DNC, Day 3

I missed the second night. I’m sorry I missed Bernie & the Obamas. I couldn’t bear the roll call, but tonight it was easy gliding past the rhetoric and the oleaginous MSNBC hosts. Stevie Wonder was in full voice. Fairly amazing. The Keenan Thompson bit on Project 2025 worked well.

Hakeem Jeffries displayed Obama-level oratorical ability. He has the same limitations of Obama’s politics. For that he’s a logical successor to Nancy Pelosi. We’re going to have to get used to him. He’s going to be around for a long time.

A somewhat obscure pol who stood out Monday night was Jasmine Crockett from Texas. I’ve also heard speeches by AOC, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, and Maryland governor Wes Moore. They’re strong. The party has a deep bench. Mayor Pete Buttigieg did very well too, though I don’t see a political future for him unless he moves to a blue state with a very old senator.

The overriding theme provokes concern, at least in me. In effect, the Convention trades the Democrat-capital ‘D’ brand for a non-partisan, patriotic one. The word “freedom” is constantly invoked, thanks to the extremist creepozoids on the other side with their ridiculous psychoses about LGBTQI, birth control, IVF, single motherhood, and childless cat ladies. The fear of a black planet. A huge political gift to our side.

Maybe it’s just me, but freedom properly understood is the assurance by the community, largely through its public sector, that everyone is able live up to their full potential and be assured of a dignified economic security in any event. It means good, big government. It’s the way to socialism.

In keeping with the frenzy to coopt the Center, one of my pet peeves is MSNBC pioneering the sheep-dipping of crappy, dishonest Bushist Republicans. Does anybody remember these villains stole an election themselves? We even have to endure the elevation of people who looked at Donald Trump’s antics in 2016 and thought, “Yeah, that’s my guy. I want to work for him.”

The strategic case for the non-partisan frame is obvious. It is easy to argue that it is absolutely essential in light of the threat posed by Trump. If it’s not annoying to say so, making that choice may have a longer-term cost. It could put progressive policies further out of reach.

It’s all well and good to emphasize that the felonious Trump is a self-centered pig, to drown the Republican Party’s candidates in clichés, to capture the median voter. If it works, bully for us. But there are bigger fish to fry. Ultimately our adversaries are not the racist, misogynist, bigoted, heavily-armed cultural reactionaries, deplorable and numerous as they are.

It’s not simply a question of character. Honorable, decent people can have dubious views on policy. There are substantive matters. We need to restore the labor movement. Cement voting rights. Address climate change. Welcome immigrants. Disarm the lunatics. Unpack the Supreme Court. Reset the historic trend of rapacious U.S. foreign policy.

It’s nearly midnight and since 8 pm I haven’t heard the word “Palestine.” Meanwhile, all the speakers blabbing away, especially Bill Clinton and Oprah, are pushing poor Governor Walz’s speech past a lot of bedtimes.

In terms of content, Walz had the most progressive speech, far ahead of Jeffries, the Clintons, Buttigieg, and Pelosi. You could see how he could sell this stuff to a broad audience.

I like to be optimistic, so full speed ahead.