Jill Biden closed the Democratic National Convention‘s second night, portraying her husband in intensely personal terms as a caring father and compassionate husband who had restored his family after a tragedy — and now would be able to heal a deeply divided country. Speaking both as an educator who followed her own career as Joe Biden served as a senator in Washington, she compared the rift she helped repair in the family of her husband after the death of his first wife, Neilia, and 1-year-old daughter, Naomi, in a car accident in 1972 to America’s emotional hollowness during a pandemic time.
She described how they worked together as a couple to build a powerful mixed family with a sense of resolve and resilience that helped them survive the second great tragedy of Biden’s life: his son Beau Biden’s death from brain cancer in 2015. By naming President Donald Trump, she argued that the country needs someone to fix it at a time when the first reaction of the President was to divide Americans even after a deadly pandemic that took more than 170,000 lives in America.
The former second lady gave her experience as a teacher, delivering her speech at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught English in the 1990s. She noted the difficulties and uncertainties faced by many parents in deciding whether to send their children back to school in the midst of a pandemic. She anchored her speech in an empty classroom and spoke about how she missed the excitement and young faces of school children who are now limited in their virtual lessons to boxes on computer screens.
Joe Biden as Centre of Attraction
During the night, convention organizers tried to demonstrate the humanity and relation of Joe Biden to ordinary Americans, even during the virtual roll call vote, where the party officially endorsed the former US vice president. The gathering, which would usually take place in a packed convention hall with delegates from each state celebrating in their designated parts, instead unfolded in videos and appearances showcasing the party’s overwhelming diversity.
Educators, government officials, leaders of the party, critical employees and health care providers all shared in the celebration moment, often from exotic locations, beaches and landmarks in their states. For example, the Northern Mariana Islands Democrats wore festive flowered garlands while others from urban areas spoke in front of vibrant murals bearing messages that spoke to the goals of the party.
As Spanish and several native languages were heard during the roll call, Democrats’ linguistic diversity was also on full display. A Rhode Island restaurant worker held out a plate of fried calamari in a nod to the regular identification of special foods and landmarks in each state during past convention floor roll calls. Activists and tradesmen including an Alaskan fisherman, a Kansas farmer, and a Missouri bricklayer were among the speakers.
The Nomination
Biden accepted the nomination from the library at Brandywine when the formalities were finished — near the location of his wife’s speech later in the evening. His grandchildren burst into the library with a pop of brightly coloured streamers, in a gesture intended to show the importance of Biden’s family.
In many of Tuesday night’s other speeches, speakers focused on Biden’s personal story. Thus, his empathy for his fellow Americans but also offered sharp criticism. It is of Trump’s time in office as the night’s programming focused on the theme of “leadership issues.” The keynote speech took on an unusual format, featuring 17 rising stars in the Democratic Party.
Former President Bill Clinton demonstrated the pithy, concise political skills make him a two-term resident. It is of the White House and helped reelect Barack Obama. This is as he lacerated Trump’s success during the coronavirus pandemic. Clinton has become a star performer at Democratic conventions. Thus, since the 1980s but this year he only got about five minutes for his video speech that boosted Biden.
Democrats Wrath
Several young progressive leaders in the party are also questioning the 42nd president’s conservative policies on welfare and crime. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York represented their point of view at the convention Tuesday night. Ocasio-Cortez, a lifelong supporter of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, was one of the Democrats nominating Sanders. It is at the convention on Tuesday night prior to the virtual roll call.
After Sanders dropped out, after the long, protracted primary battle, many Democrats have turned to Ocasio-Cortez. It is to serve as a bridge between the party’s progressive side and the centrist side. The New York Democrat served as the co-chair of a task force on climate change. Thus, one of the unit commissions created by the two teams to seek to unite the party. She addressed the topics that Sanders supported during a 95-second speech, and did not mention Biden.
The evening also included a video about Biden’s cross-party relationship with late Sen. John McCain, narrated by the widow of the Arizona Republican, Cindy. Since returning from years as a prisoner in the Vietnam War, the Senate veterans once exchanged barbs. It is on foreign policy but united across party lines in a relationship. It stretched back to when McCain worked as a military aide. Before he died of brain cancer in 2018. The former vice president gave a strong eulogy for his friend at McCain’s memorial service.
2020 Elections
Another prominent Republican — former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who served under President George W. Bush — offered a video testimony about Biden as part of the Democrats’ effort to draw in Republicans. Also, independents who are frustrated with Trump’s leadership and his divisive tactics. While Powell, who also served under Republican administration as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush, he voted for Democrats in the three most recent presidential elections. Powell said in his video message that America needs a commander-in-chief. He will take care of US troops the same way he would take care of his own family.
According to a CNN poll of polling on the general election matchup, Biden led Trump 51 per cent. It is to 42 per cent nationally before the conventions. Yet a CNN poll conducted by SSRS and published on Sunday showed a closer race. Thus, with Biden being 50% and Trump 46%. One reason Trump’s standing in the CNN poll released Sunday. It had strengthened was that among more conservative voters he had solidified his popularity. Back on June, 8 per cent of Republican or Republican-leaning independents said they’d back Biden. But just 4 per cent decided to back the former vice president in the latest poll.
In the final months of the election, however, the poll showed an advantage for Democrats. It is because Trump’s voters were more likely to say they could change their minds. It is 12 per cent states they could than Biden’s only 7 per cent said so.
