The Democratic National Convention (DNC) and its counterpart, the Republican National Convention, take place each election year as an opportunity for presidential candidates of both parties to garner support in order to receive their party’s nomination. This year, the DNC is being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was officially declared the party’s nominee, making her the first woman to represent a major political party in a presidential election.
The convention lasted from Monday through Thursday, each night having a theme and a lineup of prominent political figures. Monday’s theme was United Together and speakers included the First Lady, Michelle Obama, former candidate Senator Bernie Sanders, and Astrid Silva, who spoke on the behalf of Dreamers, or young immigrants, based on her own experience. Obama’s speech was long and powerful and it seemed to resonate with many as she discussed her eight years in the White House and the fate of the United States going forward.
Although Bernie Sanders expressed his support for Clinton, emphasizing how important it is to vote for her in order to defeat Trump, many of his supporters were upset. The convention occurred just shortly after Democratic National Committee emails were leaked, revealing that members of the committee had been biased against Senator Sanders from the start, which ultimately led to the resignation of the head of the DNC, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.
As a result of this, many Sanders supporters are furious at Hillary Clinton to the point that many have said they will vote for Donald Trump in November rather than Clinton. Many of these same supporters are willing to do so because they are not voting based on the nominees’ views on political issues, they just want to vote for someone who is “anti-establishment,” regardless of what the candidate actually stands for.
The second night featured former President Bill Clinton and mothers and advocates of the Black Lives Matter movement, including the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Sandra Bland. They all gave moving speeches about racial injustice in the U.S. and shortly after, Bill Clinton spoke for nearly 45 minutes. Among other things, he discussed his marriage to Hillary Clinton and the attributes that would make her fit to be president. Like many other prominent speakers, his goal in mind was to persuade unsure Sanders supporters to vote for Clinton.
On Wednesday, both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden spoke, urging skeptical attendees to put aside their disdain for Clinton and vote for her to ensure that Trump will not emerge triumphant. “America is already great, America is already strong,” Obama said. Both speakers, as well as former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, discussed the potential repercussions of Trump’s presidency, while also addressing independents and on-the-fence Republicans by encouraging people to overlook political parties and determine who is truly fit to serve as president.
Tim Kaine also formally accepted his nomination for Vice President on this same night. There was generally a positive response to his speech and many people likened him to a gentle and thoughtful father figure. On the last night, Thursday, Hillary Clinton accepted her nomination and gave a confident and inspiring speech about her policies and goals. She bashed Trump’s discriminatory rhetoric and applauded President Obama for his accomplishments. Her daughter Chelsea, tearful but excited, spoke as well and promised to help as much as she can.
Shortly after the Republican National Convention, national polls revealed that Trump was doing better than Clinton in the eyes of the public; however, polls and projections during the Democratic National Convention show Clinton has regained her lead against Trump. Many political pundits believe that this is largely due to the lineup of speakers at the DNC, which featured ordinary citizens, a diverse range of politicians, and many A-List celebrities.
Only four months away from the national elections, it is more important than ever for the candidates to campaign wisely in order to persuade voters and find a positive place in the public spotlight.