August 20, 2020 - The Democrat National Convention

 I thought the DNC was a kind of triumph -- taking an unknown, unwelcome situation and building the convention back better. It's the best convention I've ever watched -- not that I've seen that many becuase unless you are a Poli Sci wonk, conventions can be long and boring.  I do remember hearing them in the background on the radio, my parents keepoing track of things, back in the day when the outcome wasn't assured in advance. 

But the DNC 2020 was a convention of another character - lively, engaging, crafted more like an awards show with a tight sense of timing, mixing up taut, well-crafted speeches by the politicians invested in the process with montages of people-zooming-in-fro home sharing their support and stories. It was a very effective and well-thought out effort introducing voters to the Democrat Party and its general platform for the Nov 3, 2020 election, incluiding a strong indictment of Drumpf, whose incompetence and lack of leadership, his disinclination to be a  leader rather than a boss, has endangered all our lives in many different ways: climate change disasters, epidemic, destruction of the ACA -- all of it geared toward re-election by his base, rather than genuine care for what is best for the country and all its peoples.  

Visually engaging, well-paced, inspiring, surprising -- it was the perfect fodder for folks who have been kept close to the house, or who have been working too hard and taking too many risks. The Democrat Party  took what looked like a disaster and re-imagined it, investing in media experts to craft a presentation of high caliber. They didn't dither around; they knocked it out of the park. And I think it represents how they would govern too - taking stock of the disasters that surround us and bringing us back better. (ha! like how I worked that in?)

 I do feel like I know Joe and Kamala much more now -- and certainly with more intimacy than any other candidates during an election. TV is an intimate medium and their experts took full advantage of that,  bringing us into their lives.  I think the approach was rather brilliant and I hope we never go back to the old-style convention-hall conventions again.