Harris’s DNC: A Master Class in Coalition Building

Joy and Unity at the Democratic National Convention

Make fun of joy if you wish, but that was exactly the feeling on the floor of the Democratic National Convention. It came naturally to a party that suffered a near-death episode and then experienced nothing short of a miraculous resurrection. Democrats were reanimated by the catastrophe avoided: a sweep to power by Donald Trump, power he has already told the country he would abuse. This averted crisis pushed everyone to get along, put aside old battles and begin another rousing round of “USA!” chants.

Coalition Politics: Hard but Necessary

Harris recognizes coalition politics as a hard but necessary discipline that requires balancing the aspirations of groups that might not easily come together.

Democratic National Convention Eclipses MAGA Convention Viewership

Democrats’ positive vision generates more than 108 million combined views on broadcast and streaming, more than 350 million views on social media.

Broadcast

On TV, the final night of the DNC pulled in an estimated 26.2 million viewers across 15 networks. The DNC outrated the RNC on all four nights with a total estimate of 87.2 million viewers over the course of the week.

Streaming

Across DNC/Harris-Walz online platforms, the Democratic National Convention racked up 21.3 million views over the course of four days.

Digital Content

The convention garnered 350 million views – and counting – on partner-created content across the four days of convention. The 2024 Democratic National Convention credentialed over 200 content creators to cover the convention in person and hundreds of others to cover remotely, reaching a combined following count of 500 million.

I don’t usually post press releases, but this makes an important point. Whether it’s TV ads or viewing expectations, this is not your father’s Oldsmobile. Folks don’t just get election news from television anymore.

Note that the social media views are three times the traditional views.

The Convention No One’s Talking About

The second convention is usually a rebuttal of the first; this time there’s nothing much to rebut.

The Republican convention this year had two main themes: 1) Joe Biden is incompetent and should not be running for president; 2) Donald Trump showed heroism in the face of an assassination attempt. The first theme is no longer operative, and no one really cares about the second one anymore. It’s really quite striking that what was a pretty well-run convention, at least by the standards of the Trump-era RNC, had such a short shelf life.

Inclusion Matters

One slight exception to this is more of a decades-long distinction between the parties, and that is the matter of inclusion. An important sub-theme that came up several times at the Republican convention was immigration, with several speakers and the RNC delegates calling explicitly for mass deportation. J.D. Vance’s acceptance speech inverted the old concept of “America as an idea” and said that America is a specific place to which some people do not belong.

Democrats have hit hard in the other direction this week. Michelle Obama talked about those left out of the privileged classes: “[Kamala Harris] understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.”

A Tale with a Moral

Are you old enough to remember Chuck Norris internet memes?

You might remember that Chuck Norris is so tough that:

when Chuck Norris was born he drove his mother home from the hospital
when the boogeyman goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris
when Chuck Norris cuts onions, the onions cry

Whether you find Chuck Norris memes amusing isn’t the point. The point is they were as ubiquitous as Rick Astley in his day.

So, if they seem vaguely familiar, think Tim Walz.

Tim Walz is such a midwestern dad that:

he checks my tire treads before I leave the driveway, and I don’t even know him
Tim Walz could teach me to drive stick-shift without making me cry
Tim Walz is who JD Vance wants you to think JD Vance is.

Ubiquitous. So, when they try to smear him, guess what? It just becomes part of the running joke.

Here’s the Story

Walz did receive the award from the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce, which is apparently a different org from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. The website was corrected in 2006. Is this the best republicans can do? I expect better of @AlexThomp than to launder this smear. https://t.co/98Rnc0wlgD

Here’s the Internet Response

I heard he said he ordered a six piece nuggets, but it was really a 10 piece!😡

— UrbanistaRamon (@UrbanistaRamon) August 25, 2024

Those kind of responses are as ubiquitous as Chuck Norris memes.

The Moral?

What this is telling us is the window to define Coach Walz is closed. He’s defined himself. And there’s nothing they can do about it.

RFK Jr.’s Double-Edged Trump Endorsement

The Kennedy scion could help Trump in battleground states, but he’d be a nightmare in government.

Mr. Kennedy also said Mr. Trump plans to “enlist” him in government if he wins in November, and that’s the potential rub. RFK Jr. hits some populist notes that Mr. Trump also supports, such as opposition to tech platform censorship and skepticism about the Ukraine war.

But the former Democrat lives in the fever swamps with his anti-vaccination views, his support for an extreme climate agenda, and his belief that American health ills are largely the result of collusion between big business and government regulators. He’s also the guy who admitted recently to dumping a dead bear in New York’s Central Park. If RFK Jr. is anywhere near the healthcare or environmental agencies in a Trump Administration, look out.

