The last eight or so weeks in the United States have been a whirlwind, one that is both frightening and exhilarating. In so many ways the American people have been on an amusement park ride that is being controlled by a sadistic madman.
This is especially so for the country’s news media and responsible political class. These weeks from President Biden being demolished by Donald Trump at their first and only debate, to an assassination attempt on Trump’s life and then his coronation as a fascist god-king at the Republican National Convention (in less than a week’s time), President Biden stepping aside and handing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris and her ascent at this week’s DNC in Chicago where she formally became the party’s presidential nominee, and now being tied with or ahead of Donald Trump in the polls has been one of the most eventful in modern American history.
The Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention were two different political and moral universes (if not realities) and visions of America’s past, present, and future.
Kamala Harris, her vice-presidential running mate Gov. Tim Walz, and the Democrats presented a multiracial, pluralistic, America that is stronger and enriched by its diversity. Trump and his vice-presidential choice JD Vance and the Republican fascists want to “Make America Great Again” by restoring America’s herrenvolk regime and a White Man’s Republic fueled by White rage, White grievance mongering, and White revenge against the Other.
Kamala Harris and the Democrats are, at least for now, “happy warriors” who appear to have finally realized that they must directly confront Trump and his MAGAfied Republican Party personality cult if they are to have any chance of victory in November—and most importantly saving American democracy from the global neofascist tide. Trump and the Republicans are driven by rage, conspiracism, and willful ignorance and lies. Collectively, Donald Trump’s many obvious and apparent emotional, mental, and intellectual pathologies and shortcomings are now theirs as well.
As compared to the Democrats, their convention was oddly low energy and deflating. Like other political observers, I was expecting some version of Leni Riefenstahl's “Triumph of the Will” and Donald Trump to even more fully channel Hitler and the Nazis in Milwaukee. Instead, it was aspiring Dictator Trump, his cultists wearing a patch on their ear like the Dear Leader, and professional wrestler Hulk Hogan (who last week echoed Donald Trump’s racist attacks on Kamala Harris), musician Kid Rock, and CEO and president of the UFC Dana White.
Last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago was also a reminder of how deep their political bench is, from Kamala Harris who is “only” 59 years old to the various speakers and celebrity guests. With President Biden having made the selfless and wise decision to step aside as the party’s nominee, it is now energized and looking to the future. The Republicans by comparison look and feel, for lack of a better description, old and tired.
As Salon’s Brian Karem described it, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was like a “political Woodstock” where the attendees and speakers made joyful noise. The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was something else entirely. Salon’s executive editor Andrew O’Herir described it as an “anti-party in a ghost town.”
To make better sense of this week’s Democratic National Convention, the political terrain and momentum going forward, our emotions in this tumultuous time, and what may happen next with the 2024 election and Harris-Walz versus Trump-Vance, I recently spoke to a range of experts.
Steven Beschloss is a journalist and author of several books, including "The Gunman and His Mother." His website is America, America.
Kamala Harris’ fierce and authoritative speech Thursday night was a powerful exclamation point to four days of uplift and optimism, sober assessments of the opposition and touching assertions of shared values like community and caring, decency, kindness and dignity for all people. This was a clear, joyful and direct rejoinder to the darkness and cruelty that drives the Republicans and their nominees. I believe it did the hard and necessary work to expand the pool of voters and continue the momentum for the vice president and her utterly likable running mate, Tim Walz. For all those not compelled by the joyfulness and exuberance of the last month, Harris’ serious speech addressing national security, the dangers of a felonious nominee who prefers autocrats and dictators, the responsibility of this generation to democracy, and the privilege of being American made the idea of “Madam President” thoroughly real. She made clear that she’s more than ready to assume the presidency.
Now will come a new torrent of lies and vicious assaults intended to damage the Democratic ticket. But I’m encouraged by the fact that Trump’s efforts to paint Harris and Walz as dangerous, wild-eyed radicals have failed thus far. The more serious danger is Trump saying out loud that he doesn’t need to get more votes, the Republicans just need to stop Democrats from cheating. This plan to deny the election’s outcome once again could not be more clear. It’s why massive turnout and an overwhelming defeat of Trump and Vance is so critical. The growing enthusiasm reflected in rising poll numbers — aided by Michelle Obama’s command to all Democrats to not stay on the sidelines and “do something” — gives me real optimism that a Democratic victory and the eventual demise of MAGA is achievable.
David Pepper is a lawyer, writer, political activist, and former elected official. His new book is "Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American."
Given where things were in late June, and the chaos of July, what those who planned and executed the DNC pulled off is truly impressive. The convention showed America a united party, effectively introduced Kamala Harris to a national audience, contrasted her vision to the dark and toxic vision of Trump, Vance and Project 2025, and spoke directly to undecided and swing voters.
