Democratic National Convention

 Takeaways from the third night of the Democratic National Convention

Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21, 2024.

Democrats are banking on a deep-seated desire among the American electorate to move past the divisiveness that has marked the decade under former President Donald Trump.

At the party’s convention Wednesday night in Chicago, this strategy of embracing “joy” was prominently featured, with Vice President Kamala Harris positioned as the candidate to lead the nation forward.

Former President Bill Clinton highlighted this sentiment by saying that Harris brings "sheer joy" to the 2024 race. Oprah Winfrey echoed this message, encouraging Americans to "choose joy."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg drew a stark contrast between Trump’s “darkness” and the positive, inclusive politics championed by Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, noting that their approach “just feels better to be part of.”

The message highlighted just how quickly the 2024 presidential race has shifted since President Joe Biden’s exit last month. Biden’s campaign had centered on grave warnings that Trump’s re-election would threaten the very fabric of democracy. While Vice President Kamala Harris has not abandoned these warnings, she has reshaped them into a more optimistic message that focuses on themes of freedom and joy—paired with a festive atmosphere.

Musical performances by John Legend and drummer Sheila E. featured Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy,” and Stevie Wonder delivered a powerful rendition of “Higher Ground.”

In a lively moment, alumni from the Mankato West High School football team—where Minnesota Governor Tim Walz once served as an assistant coach—took the stage wearing their old jerseys, as the school’s pep band played the fight song.

“Thank you for bringing the joy to this fight,” Walz told the crowd.

Here are six takeaways from the DNC’s third night:

Tim Walz, the Joyful Warrior, Steps into the Spotlight

This moment was a new experience for Tim Walz. Before being chosen as Kamala Harris’ running mate, he had never delivered a high-stakes speech to a national audience—nor had he ever used a teleprompter.

In a convention filled with former presidents, congressional leaders, and celebrities, Walz took a different approach.

Though he’s a two-term governor and a former congressman, Walz leaned into the earlier chapters of his life: high school teacher, football coach, hunter, and neighbor.

In his speech, Walz framed the Democratic Party as the party of freedom.

“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the choices they make. And even if we wouldn’t make the same choices ourselves, we’ve got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business,” Walz said.

He also highlighted Harris’ policy positions on health care, abortion rights, and homeownership, adopting a populist tone reminiscent of the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone.

“When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love. Freedom to make your own health care decisions. And yes, the freedom for your kids to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall,” Walz said.

“That’s what this is all about the responsibility we have to our kids, to each other, and to the future we’re building together—where everyone is free to create the life they want.”

Perhaps the most poignant moment of Walz’s speech came when he spoke about the fertility challenges he and his wife, Gwen, endured.

“Hope, Gus, and Gwen—you are my entire world, and I love you,” he said, acknowledging his daughter, son, and wife.

As Walz spoke, Gus Walz stood up, tears streaming down his face, and applauded his father.

Walz left the stage to hear Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” echoing through the United Center. The song’s use was especially significant, as Young had personally granted the Harris campaign permission to play it—unlike four years earlier when he sued Trump’s campaign to stop them from using it.

Oprah Draws Parallels Across History

While other Democrats championed a generational shift on Wednesday night, talk show icon Oprah Winfrey connected the historical threads, presenting Kamala Harris as a symbol of “the best of America.”

Winfrey shared the story of Tessie Prevost, who passed away last month, and three other Black girls who, at just six years old, faced intense hatred and harassment as they began the desegregation of New Orleans elementary schools in 1960.

Linking their bravery to Harris, Winfrey noted that the “New Orleans Four” paved the way for another young girl who, nine years later, joined the second class to integrate public schools in Berkeley, California.

Now, Winfrey said, Harris stands on the brink of making history.

“Soon, we’ll be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father—two idealistic and energetic immigrants—grew up to become the 47th president of the United States,” Winfrey declared.

“That is the best of America,” she added, prompting the crowd to break into a “U-S-A” chant.

Winfrey also referenced Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who once remarked in a 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson that the United States is being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives.”

“We are not so different from our neighbors,” Winfrey said. “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowners’ race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady—well, we try to get that cat out, too.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is joined by his daughter, Hope; his son, Gus; and his wife, Gwen, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday, August 21.

‘For the People’ vs. ‘Me, Myself, and I’

Bill Clinton, whom former President Barack Obama once called the “explainer-in-chief,” framed the election as a choice between Kamala Harris being “for the people” and Donald Trump being “about me, myself, and I.”

