Democratic Convention Hopes to Make Impact From a Distance

The Democratic Party kicks off its national convention Monday, an event organizers have dubbed "Uniting America," which is a bit ironic given that participants will be anything but united in one place due to public health requirements of the coronavirus pandemic. What was supposed to be a massive gathering in Milwaukee is now a dramatically pared-down and very socially distanced event.

In 2016, at the last Democratic National Convention, presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took the convention stage in Philadelphia as thousands of people clapped and cheered.

This year will have a much different feel, one that was previewed as the 2020 nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, introduced his new running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris.

“Good afternoon everyone," he said last week to a mostly empty gym and just a few socially distanced journalists. "To me and to Kamala, this is an exciting day.”

No cheering, no crowds, hardly any people. Not even a traditional photo of the running mates hugging and waving. It was an event designed to keep everyone safe from the coronavirus — and a not-too-subtle signal that, unlike President Trump, Biden takes public health guidelines seriously.

And it’s how the Democratic Party will be conducting this week’s national convention. There will be remote speeches, preproduced video content and plenty of Zoom meetings for delegates like Hanieh Jodat Barnes. This will be the first convention for the California Bernie Sanders delegate, and she’s worried the virtual nature of the event will make it easier for leaders to ignore the progressive wing of the party.

“Nonetheless, that has not really stopped us from moving forward and working on platform suggestions on Medicare for All, Green New Deal, ... [and] foreign policy and demilitarization," she said.

Jodat Barnes took part in a so-called shadow convention this past weekend, also held mostly online, that focused on progressive causes.

Delegates aren’t the only ones dealing with the fallout of this year’s unusual setup. A lot of people use the convention for networking and business purposes. Democratic consultant Rose Kapolczynski said the national gatherings are helpful because they bring all the important people to one spot.

“You can stand in the lobby of the convention hotel and see members of Congress, mayors, Democratic activists from all over the state," she said. "It's that informal networking that is such a special part of a national convention.”

But not this year, at least not for Democrats.

Kapolczynski said it’s especially helpful for people from states like California, which is so big it’s rare for everyone to be together. But, she said, a lot of those meetings are in hot, crowded hallways, which are not exactly COVID-19 safe. She understands why a normal convention isn’t feasible right now.

That doesn’t mean it will be completely out of view — the national party is planning two hours of TV coverage each night, with high-profile speakers like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Barack Obama and California’s own Gov. Gavin Newsom. The party’s hoping that will be enough to get voters fired up, even from a distance.