(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s tricky to rock a DNC that’s in prime time.
Nevertheless, the Democratic National Convention is taking place in Chicago this week. (Truth be told, the gargantuan pep rally has been lasting well beyond prime time each night.) Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, is pulling out all the stops, presenting an “A-List” of speakers.
On Monday, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who received deafening applause, delivered a rousing speech. The patron saint of “What Could Have Been” clearly was present in large part as a warning to Democrats about the importance of taking nothing for granted.
That same night, Senator Raphael Warnock, who pastors the Atlanta church that Dr. Martin Luther King once led, exhorted the crowd to “heal the land” by caring deeply about each other — irrespective of our differences. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lit a fire as a progressive icon, but Rep. Jasmine Crockett burned the place down with her verbal torching of former President Donald Trump.
The night ended in the only appropriate way, with President Joe Biden offering his valedictory address. Understandably, Mr. Biden spent much of the speech recounting his decades-long political career in general and his presidency in particular. He has more than earned the right to muse about his accomplishments, savoring the last time that he will ever be the center of attention on a national stage.
Biden also offered a heartfelt endorsement of his chosen successor, Vice President Harris, who he hopes will carry on his legacy. Their embrace at the end was a touching denouement not only to the evening, but also to Biden’s public service.
On Tuesday, the hits kept coming. Some of the most compelling speakers were former MAGA devotees who can no longer support Donald Trump in good conscience. One was an Alabama construction worker, Kyle Sweetser, who by his own admission voted for Trump “not once, not twice, but three times.”
Yet, Sweetser experienced the downside of Trump’s tariffs and began to open his eyes to the fact that the former president’s policies support the wealthy rather than blue collar workers like him. Rich Logis, who formerly hosted a MAGA-loving podcast, said that “lying is Trump’s toxic superpower” and formally denounced him.
Former White House Press Secretary and Communications Director for Trump, Stephanie Grisham, said that she “never dreamed” that she would be speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Grisham was the first senior staffer to resign on Jan. 6, notably after Melania Trump rejected her request to “at least send a tweet” calling for the riot at the capital to end. Tragically, Grisham and the other brave Republicans likely will endure threats from their former colleagues because they stood on their principles instead of standing by their party. If only the U.S. Supreme Court displayed that kind of courage.
Without controversy, the highlight of the evening was the penultimate speech that former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered. As should be expected by now, her soaring oratory outshone everyone — even her husband — who is no slouch at giving speeches.
Keeping with the convention theme of “Joy,” Mrs. Obama intoned that “Hope is makin’ a comeback.” Yet, she spent most of her speech going after Donald Trump. She spoke about his being born wealthy and benefitting from “the affirmative action of generational wealth.” Alluding to his many business failures, Obama noted the advantage of Trump having the “the privilege of failing forward.”
Besides her wit, Barack’s better half employed her understated humor. Referring to Trump’s presidential run, she deadpanned, “Who’s gonna tell him that the job he’s currently seeking just might be one of those ‘Black jobs?’”
On a more serious note, Obama stated plainly that “No one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American.” Perhaps most importantly, she went right to the core of Mr. Trump’s key political phrase, referring to “The unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.”
When she finished, the DNC should have turned out the lights and sent everyone back to their hotel rooms.
The convention will wrap up this evening with Vice President Kamala Harris delivering an historic speech as her party’s nominee for President of the United States. I will make no predictions, but if current trends continue Harris will not only be her party’s new standard bearer; she will also be the leader of the free world.
It’s like that — and that’s the way it is.
Written by Larry Smith