still a state senator in Illinois. Four years later, he spoke at the convention as his party’s presidential nominee.
Other speakers have included Julián Castro when he was mayor of San Antonio in 2012 and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2016.
Democrats have not said who this year’s keynote speaker will be — but their pick could indicate who they view as a future party leader and in what ideological direction they’re heading.
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