White House chief gets standing ovation of the night at Democratic caucus // We are world leadershe says // Remarkable mosaic of races and ethnicities in the sand
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, yesterday on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, in Chicago.Photo Ap
David Brooks and Jim Cason
Correspondents
The newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, August 20, 2024, p. 19
Chicago. The first day of the Democratic National Convention opened with calls for unity from labor leaders, mayors, legislators and even some stars and figures from the sports world, and culminated with the first farewell speeches from President Joe Biden, who was forced by his party to cede his presidential candidacy to his vice president, Kamala Harris.
With the Democratic Party building the coalition they hope will lead to victory in the national elections in November – not just for the White House, but to regain control of the House of Representatives and retain control of the Senate – the first night offered a contrast to their Republican opposition. Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance to offer thanks to her boss Biden. Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for everything you have done for our nation.he declared.
“As I look at everyone here tonight, I see the beauty of our country, people from every corner of the nation united to declare: ‘We are moving forward,’” he concluded with his slogan: When we fight, we win.
Biden was the star of the night. A standing ovation and thousands chanting Thanks, Joe; Thanks, Joe. The president declared that Democracy has prevailed, democracy has delivered and democracy must be preservedrecalling the threat that Donald Trump represented and continues to represent with his support for supremacists and far-right forces.
He offered a list of his key accomplishments, from economic achievements to capping drug costs to climate change legislation that he said was the most ambitious in the world, in what seemed like a stump speech that was also an attempt to pass the baton to Harris.
There is no country that does not think that we are the leader of the world. And the world is better off for it. Who can lead the world better than the United States?he insisted.
He was pleased that the number of migrants crossing the border is 50 percent lower than under Trump. We will not demonize migrants and, reversing the Republican’s phrase, he stated: Trump is poisoning the blood of our country.
He concluded by declaring: I have five more months on my period, and I have a lot to accomplish.. He added: I love my job, but I love my country morehe said, referring to his decision to step down, and called for unity to elect Harris and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. I will be the best (campaign) volunteer for Kamala and Timhe promised.
The mosaic of races and ethnicities in this arena was striking compared to the overwhelming whiteness of last month’s Republican convention; so were the social forces present. While Donald Trump attacked unions, Harris was endorsed last night by nearly all of the major national unions and the AFL-CIO, with delegates chanting: Union, yes; union, yes.
Which side are you on?
The most popular union leader last night was Shawn Fain, president of the UAW auto union, which last year won its historic strike against the nation’s three largest auto companies, who said that This election is about one question: Which side are you on? On one side we have Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who have stood on the side of the working class. On the other side we have Trump and Vance, the servants of the billionaire class who serve only themselves. For the working class it’s very simple, Kamala Harris is one of us, she’s a fighter. Donald Trump is a scab.and Shawn took off his jacket to reveal a t-shirt with the same message.
Political conventions are usually a parade of elected politicians trying to enthuse delegates and their guests and deliver a well-rehearsed message to a massive television audience that sees only a small part of the show. But last night it was the non-politicians who won over the crowd, like labor leader Fain and Steve Kerr, the coach of the Olympic champion U.S. basketball team and also the coach of the Golden State Warriors in California. The joy, the compassion, the commitment to our country that we saw at the Olympics, that’s what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have. Real leadership, not the kind that seeks to divide us..
She has a resume; her rival has a criminal record
There were notable quotes to mark the difference between Harris and Trump. Jasmine Crockett, a federal representative from Texas, underlined: Kamala has a resume, Trump has a rap sheet. He added that the question is whether A vile rapist will violate the vision of voters.
Representative Jamie Raskin, who was one of those who led the congressional investigation into Trump’s coup attempt in 2020, declared that the battle against the tycoon is really a fight against fascismand against what he called banana republicans.
Another speaker of the night was lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, leader of the progressive wing of the party, who was the first to mention the Gaza issue from the podium, arguing that Harris is working tirelessly for a ceasefirebut he did not demand more.
The first night of the convention is also usually reserved for former party leaders, and so former Secretary of State and the party’s first female presidential nominee Hillary Clinton appeared before the convention to offer another tribute to Biden, highlighting Harris’ historic role as the first woman vice president and declaring that she will be the first female president (whether she did so out of a certain amount of envy is unclear).
The first of the four nights of the convention was above all Biden’s first farewell to his half-century political career, and the welcome of the woman who will be crowned his successor this Thursday.