Summary:
The Democrats officially opened the 'Democratic National Convention' in Chicago on Monday; one month after Joe Biden announced his withdrawal. The night of the event was filled with essential moments that showcased the Democrat Party's political roadmap for the future. Overall, the speakers of the first night included various immensely influential names from the democratic political scene, activists, and abortion rights speakers.
Article:
The November 2024 U.S. Election’s Democratic National Convention started on Monday in Chicago. The Convention’s primary purpose is to nominate the running presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and to unify the Democratic Party voters in spirit. This year’s event started in great enthusiasm and the evening followed with memorable speeches given by several influential democratic politicians including Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Citizens from red states also joined the night to give moving speeches about abortion rights being at stake.
Biden's Farewell
The night was kicked off with an emotional "passing the torch" speech by current-soon former president Joe Biden. The crowd welcomed him with warm "Thank you" and "We love you" chants. In his opening speech, Biden highlighted some of the most memorable blots of the Trump administration, such as the January 6 Capitol Attack. He also touched upon Trump's widespread statement of calling the U.S. "a failing nation" by saying "He says we're losing. He's the loser." He followed by giving heartfelt compliments to the Democratic Party's candidate Harris. Biden stated that choosing Harris as his vice president in 2020 was “the best decision I made my whole career,” which he followed by saying: "She’ll be a president our children can look up to. She’d be a president respected by world leaders because she already is. She’d be a president we can all be proud of. And she’d be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future.”
Later in the night, other speakers handed out their praises to Biden; one being the First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who commended her husband for being able to make the difficult choice of withdrawing from the race. The president commented on his decision: “I love the job, but I love my country more.” He ended his speech by stating “America, I gave my best to you.”.
Ocasio-Cortez's Progressive Approach
One of the most dynamic and memorable speeches of the night was given by Democratic Party's New York representative and pro-Palestinian activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She started by talking about her background of working as a waitress and bartender, calling out and appealing to middle-class voters: “America has before us a rare and precious opportunity in Kamala Harris. We have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class. She understands the urgency of rent checks and groceries and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed.”
When the passionate congresswoman and 'Squad'-a group formed of the 9 most left-wing and progressive members of the Congress- member very briefly touched upon Harris' political stance on the genocide in Gaza by saying: “She (Harris) is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home.”
Hillary Clinton Comments on Trump and Harris' Nomination Shattering the Glass Ceiling
Also present on the first night of the DNC, former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gave an empowering speech about the importance of Harris's standing as a candidate for attaining gender equality on a wider scope: “I see the freedom to look our children in the eye and say, ‘In America, you can go as far as your hard work and talent will take you,’ and mean it. And you know what? On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris, raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president … Because when a barrier falls for one of us, it falls and clears the way for all of us.”
Clinton also didn't pass up the opportunity to denounce former president Donald J. Trump. She referred to Trump’s many convictions, joking that the former president “made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Clinton also pointed out the many stark juxtapositions between the Democratic Party's Harris, a former District Attorney, and former president Trump, who "fell asleep at his own trial (...)." This remark flared “lock him up” chants among the crowd, a throwback to the “lock her up” chants Clinton received in 2016 at Trump rallies. The former Secretary of State deadpanned: "Sounds familiar." and followed by stating “But we have him on the run now. So no matter what the polls say, we can’t let up. We can’t get driven down crazy conspiracy rabbit holes. We have to fight for the truth. We have to fight for Kamala as she will fight for us.”
Poignant Speeches on Abortion Rights and Project 2025
Arguably, the most powerful and emotionally moving speeches were given by three citizens from red states, where voters are predominantly for the Republican Party. The three women, Amanda Zurawski, Kaitlyn Joshua, and Hadley Duvall, shared their personal experiences on the impacts of the abortion bans and how it affected them. Joining from Kentucky, Hadley Duvall recounted how, at age 12, she was cruelly raped and impregnated by her stepfather. She expressed, “I can’t imagine not having a choice. But today, that’s the reality for many women and girls across the country because of Donald Trump’s abortion bans.” She referred to Trump’s previous statements, calling abortion bans a “beautiful thing”, and she bitterly asked: “What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?” The night's speakers linked Trump and the Republican Party's current agenda with Project 2025, Trump's road map vision board for another presidential term in office. The republican project covered many controversial promised policies such as the U.S.-Mexico border wall, removing carbon-reduction goals, a nationwide abortion ban, and many more. A state senator from Michigan, Mallory McMorrow, held a copy of the Project 2025 document and pounded the agenda to “turn Donald Trump into a dictator”. Congressman Jim Clyburn dubbed Project 2025 “Jim Crow 2.0”. Lastly, Biden stressed that the project also included the dismantling of the US Department of Education.
Kamala Harris Joins the Party
With a surprise appearance at the convention, Kamala joined the Monday night to give out her thanks to Joe Biden for his time at the office: “Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do, we are forever grateful to you. Thank you, Joe!" Harris, who gave her formal speech at the Democratic National Convention at the end of the week, astounded the public when she entered the stage as Beyoncé’s Freedom played in the background. “Looking out at everyone tonight, I see the beauty of our great nation. People from every corner of our country and every walk of life are here united by our shared vision for the future of our country,” the vice president exclaimed. Harris' choice of outfit for her unexpected presence at the event -a tan suit- sparked several discussions and theories among the media. Many believed this was potentially a clever reference to the last time a tan suit was worn in the political scene, by former President Barack Obama. It was also late August at the time when President Obama gave a news conference on Iraq and Syria wearing a tan suit, and received immense backlash from the Republican figures and media. A Republican congressman from New York, Peter King, said he thought “the suit was a metaphor for his lack of seriousness.” The late host of Fox, Lou Dobbs, called it “unpresidential.” The negative feedback has become a running joke in the political scene ever since.
Protests Continue Outside of the Convention
While the genocide in Gaza wasn't the main focus of the night at the DNC, it sure was outside of it. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside and demanded a ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel. Many protesters seemed to break through the security fence near the convention site and several were handcuffed and detained. During Biden’s speech, demonstrators opened a “Stop Arming Israel” banner, but the speech continued uninterrupted. Biden restated his efforts to ensure a ceasefire and expressed: “Those protesters out in the street, they have a point – a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.”
The first day of the DNC was well-received by the public. Although, expectedly, the Party was hesitant to address the protests behind the walls of the Convention. It included various key moments and teased a glimpse of the potential future Democratic authority’s stance and policy regarding various relevant issues. The following days did not fail to meet the expectations set on the dynamic first day of the Convention with other important political names being present such as Former President Barrack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama, Harris’ announced running mate Tim Walz, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, and Former President Bill Clinton. The main focus of the remaining days was Harris’ promised immigration policies and her stance against gun violence. She invited ex-Trump voters to give their accounts of the 2024 election, and victims of gun violence to share their stories. However, it was critiqued that there were no Palestinian-American citizens present in the Convention for the remainder of the event.
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