Dems tested in first convention of pandemic
NEW YORK — Joe Biden is poised to unveil his vision for the modern Democratic Party in the first presidential nominating convention of the coronavirus era, an all-virtual affair that will test the former vice president’s ability to overcome unprecedented logistical challenges in an urgent mission to energize a winning coalition.
The Democratic National Convention, which formally begins Monday, is not a convention in the traditional sense. There will be no physical gathering place, no cheering audience, no balloons. The program will consist instead of a series of online video addresses — half of which will be prerecorded — that play out for two hours each night until Biden formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination in a mostly empty Delaware ballroom Thursday.
Along the way, Biden’s party will make history by unveiling the nation’s first Black vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. The speaking program also features two former presidents, two past presidential nominees, a former Republican governor, a New York ultra-billionaire and various working-class Americans.
“Nothing about 2020 has been normal. So I don’t think anyone expected that this convention would be normal either,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was under consideration to serve as Biden’s running mate and will speak at the convention. “I hope wherever people are that they’re excited about the moment and the opportunity that lies before us.”
The online gathering comes as Democratic officials work to energize supporters behind Biden’s candidacy — not simply against President Donald Trump’s.
While Trump is a huge motivator for many Democrats, there is some concern within the party that lower-information voters who lean Democratic and swing voters aren’t locks to cast ballots for Biden this fall, especially as the pandemic creates barriers to voting.
Still, Biden attracted the support of former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, who is scheduled to speak Monday. The Biden campaign hinted that Kasich would not be the only high-profile Republican featured at the convention, but refused to say more.
The inclusion of Kasich, who opposed abortion rights and fought labor unions while in office, rankled some progressives.