I admit it; I’m excited to attend this year’s Democratic convention, which opens in Chicago today.
Conventions have been called a lot of unflattering things in the last few years, including “stale,” “obsolete” and the “last gasp of the old regime.”
And nobody’s expecting nail-biting suspense at this one; this is not the 1860 Republican convention where Abraham Lincoln came from behind to win the nomination.
But this convention is poised to be historic and unique in a lot of ways, and not just because it will be deeply inspiring to see the first Black and Asian American woman formally accept the presidential nomination of a major party.
The Kamala Harris-Tim Walz campaign is arriving here along with a crescendo of enthusiasm that started with its very recent inception this summer. This convention is more like conventions decades ago when they served as the starting gun for the race — rather than the beginning of a long last lap.
Unlike what I saw as a delegate at the 2016 Democratic convention when there were still a lot of hard feelings, the party is more united than anyone would’ve guessed it could be just a few weeks ago.
This year, core constituencies among the base — including folks representing labor, the environment and reproductive rights — are already consolidated and excited. Vice President Kamala Harris has been extraordinarily successful at achieving unity in a very short time.
The job now is to build on that excitement this week, and it’s eminently doable.
This is Harris’s moment to define herself to a much broader audience. She has already accomplished a unique feat by presenting herself as this year’s candidate for change while also benefiting from the authority, experience and name recognition that comes with serving as vice president.
Harris has been President Biden’s partner in accomplishments that are overwhelmingly positive for everyday people. And now it’s her turn to outline what a Harris administration would accomplish. She can tell voters exactly how she would serve the American people, and share her positions on the economy, foreign policy and more.
The convention is also an opportunity to appeal to new voters and broaden the Democrats’ coalition.
Democrats can signal that the party welcomes new supporters. Every campaign wants to attract new voters and has different theories about who they are. The MAGA movement determined that included a lot of disaffected, mostly white working people, including former Democrats, and went after them aggressively.
Democrats have an outstanding opportunity this week to show they welcome former MAGA voters who’ve become turned off by Trump. Convention planners are signaling they want young and first-time voters so the convention will be streamed on multiple platforms including social media and streaming services like Roku and AppleTV.
The party also can and should do better with Latino voters, so it can use this opportunity to grow.
Speaking of growth, I’ll be looking to see the diversity and breadth of convention attendance beyond the usual base: Is the business sector there? How about the public sector unions, like the firefighters who once split over supporting Trump?
And in a cycle where the “weird” label has stuck to Republicans like glue, Democrats can show that they are the party that can relate to the majority of Americans.
While the Republican ticket rants about cat ladies and claims Harris faked a crowd photo with AI, Harris and Walz will use this convention to show they are in touch with reality and real people. They can talk credibly about how they can deliver for the American people on kitchen-table issues. Both have solid records and proposals on jobs and support for working families.
Finally, Harris and Democrats can foster an environment where all voices are heard and respected. There will be challenges; we know demonstrations are planned. Americans are watching and Democrats can deliver a peaceful and respectful convention to all.
And all of this will take place against a high-stakes backdrop of extreme urgency. If you believe that a Trump victory and imposition of Project 2025 are existential threats to democracy itself, you know those stakes haven’t gone away.
And now we have an alternative and uplifting vision to offer. And that feels like a good thing. So does the Harris-Walz campaign’s short sprint to election day.
There’s an advantage when a campaign is that fresh and can make its message all about Americans’ concerns at the moment.
It reminds me of the famous quote by the composer Leonard Bernstein, who said, “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.”
The convention is riding a wave of momentum that’s kind of irresistible. So yes, I’m excited. And yes — I think it will last.
