Night three of the Democratic National Convention is in the books, featuring speeches by President Obama, Vice President Biden and the Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Kaine. Here are a few brief thoughts:
Does Joe Biden regret sitting 2016 out?
We may never know if Biden regrets not running for president this year. But with the ovation he got as he walked on stage with “JOE” signs waving around the arena, it’s easy to think there were some Democrats wishing Biden were the nominee instead of Hillary Clinton. After all, Biden has a positive 15 favorability rating nationwide. Clinton’s is negative 16.
Why is Biden so popular? First of all, because he’s detached from most of what people don’t like about Obama. Most of the time they see Biden, he’s the subject of a hilarious Internet meme or giving a speech like tonight. And his speeches are always authentic. It never seems like he’s reading off a teleprompter. He has lines that grab your attention like, “Just stop for a second and listen to me without booing or cheering.” Lastly, how can you not like someone that uses “malarkey” in a speech?
I’ve always thought Joe Biden wouldn’t have won the nomination if he had run, but that he’d regret not even trying. Regardless, I’m sure he appreciated the send-off he got.
It’s not the Hillary Convention
In many ways, the convention last week was the Donald Trump Convention, not the Republican National Convention. Wednesday night showed this is the Democratic National Convention, not Hillary Clinton’s Convention. Take the long videos that introduced Biden and Obama tonight: There were almost no mentions of Clinton. It was all about thanking the two highest leaders of their party at the close of their political careers.
The major speeches reiterated that point. The main focus of Kaine’s speech was to introduce himself to the country, not to boost Clinton (though that’s normal for a vice presidential acceptance speech). When Obama spoke, his first point was to defend his record, pointing out his accomplishments on the economy, healthcare, clean energy and international relations.
The most striking visuals also showed this convention isn’t just about Clinton. “OBAMA” and “JOE” signs flooded the arena during their respective speeches.
Dems make their case to Republicans
Democrats were wise to make their case to Republicans Wednesday night. After all, according to a recent Reuters poll, almost 30 percent of Republicans don’t say they’re voting for Donald Trump. Many speakers used the exact phrase “strong and steady” to describe Clinton. “Strength” Republicans definitely like. “Steady” isn’t bad. The videos played between speakers also made the case. One video showed Trump mocking John McCain. Another used speaking clips of Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan, as well as Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio and other conservatives against Trump. Republicans typically have a lock on veterans speaking at conventions, but multiple veterans spoke against Trump, including one retired Navy rear admiral and the former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta.
It wasn’t just about the military: One video about Trump’s tax plan showed that it would add $34 trillion to the national debt over 20 years, more than $100,000 in debt for every person in the country. When Kaine spoke, he talked about former Virginia Gov. Linwood Hilton, a Republican, integrating the state’s schools. And he mentioned that his father-in-law is still a Republican who has found himself voting for plenty of Democrats recently. Obama even quoted Reagan.
One night of these conservative overtures won’t be enough to flip many Republicans to the Clinton ticket. But if Democrats make a point of doing this frequently over the course of the campaign, they might do some damage.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
