A Look Inside the 2024 Democratic National Convention
Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Source: NewsWeek
On Thursday, August 22nd—the fourth and final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention—Vice President Kamala Harris took the podium in Chicago for what might be regarded as the most important political moment of her life. Following an introductory video recounting her upbringing and career, Harris strutted the blue-carpeted stage as deafening cheers drowned the United Center for over three minutes. In an attempt to tame the boisterous crowd, Harris pleaded with Democrats: “Thank you, thank you—Let’s get to business.”
The DNC that concluded in the last few days is entirely unrecognizable from the one that was being planned just one month ago. The replacement of the presidential nominee, selection of Governor Tim Walz as the new vice presidential candidate, and a refreshed attitude toward the election made this convention unlike any other in recent history. For Democrats, this was significant for a number of reasons, chief among them being an opportunity to present the party as unified in the wake of a tumultuous two months marked by infighting, division, and anxiety.
Minoyn Moore, chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, advertised the event as forward-looking—a chance to exhibit the constant evolution of America, both as a people and a nation. “The world has changed. This city has changed,” Moore asserted. “And if we are still situating ourselves back in that history, then that’s saying that we are running in place and we have not changed as Americans, and I firmly reject that.”
The convention lineup featured a deep roster of politicians, community leaders, and citizens who honored the vice president, both as a trailblazer for women and people of color and as a public servant who has never ceased fighting for the people she represents. Among them were Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Former Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, two primetime speakers on night one. The Democrat from New York’s 14th District painted a stark contrast between her party’s nominee and her GOP opponent: “I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” Clinton—who stood in the exact same position as Kamala Harris eight years ago—echoed her speech from the 2016 convention, emphasizing the very real possibility of punching through that glass ceiling “once and for all.”
But perhaps the most anticipated moment of day one came from the man who, prior to July 21st, believed he would be the person accepting the party’s nomination on Thursday night. President Joe Biden’s speech largely focused upon his achievements in office, a calculated move to enshrine the legacy of the Biden Administration and the president himself. The president not only promised to be Kamala and Tim’s “best volunteer,” but he professed his deep admiration for the values that underlie America: “It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your President. I love the job, but I love my country more. I love my country more.”
As the pages turn on Joe Biden’s political career, the book is only starting to be written for Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. On Tuesday night, the potential first First Gentleman of the United States offered a genial and oftentimes humorous speech, giving voters a better glimpse into his roles as Harris’ devoted partner and father to Cole and Ella, who call their stepmother “Mamala.”
Immediately following Doug were two beloved Democratic veterans and highly praised orators: Michelle and Barack Obama. The former first lady’s speech was a polished tapestry of personal anecdotes, commentary on fundamental American values, and praise for the Democratic nominee. Perhaps the most clipped quote of the night was when Michelle, in an effort to illuminate Trump’s petty racial attacks, used his own words against him: “who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” In similar fashion, her husband labeled Trump as the neighbor “who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.” Conversely, he compared Kamala to “the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand.” The former president underscored the guiding principles of America, like patriotism, equality, and unity. He made clear that the Harris-Walz ticket is one of freedom and hope—a strikingly reminiscent message for Mr. Obama.
Just as the country is only beginning to meet Kamala, the same can be said of her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. While he’s made quite the splash in political spheres with his viral hits on cable news shows, folks don’t necessarily know his story all that well. As a veteran, school teacher, and father of two, Walz has spent the last three weeks on the campaign trail embodying the role of America’s midwestern dad—and his speech only further emphasized this archetype.
His Wednesday night address was overwhelmingly personal, with mentions of his upbringing in a rural Nebraska town and he and his wife’s dependence upon IVF treatments. For many party members, Walz’s candidacy is an opportunity to bridge the gap between established Democratic elites and middle Americans embittered by mainstream politics. His speech personified this goal of healing the wounds engendered by almost a decade of intense partisanship. Naturally, Walz concluded his address just as a former high school football coach would: “It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team.”
Before President Biden’s poor debate performance in late June and subsequent departure from the race in July, Vice President Harris was an unknown quantity to most Americans. Historically, the vice president remains in the shadows, and many folks saw her as just that: a background character. However, Harris launched her unanticipated campaign almost seamlessly, attracting large and energized crowds at rallies all across the country. But for probably the first time on Thursday evening, as she stood at the DNC podium submerged in an endless sea of blue, Kamala became the main character. With the undivided attention of millions of Americans, she had a rare chance to convince the public at-large to cast a vote in her favor.
For almost forty minutes, Vice President Kamala Harris prosecuted the most important case of her life. Aside from accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, Harris expressed both the personal and the political. She recounted stories from her childhood and conveyed the lessons inherited from her mother, a scientist who immigrated to the United States at just nineteen years old. From an economic standpoint, she addressed widespread concerns about inflation and contended that her platform will generate both opportunity and income for middle-class families. On foreign policy, she confronted the war in Gaza head-on, simultaneously calling for an end to the suffering of Palestinians and advocating support for Israel’s right to defend itself. And regarding reproductive freedom, she promised to sign any bill sent to her desk protecting the right to abortion.
But the overarching takeaway from the address was not simply the building blocks of her campaign platform. Rather, at every possible chance, Harris warned of the danger posed by a second Trump Administration. Emboldened by the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and a recent Supreme Court ruling granting presidents criminal immunity for official acts, Trump would use the office “to serve the only client he has ever had: himself,” Harris says.“In many ways,” she adds, “Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.”
Harris’ convention speech encapsulated the core themes of her campaign and brought substance to the slogans. She communicated her plan to chart a “new way forward” for the American people and expand upon the unfinished work of her predecessor. Simultaneously, she reproached her opponent’s record and made it abundantly clear why she and her supporters are “not going back.”
In a typical election year, the DNC marks the backstretch of a long and often grueling campaign cycle, with the two major party candidates racing to the finish line. Yet, in these bizarre, unpredictable, and often unnerving last few months, it feels as though the race has just begun. For voters who saw Kamala as undefined, the convention was a prime opportunity to get to know the Democratic nominee—her story, policies, personality, and all. Did the convention have this effect on undecided voters? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure—after weeks of uncertainty and confusion, the Democratic Party is wholly energized and ready to heed Kamala’s plea of getting down to business.