I have always felt optimistic about the multi-year winning streak for democracy and freedom that has taken place since Dobbs. Ever since the decision, Democrats and pro-democracy allies have scored victory after victory up and down the ballot, and in red states and blue. The challenges Biden faced, which were accentuated by the debate performance, threatened to interrupt that streak. But with the handoff of the baton to Kamala Harris, and the selection of Tim Walz, the momentum that had already been growing at the grassroots level has only grown stronger. The hope is that more than two years of pro-democracy and pro-freedom momentum keeps building. That is happening at the moment.
At the same time, we know that Trump fears that an election loss means that he will lose his freedom due to his actions around January 6 and stolen documents. If he was willing to break laws to overturn an election result in 2020, he has even more incentive to behave badly this time.
I don’t fear this as much as I accept that it is the reality we face. Which means two things for those who care about democracy and freedom: 1) be prepared and vigilant in every way, knowing that there is likely nothing Trump won’t do to avoid his fate if he loses; and 2) set a goal of winning decisively, so that states are sufficiently out of reach that any attempt to thwart the results is in vain before it even begins.
Put another way: I have no doubt he will be calling around “looking” for votes this time as well. But force him to ask for 100,000 votes as opposed to 11,000.
In short, run up the score.
Dr. Jennifer Mercieca is a historian of American political rhetoric. She is a professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Texas A&M University and author of several books including "Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump."
I've been impressed with a lot of things about the Democratic National Convention and the Harris-Walz campaign, but the way they've defined "America" unapologetically and in Democratic terms and with Democratic policy has been outstanding. This campaign has reclaimed "freedom" and "patriotism" and the rule of law and placed them alongside an ethics of care. They speak about the American Dream with conviction, and we've seen the Democratic Party proudly and joyfully waving the American flag. Harris and Walz have urged us to care for our neighbors and they've promised that they care for people like us, not the rich corporations.
The joy and enthusiasm have been inspiring. This message marks a crucial shift in American political discourse since 9/11 when the Republican Party laid claim to "patriotism" and the flag and used it to define Democrats out of the national imagination. The extreme right has been defining what "America" is and which policies are and are not "American" for decades. Allowing Republicans to define what is and is not "America" and "American" has essentially allowed them to lay claim to the nation. Democrats hadn't engaged in the battle to define "America" because they've been ambivalent about what "America" is, what it means, what practices are or not “American.” That has been a weakness. While the right has claimed the power to define "America," they've also claimed that the nation has been taken from them. It has done this by appealing to "tradition" or "real America" or "heartland" or similar essentialist claims. Democrats are now finally laying claim to "America" and "American values" and the "American Dream" and explaining how they and their policies are American and will help all Americans and will help America to become even more American. This is a very exciting shift in national identity.
I feel much more confident about the state of democracy in America than I have in months. The Harris-Walz ticket seems to be the right fit for the moment, and they've got enthusiasm on their side as well as an army of volunteers. They're incredibly organized to defend democracy and their operation so far has been nearly flawless.
My fear is that Trump supporters are not open to changing their mind about him and believe his conspiracy lies about the election. I'm very concerned that his state-level plot to disenfranchise voters (through voter purges, election lawfare, and refusing to certify results) will reverse the will of the people and install the Trump regime back to power. Most authoritarian regimes use what scholars call "competitive authoritarianism" to retain power—they offer the appearance of competitive elections, but the outcome is always pre-determined. It's a little hard when Trump doesn't control the federal apparatus of power, but he does control enough states to do an authoritarian coup through the legal system.
Hal Brown is a clinical social worker and was one of the first members of the Duty to Warn group. He has extensive expertise in working with multiple personality disorder (now called dissociative identity disorder) and police stress.
I feel far better about the Democrats not only winning the presidency and both houses of Congress today than I did before Kamala Harris took the torch and ran with it. She’s won the drag race but now she shows every sign of winning the Indianapolis 500. Having watched the entire Democratic National Convention Tuesday night, I was struck by how it was it was a masterful tour de force display of diversity and American democracy at its best. This was in stark contrast to the RNC vanilla malevolent milkshake noise machine. Trump can pretend to be a “real person” who is “relatable” to his base. However, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are truly sincere and do not perform like Trump. They don’t have to tell lies and fictions like the Republicans do to portray Trump as having genuine positive feelings for his supporters—a group he clearly has contempt for. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz not only feel empathy for their supporters, but they feel it for all people.
I was pleased to see that Fox News was carrying the Democratic National Convention and can only hope for those who watched it that the Democratic National Convention opened the minds of at least some of the racists, bigots, antisemites, LGBTQ bashers, and the other haters out there so they would get the message that their abhorrence and fear of people not like them is wrong. It may be aspirational wishful thinking on my part, but perhaps some of them would realize these “others” are their fellow Americans and brethren. All this inspires hope for me. What I fear is that the Republicans will open a Pandora’s Box of dirty tricks to try to overturn a Democratic win. This of course includes using the right-wing extremist justices on the Supreme Court to overturn the will of the American people and put Trump back in office.
