Day 2 of the DNC was intended to convey a sense of unity among Democrats. But even before any of the heavily edited infomercials could be shown, the narrative took a wrong turn. The day got off to a bad start when the Daily Mail published photos of former President Bill Clinton getting a massage by an Epstein accuser as the then 22 year old masseuse traveled with Clinton and Epstein on Epstein’s private plane. Of course, Bill Clinton was addressing the public tonight so the timing could not have been worse. As Clare Malone wrote on 538, “Bill Clinton was honestly an unexpected addition to the roster to me. In the #MeToo era, it does feel a bit odd to have him on the virtual roster, especially since the Epstein scandal has, at times, swirled uncomfortably close to him.”
However, this was only the beginning of a rough day for Democrats. The DNC had Senator Elizabeth Warren address the Native American Caucus, once again reminding all about her legendary claim that she was part Native American. Then there was the LGBTQ caucus which came clean and announced that they were seeking to abolish the police, ICE and all prisons. Then there were the ratings from Day 1. They were 28% lower than 2016. Again, a very poor showing which suggests very low enthusiasm.
Getting back to the DNC Convention, it continued its disjointed approach of lurching from speaker to speaker with short 15 second clips. The opening keynote address was essentially abolished, replaced by 17 everyday Americans saying a few words which together became the national keynote address. President Clinton gave a few remarks but generally appeared old and frail, even though he is younger that Joe Biden. AOC and former UAW President nominated Bernie Sanders for President. Then came the nominating session where each state declared their votes … it was a bit corny but at least more interesting to hear than many of the other speakers.
We are writing this at 10:30 PM so there still will be a speech by Jill Biden, but for now Day 2 seems to be a missed opportunity. President Trump’s visit to Arizona to tout the Wall, somehow seemed more Presidential and more substantive. Meanwhile, the DNC convention is almost half way done and there is no compelling narrative coming from the event. So far, it’s just been a litany of clips that have been quickly streamed together. In the words of one Twitter owner, “Is it me or does this feel like a PBS telethon.” We could not agree more.
NewEnglandPolitics.com 