It’s another Sunday, so for those who tune in, welcome to a diary discussing the Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic Campaign. If you’ve missed out, you can catch up anytime: Just visit our group or follow Nuts & Bolts Guide. Every week I try to tackle issues I’ve been asked about, and with the help of other campaign workers and notes, we tackle how to improve and build better campaigns or explain issues that impact our party.
I’ve had to significantly alter this series this year as the rise of COVID-19 has changed the way campaigning takes place in 2020. Thursday the announcement was sent out that the Democratic National Convention would move.
In light of the unprecedented health crisis facing our country, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced today that the 2020 Democratic National Convention will now be held the week of August 17 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing convention planners more time to determine the most appropriate structure for this historic event.
The 2020 election represents a historic event that has an incredible impact on our upcoming elections. It changes the way we communicate, alters fundraising, and it changes our voter outreach. This election changes a lot of the rules we are used to living by in planning a campaign.
The truth is, no one is sure how these changes will impact us. Older Republican voters are those who are Fox News loving and more likely to ignore concerns and still turn out, whereas Democratic voters are concerned about COVID19, and if it drags out, could we see Democratic voters stay home to avoid public places while rural Republicans continue to turn out? What happens when elderly populations in general stay home—which would sway to Democratic campaigns? What happens if this becomes about money only, a digital outreach campaign?
Absolutely no one is assured of the right answer. Campaigns continue to ask these questions and speculate on the impact, but there isn’t any data, empirical or anecdotal, to come up with a really fair comparison of what happens next.
The move in the convention creates two worlds immediately
What is clear, however, is that the movement of the Democratic Convention can create a few issues that no one is sure of either. By placing the National Convention in August, it will be long past the final primary. This means we have two possibilities: we spend the month before the convention unifying behind the nominee and discussing potential VP picks, or we go into the convention still unsure of our nominee. This week in Nuts & Bolts I had hoped to discuss the platform process at a convention, as well as the Rules process at a convention. These issues can be impacted by how we finish out the primary season.
No one knows for certain what happens after the last primary or caucus. Items that have been raised include virtual voting for those with a disability, or those who are traveling from abroad or distance, but rule changes require a vote of the body. That could happen, but several DNC members have pointed out that without support of all candidates who have acquired delegates, they aren’t interested in changing the rules after the primary season began.
Still, I believe the announcement this week isn’t the only announcement coming. As the situation with COVID-19 continues, the party and the world will have to adjust.
Changing a convention means something for local campaigns
A later convention can have an impact on local campaigns. Depending on where we are with COVID-19 cases, a convention in full swing will take a lot of volunteers and active Democratic activists out of districts who will make their way to Wisconsin. Instead of being back in a district for the push for the fall, they will be out of town. This has happened often enough before, but, again, if we are coming on the heals of COVID-19, the fall local campaign may be facing issues with catching up on typical campaign work—phone banking, canvassing, fundraising—which is difficult to get done last minute.
Delegate Selection Plans may face significant problems
One of the items every Democratic party member should be proud of is our commitment to diversity. Our goal to have the attendants at the convention look like our base. We encourage states to send delegations that match the demographics of the voters that live there.
Economic problems this year could present real issues for delegates. In 2016, numerous delegates struggled with the cost of travel and attendance. In 2020, on the heels of record unemployment and economic shutdowns, there are concerns about how to make the convention accessible to people who may be economically impacted by the crisis.
People who run for delegate slots do so more uncertain of their financial ability to attend than in 2016. Others, especially those who are disabled or elderly, represent the demographics of the party but may be at risk in a large gathering.
How do we compensate for this? How do we present a convention that represents who we are as a party? What does it even look like? And how do we do so while honoring the commitment and hard work that the selected city site still benefits?
In truth, I’ve heard a lot of observations, but maybe the best was summed up this way:
I have my doubts that we’ll be having a convention as anyone knows it.
Next week: generating excitement in an insane world.