For a variety of reasons, not least of which being that the highlights are scheduled well after my bedtime, I haven’t seen a minute of either party convention live. But, rather clearly, they’re presenting radically different tones.
NPR (“With humor and hope, Obamas warn against Trump, urge Democrats to ‘do something’“):
Barack and Michelle Obama, Chicago’s favorite power couple, declared “hope is making a comeback” with Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket
The former president and first lady headlined the second night of the Democratic National Convention, delivering a message of exhilaration at the possibility of electing the first woman in history to the White House – and the critical importance, they added, of preventing former President Donald Trump from securing a second term.
“We want something better. We want to be better,” Obama said. “And the joy and excitement we’re seeing around this campaign tells us we’re not alone.”
They also warned, from firsthand experience, of the battle ahead to elect Harris – a path marred by what the former president called the “bluster, bumbling and chaos” of Trump on the campaign trail.
“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us,” Michelle Obama said of Trump’s campaign in 2016. “His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.
“Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” the former first lady quipped to raucous applause.
AP (“Obamas close DNC’s second night with rousing Harris endorsement and pointed warnings about Trump“):
Barack Obama, the first Black president in U.S. history, insisted the nation is ready to elect Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage and would be the nation’s first female president. He also called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”
“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” he said.
[…]
A symbolic roll call in which delegates from each state pledged their support for the Democratic nominee turned into a party atmosphere. A DJ played a mix of state-specific songs — and Atlanta native Lil Jon ran out during Georgia’s turn to his hit song with DJ Snake, “Turn Down for What,” to the delight of the thousands inside the cavernous United Center.
And various speakers offered personal stories about Harris, who has served as a California senator and vice president, but remains largely unknown among many voters.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who would become the nation’s first gentleman if his wife wins the presidency, shared details about his relationship with the vice president — their cooking habits, their first date and her laugh, which is often mocked by Republican critics.
“You know that laugh. I love that laugh!” Emhoff said as the crowd cheered. Later, he added, “Her empathy is her strength.”
WaPo (“Obamas electrify Democrats at Chicago convention“):
Former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, two of the Democratic Party’s most popular figures, electrified delegates at the party’s convention Tuesday, saying they saw the same sense of excitement and hope that characterized their own rise to the White House now surrounding Kamala Harris.
“I’m feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible,” Barack Obama said, a reference to his emergence as a political star at the 2004 convention. “Because we have the chance to elect someone who’s spent her whole life trying to give people the same chances America gave her.”
The former president sought to frame the election as a stark choice.
“We don’t need four more years of bluster and chaos. We’ve seen that movie — and we all know that the sequel’s usually worse,” he said. “America is ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”
In her remarks, Michelle Obama delivered a similar message. “America, hope is making a comeback,” she declared.
As many analysts have noted, the entire tone of the Democratic message has changed since Biden was cajoled into quitting and ceding the stage to Harris. Whereas the old message was that Trump was an existential threat to democracy, they’re now making fun of Trump, Vance, and the MAGA wing as “weird.” She and Walz have campaigned as “happy warriors,” laughing and dancing and otherwise seeming to be enjoying the spotlight. The Obamas and others have largely followed suit. (I am a bit surprised they didn’t save the Obamas for later in the week.)
This is a stark contrast with the nastiness of the Trump campaign and a bizarre Republican convention that was both mean-spirited and cultish. And, frankly, Biden was doing a poor job countering that vibe with a more reassuring one of his own. Indeed, the bits of his handoff speech Monday night that I heard were more of the same: angry and harsh rather than hopeful of a brighter future.
Harris is ahead of the polls and—unlike her opponent—will surely get a bounce from this convention. There are still weeks to go and we’ve seen plenty of twists and turns in a contest that seemed frozen in place just a month ago. Still, the candidate who presents the more optimistic vision tends to win modern presidential elections.
