From Monday (August 19), the Democratic National Convention (DNC) of the United States is being held in Chicago for four days and nights. Vice President He Jinli will formally accept the party’s presidential nomination.
The themes for these four days are “For the People,” “Bold Vision for America’s Future,” “Fighting for Our Freedom,” and “For Our Future.”
It is expected that President Biden will deliver a speech at the opening night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday. According to NBC News, He Jinli is expected to join him on stage after Biden’s speech.
Multiple media outlets report that Biden will discuss the achievements of the Biden-He administration in his speech on Monday, including promoting economic growth in the United States and strengthening American alliances overseas. He is also expected to urge voters to support his running mate, He Jinli, as the next President of the United States.
Following a different format from the past, in the online voting in early August, 4615 delegates voted for He Jinli, who received 99% support from the party. He Jinli and her running mate Tim Walz have already been nominated by the Democratic Party.
Therefore, this week’s Democratic National Convention is mostly a formality, including live vote counting.
The organizers predict that the four-day convention will host approximately 50,000 visitors, 20,000 media members, and 5,500 delegates, alternates, and other guests attending the convention.
Observers are interested in how the national convention will demonstrate party unity around the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates in preparation for the final push of the election. Traditionally, delegates from each state will attend the meeting and take turns expressing their support. The highlight of the convention is Thursday night when the candidates are nominated and deliver speeches.
The goal of the national convention is usually to introduce the presidential and vice-presidential candidates to the public who may not follow the campaign closely. Organizers often share personal highlights and stories of the candidates, which then become part of the party’s promotional material.
In addition, the convention will finalize the Democratic Party’s platform for 2024. The platform represents the party’s priorities, achieved through interactions between the party, the public, and interest groups. An 80-page draft was released before Biden withdrew from the race in July, and the convention will approve the final version.
The draft includes increasing taxes on billionaires, reducing childcare costs for low-income families, investing in clean energy, and banning assault weapons. It also pledges for an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” in the Gaza region and supports “negotiating a two-state solution to secure Israel’s future.”
While the full list of speakers for Monday’s event has not been announced, some prominent Democrats will attend, including President Biden, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, former Secretary of State Hillary, and First Lady Jill who will deliver speeches.
NBC News confirms that the Bidens will leave Chicago after Monday’s speech.
Jill’s communications director told MSNBC that the First Lady will introduce her husband’s accomplishments, character, empathy, and leadership in her speech.
“She knows him better than anyone. She sees his empathy, and she has witnessed his performance on the world stage over the past 50 years, so she knows many of his accomplishments,” the communications director said.
Vice-presidential candidate Walz attended several core committee meetings of the Democratic National Committee on Monday and praised He Jinli as a visionary leader.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz attended four different core committee meetings on Monday, lobbying for support for He Jinli from these groups and making specific appeals to some of them.
During his speech at the Black Core Committee meeting, he said, “What’s different this time is that we have a Black woman leading us.” Walz’s speech was met with cheers.
At the Native American Core Committee meeting, Walz emphasized He Jinli’s commitment to respecting tribal sovereignty and his own work in advancing Native American affairs in Minnesota.
While addressing the Hispanic Core Committee, Walz delivered a message similar to that of the Black Core Committee, acknowledging the historical injustice suffered by minority communities.
Chauncey Mclean from the liberal nonprofit organization Future Forward said in an interview with “Cook Political Report” in Chicago that He Jinli’s support trend has been undeniable since her nomination, showing impressive performance.
“But our numbers are far less optimistic than what you see in the public, which is by design and a feature of these events,” he said.
“If you are on He Jinli’s campaign team, you have to win at least in Pennsylvania, Georgia, or North Carolina. But just think about Pennsylvania from a historical perspective, we believe it is the state most likely to turn around. Biden and Trump won in 2020 and 2016 with less than 1% advantage,” he added.
Mclean said that the support rates for He Jinli and Trump in Pennsylvania are very close, indicating that their numbers are basically like tossing a coin, with a probability of fifty-fifty.