Democratic convention’s Day 2 focus: Trump’s global leadership deficit

A day after Michelle Obama’s passion wowed Democrats, Joe Biden drew on a collection of his party’s most experienced leaders at the Democratic National Convention to underscore what he calls a global leadership deficit that threatens U.S. national security.

Jill Biden also introduces herself to the nation for the first time as the prospective first lady. A longtime teacher, she spoke from her former classroom at Brandywine High School near the family home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State John Kerry were among the headliners on a night that organizers emphasize a simple theme: Leadership matters. Former President Jimmy Carter, now 95 years old, also made an appearance.

“Donald Trump is just not equipped, not capable of doing what we need to do in the world today,” Kerry said during a briefing ahead of the convention’s second night. “What Donald Trump inherited, which was a growing economy and a world of respect, he’s turned into a world of chaos, literally.”

Biden is fighting unprecedented logistical challenges to deliver his message during an all-virtual convention this week as the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim hundreds of American lives each day and wreaks havoc on the economy.

The four-day affair culminates Thursday when Biden formally accepts his party’s presidential nomination at a mostly empty Delaware convention hall. His running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, will become the first woman of color to accept a major party’s vice presidential nomination today.

Until then, the former vice president is presenting what he sees as the best of his sprawling coalition to the American electorate in a format unlike any other in history. There is no live audience for any of the speakers, who, like Mrs. Obama on Monday night, have so far delivered their remarks standing or seated alone in mostly prerecorded videos.

Biden is leading Trump in most polls, but 77 days before the election, the Democrat has neither history nor enthusiasm on his side.

Just one incumbent president has been defeated in the last four decades. And Biden’s supporters consistently report that they’re motivated more by opposition to Trump than excitement about Biden, a 77-yearold lifelong politician. That deficit could hurt turnout among less consistent voters, particularly minorities, whom Biden needs to show up in great numbers this fall.

Clinton, a fixture of Democratic conventions for nearly three decades, addressed voters in a speech recorded at his home in Chappaqua, New York.