Key Takeaways From the Democratic National Convention

On night one of the Democratic National Convention, Biden said, “I love the job. I love my country more.”

On night two of the DNC, former President Barack Obama reflected this sentiment by saying, “The vast majority of us don’t want to live in a country that is bitter and divided.” Former First Lady Michelle Obama introduced her husband after a speech of her own that captivated the convention crowd. 

The crowd gathered in Chicago has shown renewed excitement about the Democrats' race, but that has not deterred the thousands of protestors who have surrounded the United Center since the start of the convention, which ends Thursday night, to protest U.S. support of Israel.

Many commentators and politicians on the right framed Democrats as anti-family by refusing to address illegal immigration and employment and for Planned Parenthood’s presence outside the convention, providing free abortion medication. Some commentators on the right viewed Barack Obama’s night two speech as hypocritical, for his “call for a return to decency,” according to a New York Post (Lean Right bias) writer, does not align with the divisive politics of the Democratic Party.

Some on the left are hopeful of the party after witnessing speeches from controversial politicians such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke about the struggles of working families. Other commentators on the left expressed excitement at the Harris-Walz ticket, as they continued campaigning in Milwaukee following their appearance at the DNC. 

A column from Bloomberg Opinion (Lean Left bias) writer Nia-Malika Henderson argued that Democrats showcased deeply personal abortion stories in order to paint former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies as dismissive of women’s rights. “In an interview Monday, Trump said he has ‘no regrets’ about the end of Roe v. Wade…In November, more than half a dozen states will have abortion-rights measures on the ballot, including in Arizona and Nevada, key swing states.” Henderson said, “Having male governors from red states speak so plainly about an issue that Democrats once tiptoed around, shows how far the party has come.”

Fox News Opinion (Right bias) contributor Jason Chaffetz wrote that in Harris’ role as Vice President, she hid from the press and refused to sharpen her political skills. “Before running for Congress, I spent two years meeting with voters, listening to their concerns, and defending my policy solutions…How prepared is she to address the needs of people she hasn’t bothered to engage?” Chaffetz said. “One wonders if she knows what inflation is or if she has the first clue how to slow or stop it.”

For MSNBC (Left bias), columnist Ja’han Jones praised Barack Obama’s Night Two speech, saying, “Seriously, great comedic timing from Obama here…U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks lobbed a similar attack when she claimed Trump and his movement have consumed America’s focus and limited our political imagination.”

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias) criticized the Democrats for using the imperative of defeating former President Donald Trump as an excuse to break political norms. “Start with the suspicion after the 2016 election that Mr. Trump won thanks to Russian collision…[then] Democratic claims that their losses are from ‘voter suppression’…Democrats also broke norms by making Mr. Trump the first former President to be criminally indicted…This is a polarized country in a polarized age, and Mr. Trump is part of the story, especially his madness after the 2020 election. But Americans who will nonetheless vote for Mr. Trump aren’t aching for dictatorship. They’re looking at the alternative, and they don’t see Democrats as sinless guardians of U.S. institutions.”