DNC Review: Democrats unite around the optimism in their nominee; Hillary Clinton
Bernie Sanders led others and sewed the seeds of unity as Hillary takes the baton forward to a united, centrist and optimistic journey.
“While this nation has been tested… I stand before you tonight… to tell you I am more optimistic about the future of America then ever before” — Barack Obama
It was one word above all others that defined the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Philadelphia this week: optimism. President Barack Obama summed used the word to open his remarks to the National Convention about his vision for the future of the American nation. It’s a theme that had summed up every speech by every major speaker at the DNC this summer — from Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Michelle Obama. Everyone expressed their optimism in their candidate: Hillary Clinton.
Contrast this to the Republican National convention last week. A convention where the runner to the nominee Donald J. Trump, Ted Cruz, refused to endorse a man that, quote, he isn’t “in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father”. A convention where no former living President addressed the convention to endorse the next Republican nominee. A convention where just a handful of the original sixteen Republican candidates attended to endorse their victor.
Contrast that with the Democratic National Convention so far — with just the Presumptive nominee and herself left to speak — and you can see what the difference is between the two major parties. The Republicans have a man who asks, publicly, for Russia to commit cyber terrorism and hack into the Federal Government’s servers. They have a convention that was designed to hide the disunity Donald Trump’s candidacy has created. The Democrats, meanwhile, have Hillary Clinton’s opponents, Former Presidents, Senators, and the entire Democratic Party behind her. They’re united in favor of Hillary Clinton. They’re untied behind hope and optimism. They’re united and ready to smash the biggest glass ceiling of them all — electing the first woman President of the United States.
The review
Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Senator spoke first. A flag bearer for the liberal Democratic stand, Warren has been behind Hillary Clinton and was even high up the list to be her running mate and Vice President. Warren used her speech to truly attack and take down the economic argument for Donald Trump. A man that doesn’t care for workers — even a man that exploits his workers and uses debt to spin a profit from failure. In a way its sensible that Warren didn’t become the VP pick — her freedom to speak her mind and attack Trump is something that will forever be incredibly valuable to the Clinton campaign.
Warren was of course the warm up act for Michelle Obama, the beloved First Lady of the United States and wife of President Obama. Michelle’s speech showed history in the making of both her husband’s and Hillary Clinton’s future Presidency, sharing emotionally how amazing it is to see her children — two black women — growing up under their father — the First Black President — in a house built by slaves. They live in the seat of power. Power built by the Labour of men and women of their ancestry, and now their father has his hands on that power.
Michelle’s speech was also again fueled by optimism. Centered around the fighting nature of Hillary Clinton — how she has never quit, how she has a passion for women and children’s rights, and how she is the most qualified person in history to ever fight for the place as President.
Bill Clinton and Tim Kaine, Hillary’s Vice President candidate, both also spoke. Bill Clinton’s speech was different to the rest — it humanised Hillary Clinton as a wife, mother, and a friend. It made her normal — while highlighting Donald Trump’s “cartoon” of a candidacy. Tim Kaine, meanwhile showcased how qualified he really is to be the next Vice President. He elevated his rhetoric on Donald Trump, and showed again the optimism Democrats have in their platform and in Hillary Clinton — and how their candidacy is committed to the centre ground of politics, not the far right or the far left.
Above everyone else, President Barack Obama sealed the deal with his speech about how qualified and experienced Hillary Clinton is. He truly wore his heart on his sleeve as he endorsed and promised to fight for Hillary Clinton — just as Hillary had fought for so many people over her career. Obama’s comments seal the unity of the Democratic Party behind Hillary Clinton after a bruising 2008 Primary in which he described how tough she was to debate and ultimately beat. Both Presidencies are or will be history making — and Obama emphasised that.
Finally, Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton’s main primary opponent. His supporters promised a roll call vote — which they got. It ended with Bernie Sanders asking for Hillary Clinton to be nominated as the Democratic Candidate for President by acclamation. Bernie highlighted the unity in the Democrats as he sought to bring his supporters on board. Where as Ted Cruz used his air time to denounce his party’s candidate, Bernie Sanders used his to fight Donald Trump and to fight for the liberal platform the Democratic platform has adopted.
Bernie Sanders’ endorsement is of course the jewel in the Democratic Crown that Hillary Clinton now bears. She runs on the most liberal platform in a generation, a platform of optimism with a united party around her. She and her party are optimistic about the future. They’re optimistic about Hillary Clinton. They’re united to achieve the goal of the first woman President being elected and to achieve a historic third term of Democratic control of the White House.
In such unity and optimism, the Democratic Party is powerful and electable against the Republicans.
