US Party Conventions Sound the Horn for Final Sprint in Election
The 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions concluded successively. The presidential nominees respectively rolled out their visions for the United States, while adding fuel to political rhetoric against each other.
The conventions came at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is still raging in the country, with the economy struggling to recover, and calls for racial justice growing stronger.
The events have set the stage for the final sprint in the presidential election that is saddled with uncertainties and challenges.
Different visions
During the finale of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 20, former US Vice President Joe Biden accepted the party’s presidential nomination in a speech swiping at his Republican rival, sitting President Donald Trump.
From a stadium in Wilmington in the eastern state of Delaware, Mr
Biden accused Mr Trump of cloaking “America in darkness for much too long” and causing “too much anger, too much fear, too much division,” while presenting himself as a unifying force to restore “the soul of the nation” and “an ally of the light.”
The 77-year-old moderate political veteran, who has also enjoyed support from the party’s liberal wing, went on to promise to address the pandemic from day one since taking office, rebuild the economy, strengthen the health care system, deal with racial injustice, and tackle climate change. In his acceptance speech from the White House South Lawn last Thursday night, Mr Trump fought back by going after Mr Biden on topics ranging from the economy to foreign policy and sought to draw a contrast between himself and the former vice president, alleging that “there has never been such a difference between two parties, or two individuals, in ideology, philosophy, or vision than there is right now.”
Notably, Mr Trump brought to the fore his “law and order” message, as public anger has erupted after 29-year-old African American Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a white Police officer during an arrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin a week ago, leading to massive protests and violence at times.
The president, however, didn’t address the shooting or racial justice in his speech.
Instead, he touted job numbers for African Americans, and doubled down on his support of Police.
To make his case for reelection, Mr Trump also touted what he believes were accomplishments of his first term, made promises for the next four years, and tried to reshape the narrative of his administration’s handling of the pandemic, which has infected nearly six million people and killed more than 182,000 in the United States. “Democrats basically argued Trump is incompetent and completely mismanaged COVID and the economy ... Republicans are focused on law and order and say Biden will be an ultra-liberal who will take America in a dangerous direction,” said Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, DC-based think tank.