3 quick takes from the Democratic National Convention By Luke Perry
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was very different from the one I covered as a floor correspondent in 2016.
Photo from WKTV
Conventions as we knew them are dead.
The Democrats’ first pass at a virtual convention meshed the mediums of cable news, campaign ads, and social media. Second and third tier speeches, which constitute hours of convention proceedings no one in the arena actually listen to, were replaced with human interest appeals and short panel discussions, making for much better television. It would be foolish to go back.
Democratic Party = Women
Women were front and center throughout the 2020 convention, even more than Hillary Clinton’s historic nomination in 2016. Donald Trump’s presidency has ignited mass mobilization of women, and contributed to their leftward shift, beginning with the Women’s March the day after his inaugural.
The tepid “I’m with her” campaign slogan of 2016 has been kicked aside. Now Democrats wholeheartedly see themselves and sell themselves as the party of and for women.
Populism for the digital convention era
The 2020 Democratic convention highlighted everyday people more than any previous modern convention. These were the “stars” of highly produced videos and panelists in conversations with Joe Biden himself, helping humanize the suffering Americans have faced and make the argument that Biden cares about people and devoted his life to helping others.
Partisan attacks are routinely fired at party elites on a convention stage. This year was no different. Attacking a nurse from Michigan, farmer from Wisconsin, or small business owner from Pennsylvania, identified by first name only, is much more difficult to do.
Luke Perry (@PolSciLukePerry) is Professor of Political Science at Utica College
