The Most Unusual Dem.Convention in Generations is About to Start

 

(Byline / Source)

The most unusual Democratic convention in generations is set to kick off today and make history by nominating Kamala Harris for president just one month after Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign. Vice President Harris rapidly unified the party and locked up the nomination, even though she didn't compete in any primaries at the top of the ticket — and her campaign has since surged into a statistical tie or narrow leads in national and battleground surveys against Donald Trump. All eyes will be on how Harris distinguishes herself this week — after running a campaign based on good vibes that energized an organic fan base, it is to be seen if the Democrats will persist with the joyful and optimistic theme that could have its limits for a party that continues to warn that a Trump presidency could spell doom for American democracy. Harris has faced criticism for running a platform more on that feel-good factor than hard policy details, so her Chicago speech will be a crucial opportunity to fill in the blanks. More questions remain  — will Harris break more distinctly with Biden policies, will she try to fire up the base or appeal to independents, and how will she handle Gaza protests, which are already underway near the DNC and are expected to grow? Read more about what to look out for at this week's historic convention.

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In the 11-week runup to the election, the Harris campaign is pouring tens of millions of dollars into an ad blitz to introduce the vice presidentto voters who don’t know much about her.

President Biden’s presence at the Democratic National Convention provides the complicated challenge of passing the torch to Vice President Harris and bridging divides among voters in his remarks as he departs office.

Democrats released their party platform document yesterday, laying out more than 90 pages of policy priorities just one day before the convention kicks off.