Staff Reports
The Democratic National Convention is officially themed around “turning the page,” but it looks more like a reluctant attempt at a rewrite. The week is set to crown Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee while President Joe Biden makes an earlier-than-expected exit from the spotlight. This “creative editing” of the presidential hopefuls has stirred up the Democratic base, supposedly leading them into a fresh electoral season. In reality, it feels like a desperate scramble to change the narrative after Biden’s popularity plummeted so hard that he was trailing Donald Trump by over three points before his withdrawal.
The "pass the torch" theme of the Democratic convention is undercut by the fact that the DNC's biggest headliners are the Obamas, Bill Clinton, Pelosi…all leaders from previous political eras. From @jimantle https://t.co/EldtiQl43n
— Sarah Bedford (@sarahcbedford) August 22, 2024
The switcheroo has allowed the Democrats to shift focus from playing defense in traditionally blue states like Virginia and New Mexico to hitting the offensive in more competitive battlegrounds like North Carolina and Georgia. It’s a remarkable turnaround, one that gives the impression Democrats are back in the driver’s seat even if it’s really more of a joyride. But just last month, these states seemed like distant dreams—nice places to visit, but not the destination for a Democratic victory.
It’s worth noting that Democrats now claim to have a fresh bench of young governors ready to step up, leaving behind the years when they had to trot out an aging Biden as their last hope against Trump in 2020. The rising stars of the party, including Harris, were previously deemed lacking the necessary grit. Just think about it—yearning for new talent and looking to the likes of Bernie Sanders, who seemed even more ancient than Biden himself, was hardly a winning strategy. Now, as the Democrats transition their leadership, they announce a generational change with all the gusto of a geriatric marathon.
However, the “newness” is muddied when the stage continues to echo with the voices of the usual suspects—the Obamas, the Clintons, and, of course, the Bidens. It’s like a nostalgic reunion tour of Democratic icons, featuring the same old faces while touting a theme of youthful revolution. A real session of team building would require more than just a fresh coat of paint when the legacy of leaders like Pelosi and Schumer hangs thick over the proceedings, with Schumer being a reminder that he’s been around since Reagan was just getting started.
Bill Clinton’s attempt at coolness falls flat as he tries to frame the 2024 race as a stark choice between the collective “We the People” versus the self-centered “Me, Myself, and I.” Word to the wise: if that’s the best jab the Democrats can muster, they might want to rethink their playbook, considering Clinton himself was riding the waves of the 80s decades ago. It feels almost absurd that the Democratic ticket is rooted so firmly in the past, while the lone non-boomer and fresh face on the GOP side is Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio, a man likely bewildered by how he became the youthful anomaly.
Ultimately, the Democrats’ carefully crafted image of progress and change heavily relies on the narratives spun by party veterans—Pelosi and Obama, who are less about relinquishing power and more about maintaining their influence. This effort to present Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as champions of modernization feels forced, especially given how Trump remains an ever-present figure in the political landscape. As Democrats search for that elusive new New Deal or modern version of the Great Society, they stumble over the reality that the more things change, the more they stubbornly cling to the ghosts of their political past.
