Political journalism that meets the moment ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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**AUGUST 23, 2024**
That's a Wrap
The 2024 Democratic National Convention, explained
BY LUKE GOLDSTEIN
David Dayen ?????? ??????
CHICAGO - The word cloud for this entire week's Democratic National Convention would have "joy," "unity," and some variation of "not going back" displayed pretty prominently. The odds in the betting markets for a Kamala Harris victory have ticked up over the week, and after her speech last night she'll surely get the post-convention polling bump enjoyed by most candidates. The party has projected the kind of confidence you'd expect to see if you believe you're in the lead. "After this week, aren't you proud to be a Democrat," former President Bill Clinton said during his speech Wednesday night. Harris carried that momentum into her convention speech, mostly striking a clean contrast between her and former President Donald Trump in terms of both personal biography and policy issues.
Harris discussed her family's immigrant roots compared to Trump being born with a silver spoon and how their background informed their divergent outlooks on issues like protecting Medicare, climate, and building out an economy that works for the middle class. Harold Meyerson broke down the speech [link removed].
But the eternal conflicts that roil party politics still lingered beneath the surface this week; namely, who gets included under that big tent and who gets left out in the cold.
On Wednesday night, the figurative image was made all very literal. The Uncommitted movement held a sit-down demonstration just outside the United Center after receiving word from the DNC that it did not plan on having a Palestinian American speaker during the week's programming, one of the key asks the movement has been pushing for in recent days. The speaker list this week has included numerous slots for groups outside the traditional constituencies of the party as a gesture to bring them into the fold, including Trump's former press secretary, other Republicans, and the CEO of American Express. Huddled together, the handful of Uncommitted and cease-fire delegates told the press they'd wait out there for as long as it took to get proper acknowledgment from the party.
The sit-down demonstration continued into Thursday evening before delegates went inside the arena and marched through the halls. Harris in her speech called for both a cease-fire in Gaza and self-determination for the Palestinian people while also reiterating that Israel is America's closest ally and has the right to defend itself. It was the kind of "yes and" position fitting for Chicago's comedy improv bona fides.
The
**Prospect** this week has been both inside the halls of the convention and gallivanting around town to get our finger on the pulse of this tumultuous political moment.
David Dayen asked lawmakers perhaps the most critical question about how Democrats plan to actually govern [link removed] and accomplish the ambitious list of priorities the party has laid out: What will they do about the filibuster?
Meanwhile, I've been keeping busy by getting kicked out [link removed] of as many corporate-sponsored events as I possibly can so you, dear reader, can get a window into what this whole circus is really about. I did however get access to documents [link removed] from inside a panel hosted by Big Tech's premier lobby shop. Their stated policy objectives clash quite starkly with the Harris policy platform whose administration they're trying to influence.
You can read all of the many stories we wrote this week at prospect.org/dnc-2024 [link removed].
It's been a long week, but we'll be wrapping it all up on the livestream [link removed] today at 12:30 p.m. ET. There's a lot to discuss.
Join us LIVE from Chicago on YouTube TODAY for our Weekly Roundup! Tune in as our staff reports on what they're seeing and hearing from the convention floor.
This is an interactive program, so questions are welcomed!
We'll be going live August 23rd at 12:30 p.m. ET. Can't make it? We record every episode of our weekly show and make the full-length video available to all of our readers to watch afterward. Subscribe to our YouTube channel [link removed] today to get a notification when the show begins!
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[link removed]
The New Kamala [link removed]
She's comfortable, joyful and, last night, authoritative. And the party helped her get there. BY HAROLD MEYERSON
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The Success of Messaging at the DNC [link removed]
Democrats are hitting all the notes that have eluded them. BY STANLEY B. GREENBERG
Big Tech's Governing Blueprint [link removed]
The Chamber of Progress, which held a briefing panel this week at the DNC, contrasts with Kamala Harris's early approach on key issues. BY LUKE GOLDSTEIN
Will the Senate Take Off the Handcuffs? [link removed]
The Harris-Walz ticket and every Democrat are promising big things. But the filibuster makes that agenda impossible. Will they finally remove that barrier? BY DAVID DAYEN
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