A resurgent Democratic Party is meeting in Chicago for its national convention, hoping to build on the momentum of recent weeks after US Vice President Kamala Harris moved to the top of the list of candidates for the November presidential election.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will formally accept the party’s nomination during the four-day event. It will be an opportunity for the vice president to redefine herself as a leader and set a vision for America’s future after a turbulent few months for the party.
No one can claim to have predicted this election campaign, said Anthony Fowler, a professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a speech Monday night that could sound bittersweet. Just over a month ago, it was all but certain that he would be on stage to accept the nomination.
Biden resigned in July and offered his support to Harris amid concerns about his age and mental health. Biden had lost his party’s support, and his colleagues feared there was no path to victory after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump and a mixed performance at the NATO summit in Washington, DC.
Biden’s speech will serve as a figurative passing of the baton, and the president is not expected to stay at the convention. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is expected to speak about the administration’s record and the election results.
“He looks forward to speaking directly to the American people, as he always does: to talk about the current situation, what is at stake and to continue to talk about an issue that is incredibly important to him, which is unity,” Jean-Pierre said last week.
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Other big names expected to speak include former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Marc Trussler of the University of Pennsylvania said it was unlikely there would be any details on whether and how Harris would handle foreign policy or trade differently than Biden.
Trussler, director of data science for the university’s Program in Public Opinion and Election Studies, said these are not issues that will generate excitement or unity among party supporters.
Experts say Harris is likely to follow Biden’s roadmap for America-Canada relations. Biden’s time in office brought some stability, but there were also tensions over the administration’s Buy American procurement rules.
Democrats hope the convention will help them solidify their support by building on the new energy the party is experiencing after uniting behind Harris as the presidential candidate. Recent polls in key swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are already pointing in Democrats’ favor.
Fowler warned that poll results that emerge after party conventions are rarely permanent and that Harris must work to sell herself well to Americans.
Just over a month ago, Trump was hailed as a hero after an assassination attempt was made on him in Milwaukee the weekend before the Republican National Convention, when Republicans were riding high in the polls.
But observers say Trump reacted poorly to his new opponent and tried out a whole series of nicknames and insults. In the meantime, however, the Democrats have made up some ground.
Fowler said Trump may be able to slow that rise in popularity if he can focus on Harris’ governing record – which has been criticized as being too liberal – and the Biden administration’s record.
Democratic voters this week will be eager to hear more details on the administration’s plans, new policy ideas and something meaningful on key issues like inflation and the border.
“As the campaign progresses, voters will be looking to Harris and Walz to see what they plan to do on some of these important issues,” Fowler said.
Trussler said the party’s most passionate members will show plenty of enthusiasm at the convention. Whether Democrats can maintain the attention and enthusiasm of the general public through November remains to be seen.
“These people actually need to vote,” he said.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
