With difficulty, I endured an evening of Democratic National Convention festivities on the first night.
In politics, both sides exaggerate their good points and distract from their negatives, but Monday was like watching a melodrama with invented realities.
I trust that the GOP and Trump campaign will take this event seriously and learn from the attacks upon the former president.
Kamala Harris came out for two minutes to tell the audience to cheer Joe Biden when he comes out, despite being booted from the ticket.
Biden himself did not get to talk till after 11:00 p.m. on the East Coast, though, way past his bedtime, and when most viewers have gone to sleep.
It had its purpose, though: In this way, Harris would be able to separate herself from unpopular Biden policies, which late into the night, in a long extended speech, Biden rattled off ad nauseam.
The short six-minute speech by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier, though, demonstrated her charisma and she delivered a talk that brought the audience to its feet. Sadly, it was full of falsehoods and platitudes and missed realities. Her speech was short on detail but it indicated that for Democrats, the unifying issue will be abortion.
Hillary Clinton, also spoke, and though not as rousing as AOC, delivered a speech that got the audience cheering. Her theme was breaking the glass ceiling for women and the time is now for the White House. But again, the unifier will be abortion. Hillary could not resist the personal attacks on Trump calling him a felon and one who makes fun of Kamala’s laugh. A speech on Monday means that Hillary and the Clintons, like the Bidens, are in the past.
The word “freedom” was used often, but it meant abortion rights in this hall.
During the first two days, a van from Planned Parenthood was parked curbside to provide free abortions and vasectomies. Reproductive cessation is the aim with these Democrats, though they euphemistically refer to as “reproductive health.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) stirred the audience as she attacked Donald Trump as a felon and self-centered person. She claimed that only Harris was qualified to be in the White House.
As the evening advanced, the crowds grew and the enthusiasm mounted. But, during the night, the policies of Joe Biden were not mentioned by the speakers. It seemed as though that was a conscious effort of distancing Biden from Harris.
Someone should tell Joe.
Fact is, the Biden and Harris policies are inextricable. Trump must make the case that Kamala cast the deciding vote on legislation such as the “Inflation Reduction Act” which added $2 trillion in inflationary pressures to the economy as well as voted for other legislation (such as the infrastructure bills) that kept the spending going. The legacy press/media will not present these facts.
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) who did not wear a tie, immediately pursued the abortion issue. He pointed out that the “Project 2025” is all about limiting women’s rights. He claims that women must have (the oxymoron) “reproductive freedom” while aborting that reproduction. He claimed that the Democrats are against anger and want respect for all to unify the public. Once again, he demonstrated that this issue of abortion is the real theme for the first night.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spent his time discussing the Jan. 6 riots, blaming Trump as an insurrectionist. As a minister, he decided to consider the character of Trump as a “plague on the American conscience.” He asked Trump to read the Bible, but he cast many stones that evening. He went back to abortion, too, thoughm, asking viewers to move forward for “reproductive rights.” In the end, he asked for “God’s children” throughout the world to work together.
Among Biden’s closest political friends, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) came forward. He declared that Biden’s courage and determination had healed the country from the Trump knockdowns. From the bottom up and the middle out (as Biden loves to say) Coons claims that the Bidens saved America and our economy. He provided the thanks on behalf of the Democrats and America.
The night wore on, so it was by almost 11:15 p.m. that Jill Biden finally came out to give her speech. She gave the human side of Joe that he doesn’t show in public, copying the pitch from the Republican National Convention earlier. But the greatest cheers she drew came when she mentioned Biden’s sacrifice to step aside and endorse Kamala. She finished with the theme that “when we fight, we win.”
Biden’s daughter Ashley introduced her father by describing his trips on Amtrak and his work on legislation. She mentioned her job as a social worker and the marriage reception he gave her in his Delaware home. Ashley said our freedom, our democracy, and our reproductive rights are on the ballot.
Nancy Pelosi sitting in the audience and the other power brokers in the Democrat party gave Joe Biden a great welcome before they rid themselves of his losing campaign.
After his speech Biden would be flying to vacation in California.
But by 11:30 p.m. he began his speech declaring his love for America. As the crowd called their love for Joe, he retorted that we must save democracy. He began his false claim about Charlottsville in 2017 as his call to run to rid America of Trump.
For several minutes he recounted his time in Washington. The second coming of this Messiah included some truths but mostly exaggerations and obvious falsehoods. But Biden is a master of stretching the truth.
The speech dragged on and on, a litany of everything he has said before in his extended political career. Listening to his 46-minute speech, I thought that I was in bizzarro world. In his screaming voice he claimed to have solved the nation’s ills. As he hit the high notes, I thought I was at the opera, but then I remembered I was at a horror show. The crowd roared with energy which is motivating for those watching. For soon, the real damage would begin if Kamala and Tim win this election.
Now I sign off and hope that the enthusiasm I witnessed tonight does not carry through the next 78 days.
Image: Screen shot from USAToday video, via YouTube
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