CHICAGO – Former President Bill Clinton appeared on the third night of the Democratic National Convention and the vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was little known outside his state before being selected by Mrs. Harris.
Mr. Walz, a former teacher and former American football coach, used the speech to strike a different tone with the Democrats' agenda, closer to the issues of small-town America, in defense of individual liberties and rejecting what Democrats they call Republican candidate Donald Trump's interventionist policies.
At the epicenter of Wednesday's program were several important Democratic politicians and the well-known media figure, Oprah Winfrey, who gave an energetic speech in support of the Democratic Party's candidacies.
Tim Walz is presented as an ordinary person
For years, Republicans have portrayed Democrats as coastal elites who have little in common with ordinary Americans.
Mr. Walz tried to use his background as a hunter, teacher, football coach and National Guard soldier to counter these attacks, which Republicans have used to great effect in the past.
His candidacy serves as a counterweight as Republicans try to portray Ms. Harris as a California liberal with dangerous ideas.
During his speech, Mr. Walz tried to overturn the arguments of the Republicans, while returning to the values of his area.
“When they were taking books out of schools, we were taking hunger out of our schools,” he said.
This was an effort to appeal to audiences that Democrats have struggled with in recent years, generally white rural voters who have drifted away from the party.
Bill Clinton, now 78 years old, mentions the great age of the Republican candidate
Former President Clinton has addressed 13 consecutive Democratic conventions, starting in 1976. On Wednesday, he admitted that “I don't know how many more I'm going to be able to keep coming.”
This was a shocking admission from one of the most dominant figures in the Democratic Party. Mr. Clinton, now 78 years old, did not shy away from his age and even used it against the Republican candidate, saying: “I am still younger than Donald Trump.”
In his 27-minute speech, former President Clinton drew on decades of experience and the lessons of history. He warned Democrats that as good as they feel now, the campaign will be tough.
“You should never underestimate your opponent,” said former President Clinton. A statement that can be taken as an allusion to what happened to his wife, Hillary Clinton, who failed to win the presidency in 2016.
“Return them to their homeland”
In a deeply polarized country, one group was nevertheless met with loud applause in both the Republican and Democratic assemblies — the parents of the youths taken hostage after the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Last month in Milwaukee, Ronen and Orna Neutra spoke to the audience about the kidnapping of their son, Omer, and shouted along with those present: “Bring him home!”. On Wednesday, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin taken hostage on Oct. 7, took the stage with the same call.
“This is a political assembly,” said Jon Polin. “But the need for our son and all the other hostages to return to their homeland is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian issue”.
During the Republican convention, some speakers criticized President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris for not discouraging Hamas from the attack and for neglecting the hostages. But the Polin couple said they have spoken repeatedly with the president and vice president and praised their efforts.
While the Republican House presented Hamas as a threat to the United States, the Democratic House has made relatively little mention of the war, although pro-Palestinian protesters continue to demonstrate outside the building, demanding that the US administration not support Israel.
Again in the spotlight the attack on January 6 on the Capitol
The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has been a staple of Democratic campaigns since the country was shocked by the broadcast footage. Democrats gave him a top spot again Wednesday night.
A video showing former President Trump calling on his supporters to march on the Capitol, attacks on police officers and Mr Trump's promise to pardon those convicted was shown in the assembly.
Yesterday, Republicans also spoke about their concerns about Republican candidate Donald Trump. Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan recalled threats from supporters of former President Trump when he refused to comply with the former president's demands in 2020 to declare him the winner of Georgia rather than President Biden.
Mr. Duncan addressed his fellow Republicans, telling them that if they voted for Ms. Harris, “you will not be a Democrat. You will be patriots”.
Democrats with a broader definition of freedom
The theme of the third evening was “freedom”. Music was heard in the background with this song by the singer Beyonce, which has become the musical leitmotif of Mrs. Harris' electoral campaign, while the word “freedom” appeared on the screens during various speeches.
Democrats tied the issue to the issue of reproductive rights, which took on added importance after the repeal of abortion rights nationally. Democrats also used the freedom argument to criticize Republicans on several other social issues, from gay rights to banning books from schools.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a gay man who is raising two children with his husband, linked the issue to Project 2025. The document was drafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation and is seen as a possible agenda for a second term. to former President Trump, although he says it has nothing to do with his election campaign.
“Project 2025 would turn the entire federal government into a massive machine that would be used to control the choices we make about reproduction,” Mr. Polis said.
During one of the most electrifying speeches, Oprah Winfrey said about freedom that “sometimes it is necessary to stand up against the persecutors in life.”
Democrats, with early ties to Hollywood, turn their attention to online platforms
The Democratic Party has always had the public and financial support of well-known figures in art and the scene. This party is already creating new partnerships with influencers in 21st century ways: online.
Over 200 people with influence on the Internet have been given special access to the works of the assembly. With the tens of millions of followers they have on their platforms, politicians' message can be spread more widely than was previously achieved by stage figures, or even the media.
One of the speakers in the assembly, Carlos Eduardo Espina, has e.g. 10.2 million followers on his Spanish-language platform on the TikTok network and could help with this vital segment of voters for the election of Ms. Harris.
He joined a lawmaker from border areas and a sheriff from Texas to defend the immigration approach of the Biden-Harris administration. “To be pro-immigrant is to be pro-America,” he said.
Catchy music for the fan base
The soundtrack at last month's Republican convention in Milwaukee was dominated by rock music. For the Democrats gathered in Chicago, the music was much more varied.
This reflects the dramatic differences between the two voter bases. The Republican convention leaned heavily on the type of rock that was popular on the radio for young voters in the 1960s and 1970s. Meanwhile, the Democratic convention included rap music, R&B, indie rock, country, Americana, and even classic rock. , thus adhering to the multi-racial composition of this coalition.
During the proceedings of the assembly, artists such as Lil Jon, Jason Isbell, Stevie Wonder and John Legend appeared on stage, while the singer Pink is expected to appear on the last night.
The Republican convention featured a band featuring Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Lynyrd Skynyrd and country music singer Lee Greenwood, who played the song “God Bless the USA”.