Mr. Trump’s best response is to thank RFK Jr. for his support, make no promises about the future, and by all means avoid joint campaign appearances.

Trump Allies Try to Energize Him as He Struggles to Adapt to Harris

The Republican nominee has fixated on Biden’s withdrawal: “It feels like he’s lost his mojo.”

“The stakes for Trump this election are arguably the highest they’ve ever been. His criminal cases don’t go away if he loses. Yet he seems to be phoning it in, running a remarkably low-energy, undisciplined campaign,” said Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former White House spokeswoman who quit after Trump supporters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “From spending days off the campaign trail golfing to coming up with frankly weak nicknames like ‘Kamabala,’ it feels like he’s lost his mojo.”

Kamala’s Successful Convention Has Broken the Media’s Brain

Boo hoo, you sad losers.

Donny’s running mate, Couchfuck McGee, is a repellent misogynist who can’t manage to fake one genuine human emotion. And now Bobby Brainworms Junior has thrown his support to Donny — and Couchfuck has to be eyeing Bobby nervously.

With all this going on, the worthless scribblers of the corporate-controlled media have an important message they want to share with the Dems: what are you doing, being happy? Don’t you realize how messed up you are?

What is wrong with you, Kamala? Don’t you know that joy is not a strategy?

Okay, Jeff’s style is not my style, but the man’s got a point.

Reality check and calm down time. RFK

FAQ’s

What was the overall mood at the Democratic National Convention (DNC)?: The overall mood at the DNC was one of joy and relief, as the party felt reanimated after narrowly avoiding a potential catastrophe under Donald Trump’s leadership.
How did the viewership of the DNC compare to the Republican National Convention (RNC)?: The DNC outperformed the RNC in viewership across all four nights, with an estimated total of 87.2 million viewers compared to the RNC’s numbers.
How many people watched the final night of the DNC on TV?: The final night of the DNC pulled in an estimated 26.2 million viewers across 15 networks.
How did the DNC perform on streaming platforms?: The DNC garnered 21.3 million views over the course of four days on its online platforms.
What was the reach of the DNC’s digital content?: The DNC’s digital content amassed 350 million views on partner-created content over the four days of the convention.
How many content creators were credentialed to cover the DNC?: Over 200 content creators were credentialed to cover the DNC in person, with hundreds more covering remotely, reaching a combined following count of 500 million.
What are the key differences between the DNC and the RNC conventions this year?: The DNC focused on coalition building and inclusion, while the RNC emphasized themes like Joe Biden’s incompetence and Donald Trump’s heroism. The DNC also had a significantly higher viewership and digital engagement.
What was a notable sub-theme at the Republican convention?: A notable sub-theme at the Republican convention was immigration, with several speakers calling for mass deportation and a more exclusionary vision of America.
What did Michelle Obama emphasize in her speech at the DNC?: Michelle Obama emphasized the struggles of those left out of privileged classes and highlighted Kamala Harris’s understanding of these issues.
Who is Tim Walz, and why is he compared to Chuck Norris?: Tim Walz is a midwestern politician known for his relatable, dad-like persona. He is compared to Chuck Norris in a humorous way to highlight his ubiquity and resilience against political smears.
What controversy surrounded Tim Walz regarding an award from the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce?: There was confusion about an award Walz received from the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce, which was mistakenly thought to be from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. This was corrected in 2006.
What impact could RFK Jr.’s endorsement have on Trump’s campaign?: RFK Jr.’s endorsement could help Trump in battleground states but could also be problematic due to RFK Jr.’s controversial views on vaccinations, climate change, and other issues.
What is the best strategy for Trump regarding RFK Jr.’s endorsement?: The best strategy for Trump would be to thank RFK Jr. for his support, make no promises about the future, and avoid joint campaign appearances.
How has Trump’s campaign been described in light of Harris’s success?: Trump’s campaign has been described as low-energy and undisciplined, with some suggesting that he has lost his “mojo” compared to previous campaigns.
What is the media’s reaction to Kamala Harris’s successful convention?: The media has been critical of the joy and optimism expressed by Democrats, questioning whether it is a viable strategy. However, some commentators argue that the positive atmosphere is justified and effective.
What is the significance of the phrase “joy is not a strategy” in the context of the DNC?: The phrase “joy is not a strategy” is used sarcastically to criticize the media’s skepticism about the positive atmosphere at the DNC, suggesting that joy and optimism can indeed be powerful motivators in politics.