Joe Biden became the official nominee for president on the second night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in a night that included one major success for the remote format and one semi-flop. The state roll call that nominated Biden—which featured videos from around the country and territories showcasing iconic places, and allowed elected officials and activists to get in a quick message before casting their states’ votes—was a vast improvement over the usual convention floor roll call. It was both faster and more interesting. However, the keynote address, which was a montage of 17 different speakers, was not as much of a success. Not an embarrassment, but not memorable, either.
Jill Biden capped the night with a speech from the classroom where she once taught high school English. Following Michelle Obama is a tough job, and speaking not to a crowd but to a classroom is a challenge, but Biden did what she was there to do, highlighting her commitment to and experience in education and connecting the Biden family’s too-extensive history of grief to her husband’s ability to persevere through hard times and connect with the struggles of other families in ways especially relevant during a pandemic.
Joe Biden once again showed up throughout the evening, with the remote format used to bring him in for small moments throughout the proceedings in ways that were uncommon for the nominee at a convention. We saw his reaction shot to the nomination becoming official. He appeared in a long video introducing his wife, and then walked out and hugged her at the end of her speech. And once again he was shown conducting a brief panel discussion on health care, talking to people—including Laura Packard, a longtime friend of Daily Kos—about how the Affordable Care Act had helped save their lives.
That wasn’t the end of the focus on health care. It was followed by a moving video featuring Ady Barkan, the activist who has pressed relentlessly for Medicare for All despite his own diagnosis of ALS, which has now left him unable to speak with his original voice. Using a computerized voice, Barkan kept mesmerizing eye contact with the viewer interspersed with clips of his family and of his activism during the time when he was making necessary trouble at the Capitol using a cane or in a wheelchair.
Like Monday, Tuesday’s DNC also highlighted Republicans who have come over to support Biden against Donald Trump. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was eclipsed by Cindy McCain all but offering an endorsement from her late husband, Sen. John McCain. It’s rare a former nominee of one party endorses a nominee of another party, but doing it from beyond the grave is next-level.
But about that roll call. We got to hear from Native leaders, some of them including indigenous languages in the moments they had to represent their states or territories. We got to hear from union members talking about their issues. From a Utah delegate touting the state’s long, successful use of vote-by-mail. From North Carolina's Cozzie Watkins, who got right to it: “I’ve been doing this for a long time, so let me just be plain: Black people, especially Black women, are the backbone of this party and if we don’t show up, Democrats don’t get elected.” And, yes, we got to hear about—and see!—a plate of Rhode Island calamari. Whatever happens in 2024, please bring back this style of roll call! Maybe team stuffie will show up for Rhode Island next time.
The DNC continues Wednesday night with headline speeches from former President Barack Obama, who will “make a pointed case that democracy itself is on the line—along with the chance to create a better version of it,” according to a spokeswoman, and from vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris. The main program will once again run from 9 PM to 11 PM ET and you can watch it here.
