Archives for August 2020

Democrats have announced their official lineup of speakers for the 2020 Democratic Convention that starts Monday. The DNC’s virtual convention will feature 2 hours of prime-time television, 9 to 11, for four straight days. Democrats have said that they will also feature talks from everyday Americans, several which have been leaked already. 

Organizers say that no out-of-town speakers are allowed to deliver their speeches from Milwaukee, where the convention was planned before it went virtual. However the event “still highlights the great city of Milwaukee,” says DNC Chairman Tom Perez, reported by NBC. 

The line up goes as follows, as reported by NPR:

Monday: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (a former Republican Governor who ran against President Trump in the 2016 primaries) and former first lady Michelle Obama.

Tuesday: Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former President Bill Clinton and Jill Biden.

Wednesday: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former President Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, whom Biden has just picked to be his Vice President, as reported by New York Times.

Thursday: New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Biden family and, last but not least, the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Several of Biden’s former primary competitors made it onto the stage, but with a few notable exceptions. Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former housing Secretary Julián Castro and venture capitalist Andrew Yang.

The former presidential candidate Andrew Yang expressed his disappointment in not being added to the DNC’s lineup on Twitter saying, “I’ve got to be honest I kind of expected to speak.”

After following up with Yang, Dave Weigel of the Washington Post tweeted the following: Just talked to @AndrewYang about this tweet. He’ll be “involved in the convention video package,” but said the lack of a higher-profile speech “makes my job harder to appeal to the 42% of my supporters who said they weren’t going to vote for Joe.”

Democrats are bringing in a wide range of voices, from everyday Americans to prominent Democratic figures, and even a former Republican governor, hoping to appeal to their base during the Democratic National Convention this year.

According to a list of speakers received first by The Washington Post, the convention will feature talks from a former Trump supporter from Pennsylvania, a paramedic and immigrant from Mexico City, a bus driver from Atlanta and an autoworker from Michigan. Officials hope that by pairing relatable Americans with Democratic heavy weights like Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren, set to speak Wednesday, and Bernie Sanders speaking Monday, they may present a unified image of the Democratic Party.

“There are people from all parts of the country, all walks of life — different professions, different financial situations — all dealing with similar things. It’s really the story of what’s happening across America right now,” said Stephanie Cutter, the program executive for the convention.

“It’s different from 2016 where Trump was just a celebrity,” she went on. “He’s now a failed president, leaving everyday Americans in his wake. Those stories are the stories we’re going to tell.”

John Kasich, a former Republican governor of Ohio and harsh Trump critic, will also be giving remarks at the convention on Monday. Bill Clinton and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are expected to have prominent roles as well, reports Bloomberg.

Gerald Lang, the 47-year old autoworker from Lake Orion, Michigan and vice president of UAW Local 5960, will be talking to voters about presumptive nominee Joe Biden’s record supporting General Motors and Chrysler through the fallout of the 2008 recession. He’s already had some kind words for the former vice president. 

“Joe Biden understands that auto workers are the heart of the economy in Michigan. And he’s spent his career fighting for us,” Lang said, according to The Detroit Free Press. 

“He helped rescue the auto industry as vice president and now he has a plan to create a million new auto manufacturing jobs to ensure that American workers are powering the future of auto manufacturing across the world.”

The convention is also expecting to have Barack and Michelle Obama deliver their own speeches respectively. A time slot has yet to be announced, but some have speculated that Barack may introduce his former vice president to the stage. Meanwhile, convention planners expect Michelle’s speech to attract the widest viewership outside of Biden, particularly after the success of her 2012 convention speech, reports The New York Times.

The DNC announced that the 2020 Democratic National Convention would be moved entirely online this year after several people at the Milwaukee site tested positive for COVID-19, reports the Daily Beast.

“As testing increased this week, our system detected three cases which have been reported to the health department and given instructions to self-isolate,” a convention aide said.

The presumptive democratic nominee, Joe Biden will now broadcast his nomination acceptance speech from a site in Delaware. Additionally, the massive in-person electoral training that Democrats had planned to hold at the convention in Milwaukee will be moved online as well.

Politico reported that Biden’s campaign would be teaming up with the progressive group Arena and Wisconsin’s Democratic Party to “provide free online training to activists to teach them how to get out the vote and persuade swing voters during the convention.”

“In the age of coronavirus, the path to victory for Democrats up and down the ballot has shifted dramatically,” said the executive director of Wisconsin’s Democratic Party, Nellie Sires. “The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and Arena are proud to have the opportunity to pull back the curtain and equip Democratic volunteers across the country with the tools they need.”

This decision comes shortly after RNC officials suggested that the press would be banned from the Republican National Convention out of concern for North Carolina’s social distancing restrictions. Responding to criticism on the decision, Trump has recently suggested accepting his own nomination at the White House instead so that the press would be able to cover the event.

“I’ll probably do mine live from the White House,” Trump said on Fox and Friends. “If for some reason somebody had difficulty with it, I could go with someplace else,” he added.

This did in fact receive pushback from both Democrats and Republicans alike who were concerned about the legal and ethical i

mplications of hosting a political event at the White House, says the Washington Post. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that an acceptance speech “won’t happen” at the White House, while Sen. John Cornyn acknowledged that it would be “problematic.” Sen. Ron Johnson said that a White House acceptance speech is “probably not allowed” and that they “probably shouldn’t do it.” 

When asked about Republican concerns about the legality of the White House hosting the event, Trump merely said, “It’s legal,” before moving on.

The Republican National Convention is changing their plans again. According to a story first reported by Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Party and Convention officials are saying that the nominating convention set for Charlotte, North Carolina will be shutting its doors to reporters for the duration of the event. Republicans say that they were forced to make this unprecedented decision due to social distancing restrictions imposed by the North Carolina governor.

“[W]e are planning for all of the Charlotte activities to be closed press: Friday, August 21 – Monday, 24th given the health restrictions and limitations in place in the state,” said a convention spokesperson in an email. “We are happy to let you know if this changes, but we are working within the parameters set before us by state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend events.”

A Republican official also told CNN that, “Reporters will not be allowed on site as RNC delegates vote to formally nominate President Donald Trump as the 2020 Republican presidential nominee.”

New York Times White House Correspondent Maggie Habberman responded to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette story on Twitter, pointing out that it was still “unclear if the convention business portion will be open press or closed.”

The following day RNC Communications Director Michael Ahrens clarified that there has been “no final decision,” and that they are “still working through logistics and press coverage options.” 

“[A] livestream is part of the press coverage options we are working through,” Ahrens added.

This most recent change comes after Trump scrapped plans to hold the Convention in Jacksonville, Florida citing concerns about the coronavirus.

Zeke Miller, President of the White House Correspondents Association and an Associated Press reporter, called the restriction of journalists “an ill-advised decision” on Twitter.

“The nomination of a major party presidential candidate is very much the business of the American people,” Miller pointed out.