Amid the fun, Democratic convention set serious themes for Kamala Harris’ campaign

Democrats gathered in Chicago for their national convention clearly had a blast.
Dancing in the aisles with rapper Lil Jon during the music-filled ceremonial roll call, grooving to live performances by Stevie Wonder, Common, Patti LaBelle, Pink and North Texas’ own Mickey Guyton and Maren Morris, the Democratic National Convention projected as the place to be.
Political conventions, though, are meant to be more than a good time, and this one aimed to set the stage for the stretch run to the Nov. 5 election.
Highlighted by Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday accepting her party’s nomination for president, Democrats made their case to voters, particularly those swing state residents who will determine who wins the White House.
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Democrats were unified in their drive to defeat former President Donald Trump, and efforts to reach beyond the party’s base had clear themes.
Here are three takeaways from the convention:
In 2016, Trump won the White House by appealing to working-class voters, even in Midwest states controlled by Democrats. Trump tailored his message to what he called “forgotten” Americans, saying they weren’t a priority for Democrats and Hollywood elites.
Democrats rebounded in 2020 with President Joe Biden, but Democrats still see the need to fortify their standing with working-class Americans and unions, critical parts of the party’s coalition.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, speaks the language of the working class. And Harris touted her middle-class background during her speech. They both discussed issues like affordable health care and prescription drugs, rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, boosting manufacturing and helping with child care for working families. Harris has proposals to curb “corporate greed” and boost home ownership among working families.
There were numerous testimonials from local leaders about Biden administration efforts that resulted in rebuilt bridges and revitalized neighborhoods.
Trump’s rise to power showed Democrats had lost their way with working Americans. This convention was designed to address that problem.
For Democrats, the key to victory hinges on support from women voters, especially in suburban areas that are critical in battleground states.
The top issue for Democrats up and down November’s ballots is restoring reproductive rights — from abortion to treatments and procedures to aid pregnancies — for women across the country.
Many DNC speakers pointed to Texas, with its restrictive abortion laws, as a cautionary tale spotlighting the need for federal laws to protect reproductive rights.
Discussing the Republican anti-abortion agenda during her acceptance speech Thursday night, Harris said: “Simply put, they are out of their minds.”
Democrats also aimed to show women as critical to their party’s big tent. Harris would be the second woman and the first woman of color to receive a major party’s nomination for president.
Black women are expected to be critical in swing states like Georgia and North Carolina. Women will also be a factor in states like Texas, where Democrats are trying to be more competitive, particularly in down-ballot races.
Along with Harris, delegates reserved their biggest receptions for convention speakers Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, who in 2016 lost to Trump. To mark the historic occasion, many delegates wore white, the color of the women’s suffrage movement.
While Harris has not been campaigning on the history-making aspects of her campaign, it was felt at the convention.
Biden, who addressed the convention Monday, beat Trump in 2020 by campaigning on restoring America’s standing at home and abroad. After the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, Democrats focused their argument against Trump around the theme of protecting democracy.
While attacks on Trump’s character, controversial remarks and criminal and civil convictions are still part of their message, Democrats are taking a more measured approach.
Throughout the convention, videos aired showing average Americans who are supporting Harris after voting for Trump in previous elections — broadening the message from Democratic politicians who have been against him from the start.
Perhaps more critically, some Democrats urged their party to speak to potential swing voters and Trump supporters in a different way.
In his speech, former President Barack Obama likened the approach to a family member cringing at something a parent or grandparent said that was inappropriate or out of touch. He urged Democrats to treat Americans they disagree with with grace, just as they would a family member.
Not all Democrats are as philosophical as Obama, but it’s clear any effective dialogue with people on the other side of issues won’t occur over insults.
In her acceptance speech, Harris said, “We have so much more in common than what separates us.”
She mentioned the Capitol riot and Trump’s campaign pledge to pardon participants convicted of crimes. She also warned that a second Trump term would include more tax cuts for rich Americans, raising the national debt and hurting the middle class.
Harris vowed to protect Social Security, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.
“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States, not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had – himself,” Harris said.
“We are charting a new way forward, to a future with a strong and growing middle-class,” she added.