When a convention is superbly executed and stocked with great speeches and emotional moments, there is always a risk that the presidential nominee’s speech will prove anti-climactic. That surely did not happen on Thursday night when Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination. The explosion of emotion and joy that greeted her appearance seemed to exceed the sum total of all that preceded it. As much as the crowd loved the Obamas, admired Hillary Clinton and burst with emotion for the women who told their abortion stories and for the Israeli hostage families, nothing compared to the blast that rocked the United Center for Harris. The party is enthralled with her — luxuriating in her star power, reveling in her ability to put former president Donald Trump in his place and hungering for not only victory but also a historic, page-turning triumph. Harris’s speech leaned into her biography, contrasting Trump’s inherited wealth with her middle-class background in a “beautiful working-class neighborhood of firefighters, nurses, and construction workers, all who tended their lawns with pride.” She assured Americans that “building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” adding, “This is personal for me. The middle class is where I come from.” Democrats continue to emphasize economic populism. As for Trump, she did as elegant a job as any I have seen to both knock him down to size and avoid minimizing the threat. “In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.” She also deployed some of the most uplifting language we have heard from a nominee since 2012: “Fellow Americans, I love our country with all my heart,” she said. “Everywhere I go — in everyone I meet — I see a nation that is ready to move forward. Ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America.” Unity, love of country, optimism. (“I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation. That inspired the world. That here, in this country, anything is possible. Nothing is out of reach”). These words are foreign to Trump. But also, rarely do you hear Democrats revel in “the greatest privilege on Earth: the privilege and pride of being an American.” Her framing of the abortion issue was skillful, with just the right amount of disgust and incredulity. “As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress.” She continued, “And get this. He plans to create a national antiabortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions. Simply put: They are out of their minds.” In many ways, it was a speech a Republican of years gone by could have delivered: heavy on crime-fighting, securing the border, promising an “opportunity society,” keeping America’s military the “most lethal” in the world and standing up to dictators such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. (“I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable — because he wants to be an autocrat himself.”) As she wrapped up, she made a heartfelt appeal to independents and Republicans. “With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past,” she declared. “A chance to chart a new way forward, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.” She acknowledged, “I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans.” This was a presidential-level address, not merely another campaign spiel. Her delivery, timing and demeanor conveyed calm authority. She is betting that patriotism, decency and kindness still win in Americans’ hearts. She stuck the landing this week; now, it’s up to the country to prove her right. By Jennifer Rubin, Friday, August 23, 2024, in The Washington Post |
