Report on 2020 Democratic National Convention, Day 4

And the 2020 Democratic National Convention concluded on Thursday night, very likely the most important political convention in our American history, because it nominated candidates for President and Vice President for what in many ways is the most important election in our history, upcoming in November. Why so important? Because it's the last and only chance to vote out of office a President who is the biggest threat to our democracy in history, Donald Trump.

This convention, as you know, was conducted virtually. The reason, as you also know, was safety, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging across America. This would have been a very necessary compromise. But I thought it came off so well, the virtual convention was in many ways so much better than the in-person convention, that it thus was not only no compromise, but something, or parts of which, that should be done again, and become part of the basic structure of how conventions to nominate Presidents of our country are conducted and presented to our nation.

The virtual convention was better, I thought, in at least two ways. First, the sequences of people across America, in the nomination roll call, in the endorsements and nominations, in the people talking about their struggles with racism, the pandemic, and their businesses, were the best way I've seen of putting substance to the "We, the people," the first words of our Constitution that were adopted as the motto of this 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Second, I think talking into a camera in a quiet hall or room made for better speeches by the major speakers. Part of the reason why I thought everyone from Bernie to Obama and Joe Biden gave the best speeches of their careers was the clarity and intensity that the camera rather than a huge crowd affords the speaker. I'm not sure this kind of speech making will continue when COVID subsides. I hope it does.

The Democrats, at least in my lifetime, have always been the Party of the future, so it's only fitting that they trail-blazed a new way of conducting conventions in this age of COVID-19.

Now as to the content of this final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, it had many splendid, memorable moments, many of them bringing tears to the eyes and hope to the soul. I thought the rivals segment was especially effective. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as host of the entire evening was not only emotionally satisfying but laugh-out-out funny. And the teenage boy in New Hampshire who stutters, and who explained how Joe Biden, who also stutters but has largely gotten on top of it, gave him some helpful advice was ... well, courageous and inspiring only do it partial justice.

And Joe Biden ... well, yes, he too indeed delivered the speech of his life. Summoning all of America to join him in the battle ahead to reclaim America, and then set it on a better path. The great speeches earlier in the convention were delivered by people like Barack Obama who had delivered many an inspirational and eloquent speech before. But I've never heard Joe Biden deliver anything like what he said on Thursday, masterfully written and masterfully delivered, in equal measure.

I can barely imagine, and don't particularly want to imagine, what the Republicans will do next week at their convention. I can imagine the America that Joe Biden so powerfully described, and I'll do all in my power in the months ahead to help make that happen.