At the “Mecca of basketball” and the Chicago Bulls, the United Center – Michael Jordan’s former kingdom – the doors to the Democratic Party convention open tonight, less than three months before the presidential election.
The candidate for President of the United States, Kamala Harris He will officially take the baton from outgoing President Joe Biden, having in just a few weeks managed to revive the Democrats’ hopes in a game that was considered lost. But will he be able to use a bit of Michael Jordan’s floating glamour to defeat Donald Trump?
Typically, the party convention is where presidential candidates are officially nominated. But things are different for Democrats this year, since President Biden left the campaign trail in July and was replaced by his vice president, Kamala Harris. More than 4,500 delegates from every state voted in an online poll in early August and officially nominated Harris as their presidential candidate.
His vice president, Tim Walsh, has already been chosen. There will, however, be “symbolic and ceremonial” votes for both in Chicago.
Aging President Joe Biden will open the conference with a speech, introducing Harris as “a remarkable leader and the only guarantor at this time of democracy and freedoms threatened by Donald Trump,” the US president’s advisers stressed.
Celebrities on stage
In Chicago, the Democrats are preparing the grand stage for their presidential candidate, with a march by many celebrities, including former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton will also speak on the first day of the conference, who will be on the “stage” after many years.
As for Harris herself? The 59-year-old Democratic candidate is expected to respond to personal attacks from her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, 78, who called her a “crazy socialist” who has the “laugh of a crazy person.”
Harris simply responded that “anyone who looks down on other people is a coward,” without mentioning him by name. Trump.
In keeping with convention tradition, Harris will speak on the final day of the convention, Thursday night, to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination. Walsh will do the same on Wednesday.
headwind
Harris arrives at party convention with a strong wind in their sails: According to a recent poll, a growing percentage of Americans have a positive view of the 59-year-old candidate. About half of American adults — 48 percent — have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Harris, according to a representative survey by the AP news agency and the NORC Research Center.
Earlier this summer — before Joe Biden’s disastrous televised duel with Donald Trump — that number for Harris as a potential Biden replacement was just 39 percent.
This isn’t just a surge in Harris’s popularity, but a rise in voter favorability compared with Biden’s disastrous pre-retirement ratings. The percentage of those who say they don’t know enough about the Democratic candidate to form an opinion has fallen by half, from 12% in June to 6% today.
Influencers should have helped with these results, too. The Chicago conference will also feature hundreds of online influencers who will be posting unofficial content on their channels throughout the week, aiming to build online support for Kamala Harris. More than 200 influencers with large followings on TikTok, YouTube and other platforms have already gained access to the Chicago convention, according to organizers.
Of course, it’s not entirely clear whether Harris will actually prevail against Trump. However, her hopes are not unfounded. Harris has not held press conferences since she began running for office. She has limited herself to scheduled appearances on the campaign trail — likely in an effort to stick to a consistent script and avoid making mistakes. It’s unlikely she’ll be able to get away with it in the weeks after the convention and before the election.
Activists at the conference
Unlike the big show at the United Center, however, some protests are expected outside the hall. Thousands of activists are expected in Chicago. They hope to draw attention to causes such as protecting abortion rights and combating economic inequality.
The biggest protests will likely be directed against the US government’s policy on the middle east: An alliance of 200 organizations from all over the country has called for a march to the party congress. Rallies are expected today and Thursday. The demonstrators are protesting against Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, the lack of support for the Palestinians and the White House’s excessive solidarity with the Israeli leadership.