CHICAGO — Day one of the Democratic National Convention has wrapped up. Here are three key takeaways from Monday’s programming.
Harris as the working class candidate
Monday’s DNC messaging centered on labor and fighting for the middle class, revealing that Vice President Kamala Harris will advocate for the needs of working Americans. The night’s theme, “For The People,” echoed her 2020 campaign slogan and also centered her experience as a prosecutor.
“Every time she walked into a courtroom, she would say Kamala Harris for the people,” California U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler said.“It wasn’t just a professional oath, it was a battle cry.”
New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also spoke to Harris’ fight for the working and middle classes and her past in the service industry.
“Republicans tell me to go back to bartending,” Ocasio-Cortez said, “but I’m happy to, any day of the week, because there is nothing wrong with working for a living.”
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, a union with over 400,000 active members, headlined the list of seven union presidents asked to speak at the DNC Monday.
“This election comes down to one question: which side are you on?” Fain said, echoing a famous union song.
The UAW just one week ago filed federal labor charges against former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Twitter, after they referenced taking illegal strike breaking actions in an X space last week.
Fain contrasted that with a time in 2019 when Harris walked the picket line with striking workers, something he said he has never seen Trump do.
“When the UAW stands up, we know who stands with us and who stands against us,” Fain said.
Patriotism is back on the menu
Riding high from the success of the Olympics, many Americans are feeling patriotism course through them. And with the Democratic Party’s newfound excitement for Harris’ nomination, the campaign capitalized on that fervor.
Before Harris made a surprise appearance Monday night at the convention, an ad featuring Beyonce’s “Freedom” played out. “Freedom?,” the ad asked. “Nobody loves it more. And we fight for it!”
Part of the campaign handouts to delegates were signs that read “USA.” Those three letters rang out across the United Center several times over the course of the night.
Team USA Basketball and Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr spoke about patriotism, reminiscing on winning the Olympic Gold in Paris just days ago.
“When we won, with the American flag raised to the rafters, the players’ hands to their hearts,” Kerr said. “It was the proudest moment of my life.”
Kerr also praised Harris and her vice presidential running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Coach to coach, that guy’s awesome,” Kerr said of the former high school football coach.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a former vice presidential hopeful, also spoke of his faith while delivering remarks, while Baptist pastor and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock followed up by questioning whether Trump had ever read the Bible.
While many see the Republican Party as the party of Christianity, football and patriotism, the Democrats are looking to reclaim that title. Harris’ selection of Walz as her running mate has compounded that.
The future is now
This evening was all about passing the torch from an older generation to a new one leading the Democratic Party. Past nominees Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden addressed the convention with a focus on the new face of the party and a new future.
“We refused to give up on America,” Clinton said. “We marched, we ran for office, we kept our eyes on the future. Well, my friends, the future is here.”
Biden wrapped up the convention’s opening night by touting his administration’s accomplishments and reiterating his support for the Harris-Walz ticket.
“She’s tough. She’s experienced. And she has enormous integrity,” Biden said. “And like all the best presidents, she was also vice president.”
While Biden’s time in the political sphere is coming to an end, he expressed optimism for the future.
“I’ve been too young to be in the Senate and too old to stay as president but I give you my word I am more optimistic about our nation than when I was elected as a 29-year-old senator,” Biden said.
Tuesday’s slate of speakers is set to include both former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as well as current Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Annika Bereny is a Senior Staff Writer and the former Special Pages Editor for The Daily Cardinal. She is a History and Journalism major and has written in-depth campus news, specializing in protest policy, free speech and historical analysis. She has also written for state and city news. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
