Washington.-Barack Obama has a reputation for being a good basketball player, one of those who knows how to close out games in favor of his team.
At the United Center Arena, the Chicago Bulls’ sports temple, former President Obama did not disappoint the expectations placed on him to close the second day of the Democratic Party Convention with an eloquent and passionate speech in support of Kamala Harris.
To use a basketball metaphor, his speech consisted of one three-pointer after another. It was no easy task, even though Barack Obama’s oratorical ability is legendary. That’s because the challenge of ending on a high note a day marked by a climate of remarkable jubilation was no small one.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m on fire tonight,” the former president said at the start of his speech. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the governor of New Mexico, used similar words: “We’re feeling a fire right now; we were lit up to elect Kamala Harris president of the United States.”
Michelle Obama, in a speech as brilliant as it was moving, referred to the atmosphere in the stadium, and in broad sectors of society, as “something magical that is in the air.” She added: “It is the contagious power of hope, of anticipation, of energy, of the joy of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.”
With these remarks, the Obamas and Governor Lujan Grisham summed up an atmosphere of enthusiasm, optimism and exuberance that was already perceptible during the first day of the Convention, and that was even more evident on the second.
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The atmosphere was so strong throughout the second day that, during a moment when there were no speeches, while the organization was carrying out the logistical preparations for the nomination ceremony, the delegations from the various states engaged in a kind of song game that culminated in the famous wave that is common at sporting events. It was, clearly, the prelude to a party.
And when it came time for the nomination ceremony, the real party began, with a DJ playing songs appropriate to each state’s respective identities during the brief speeches. A well-crafted staging, with the audience wearing bracelets with white, red and blue lights that turned on and off to the rhythm of the music, transformed what is usually a boring ritual into an at times electrifying entertainment.
The ceremony also served to measure the popularity of some future presidential candidates, among whom the governors of Maryland (Wes Moore), Michigan (Gretchen Whitmer) and Illinois (JB Pritzker) stood out for their reception. However, none of them could compete with the enthusiasm generated by the appearance of rapper Lil Jon to present the votes of the Georgia delegation.
Between the end of the nomination ceremony and the Obamas’ speeches (clearly the highlight of the second day), some of the key figures of the Democratic Party spoke, such as Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, Tammy Duckworth and JB Pritzker, among others. And Kamala Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, gave a very successful presentation of the presidential candidate.
A common theme that has been running through many convention speeches so far, as well as hallway conversations, is the idea that the Democratic Party ticket is the underdog in this election. In the words of former President Obama, the race “will continue to be a close race in a divided country.”
With the Harris-Walz ticket turning around President Biden’s deficit to take the lead in most polls, the idea that he is the weaker contender has little basis. This idea may be an attempt to avoid becoming overconfident and resting on his laurels.
However, the climate of enthusiasm that reigns within the party ranks is likely to undermine the strategy of considering itself the weakest rival, and the polls do not make this position very credible either. Continuing with sporting metaphors, perhaps the time has come to put on the suit of title contenders.
Finally, the abundance of positive sentiment among the Democratic Party’s rank and file contrasts with the relative scarcity of policy content in the speeches of its leaders. This scarcity was even more evident on a day supposedly intended, according to the convention’s organizers, to articulate “a bold vision for the future of the United States.”
It is understandable that the ticket led by Kamala Harris has focused its communication strategy in these first weeks on reversing the pessimism that its predecessor generated in a sector of the party and society. But it may be that the time has come to start adding more public policy content to this strategy. Otherwise, the current climate of euphoria may make it lose sight of the fact that this content is key to convincing the undecided electorate that is essential to succeed in November.Infobae.
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2024-08-22 00:17:33
