Balloons rained from the ceiling of the United Arena as Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, capping a tumultuous period four weeks after the original candidate, President Joe Biden, dropped out of the race.
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) was in part a tribute to Biden, whose five-decade career culminated in the presidency, but more importantly, it was a launching pad for the Harris-Walz ticket, which was fueled by endorsement after endorsement from party luminaries past and present, as well as the star power of cultural and musical icons like Oprah and Stevie Wonder.
After days of pledging support from big names like the Obamas, the Clintons, her husband Doug Emhoff and Democratic Party Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, the time had finally come for Harris to speak up for her cause herself.
Their message was marked by a hopeful, forward-looking vision and included numerous promises to defend reproductive freedom and create an “economy of opportunity.”
“I know there are people watching tonight with different political views. And I want you to know that I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always count on me to put the country above my party and my own interests,” Harris said.
And there was much evidence to suggest that her audience was receptive.
American values are the focus
“I think their rediscovery of American values, their appeal to all people who can be proud of our country on a national and domestic level, improving all the policy priorities that the Democrats had set, not just for Americans but for people of all backgrounds and origins, is something I’m really excited about,” said Cameron Deptula, a delegate from Hawaii.
Matt Golosinski, director of research communications at Northwestern University, said the message that all Americans need to pull together was particularly appealing.
“The highlight was the idea that everyone should work together and support each other instead of tearing each other down. That is a very important message for all parts of the world. That is easier said than done, but I think we can start at home,” he told DW.
Community values and the importance of helping others were a recurring theme at the convention, and Vice President-elect Tim Walz spoke heavily to them in his speech, emphasizing his background as a public school teacher and football coach while denouncing what he sees as the self-serving agenda of Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“We made sure every child in our state got breakfast and lunch every day,” he said, referring to the free school lunch law he signed in his home state of Minnesota. “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banning hunger from ours.”
Joe Barbuto, chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, told DW that he saw Walz’s choice as vice presidential candidate as a sign that Harris wanted to reach the heartland of the country.
“He’s certainly a person with a strong background in rural America and has done a lot of work in rural America as a congressman and governor,” Barbuto said. “That should show us that she’s serious and cares about not just the Democratic states but our entire country.”
Harris’ foreign policy reputation under scrutiny
But concerns about Harris’s foreign policy stance were at the forefront for some in attendance, particularly delegates representing the more than 700,000 voters who cast “undecided” ballots in the Democratic primary to urge the Biden-Harris administration to end political and military support for Israel over its war against Hamas in Gaza.
“As unaffiliated delegates, we want (Harris) to commit now to a permanent and immediate ceasefire and an arms embargo, and of course we appreciate the fact that this was mentioned, but at this point words are not enough, empty promises are not enough, we need to know what their policy is,” Sabrene Odeh, an unaffiliated delegate from Washington state, said following Harris’ speech.
Can the euphoria carry the Democrats to election victory?
The war remains one of the few divisive issues in a party that quickly came together to support Harris. And outside the DNC, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters tried to get within sight and earshot of the convention – even as many of them said there was nothing Democrats could do to win their votes.
“Our coalition is broad and we are all over the country, so it’s hard to say what everyone thinks,” said protest organizer Faayani Aboma Mijana. “But I can talk to my organization. I can talk to the Palestinian community network in the US. We are not voting right now, the fact that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are on the table, we see as a symptom of a rotten system. The system only serves the rich and powerful, giving us only these two options, and both are equally bad right now.”
Despite protesters’ concerns, the DNC was a four-day celebration filled with joy and excitement surrounding the now officially official Democratic slate.
But with just 70 days to go before the election, the question remains whether Harris and Walz will be able to maintain this optimism until they win the election.
Edited by: Rob Mudge