“I know which one I like better for our country,” Clinton said.

Though Clinton’s influence in the party has diminished over the 23 years since he left office, no other Democrat has been able to replicate his connection with White working-class voters, a demographic that has drifted away from the party since Clinton’s time. This makes his appearances at the convention, which happen once every four years, particularly significant.

In his speech, Clinton touched on Harris’ positions on housing and health care and credited Democrats with job growth. However, he primarily used his time to portray Trump as self-centered, contrasting him with Harris, who he described as a clean break from the constant drama surrounding the former president.

He noted that Trump “mostly talks about himself.”

“So, the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies—count the I’s,” Clinton said. “His vendettas, his vengeance, his complaints, his conspiracies.”

Keep Looking Ahead

In the Democratic Party, a new era is approaching.

While the primary goal of this year’s convention in Chicago is to launch Kamala Harris into the fall campaign with strong momentum, it also marks a significant generational transition within the party.

Several of the party’s veteran figures—including Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary Clinton, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—are acknowledging the end of their influential roles and the rise of new leaders.

At 78, Bill Clinton reflected on his long history with the Democratic National Convention, having attended every one since 1972. “I have no idea how many more of these I’ll be able to come to,” he told the crowd Wednesday night.

“But here’s what I want you to know,” Clinton continued. “If you vote for this team—if you help elect them and let them bring in this breath of fresh air—you’ll be proud of it for the rest of your life. Your children will be proud of it. Your grandchildren will be proud of it.”

Drawing on memories of the 1992 convention where he was first nominated, Clinton urged, “Take it from the man who once had the honor of being called the man from Hope: We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy, to lead us.”

Clinton also praised Biden, noting that his decision to step aside will enhance his legacy. Following Clinton, Pelosi—who has already facilitated a generational shift in Congress by stepping down as House Democratic leader in 2022, making way for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries—addressed the crowd. At 84, Pelosi remains a towering figure in American political history, having played a key role in guiding Biden’s transition to Harris.

Hostage Parents Describe the ‘Agony on All Sides’ of the Israel-Hamas Conflict

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin—an Israeli-American abducted by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7—shared their “anguish and misery” on Wednesday in one of the night’s most moving moments.

“Since then, we’ve felt as if we’re living on another planet. Anyone who is a parent or has had a parent can try to imagine the suffering that Jon and I, along with all the hostage families, are enduring,” Goldberg-Polin said.

The couple revealed they have met “numerous times” with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House. 

“We are deeply grateful to them,” Jon Polin said. “We also want to thank the millions of people across the United States and around the world who have shown us love, support, and strength. You’ve kept us going in a world that feels like it has no air.”

Acknowledging the loss of civilian lives in Gaza, Polin noted that there is “a surplus of agony on all sides” of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Their remarks come as Democrats grapple with the complexities of US support for Israel amid the ongoing war and resulting civilian casualties. Progressive criticism of Biden on this issue has led to protests on campuses and “uncommitted” votes in some states’ presidential primaries this spring.

About an hour before the Polins spoke, Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of the Uncommitted Nation Network, welcomed their address but reiterated the demand for a Palestinian-American perspective to be given equal time.

Later, Uncommitted members learned their request for a speaking slot had been denied, leading them to stage a sit-in outside the United Center with banners reading “Arms embargo now” and “Not another bomb,” calling for an end to US military aid for Israel’s war effort. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar briefly joined the protest.

Capitol Police Officer Accuses Trump of ‘Betraying Us’

While Kamala Harris has added her own perspective to the Democratic message since taking over as the lead candidate, the core theme of defending democracy, which was central to President Biden’s reelection campaign, remains a key focus.

Aquilino Gonell, a former US Capitol Police sergeant, criticized Trump for allegedly “summoning our attackers” during the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, where Congress was counting electoral votes.

Gosnell, who immigrated from the Dominican Republic at age 12 and served in the Army, accused Trump of “betraying us.”

“We officers risked everything to protect innocent people. We were beaten and blinded. I was assaulted with a pole attached to an American flag,” Gosnell said.

On Wednesday night, Democrats highlighted the insurrection and Trump’s broader attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican, and Olivia Troye, a former national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, also spoke at the Chicago convention.

“To my fellow Republicans, you’re not voting for a Democrat; you’re voting for democracy,” Troye said. “You’re not betraying our party; you’re standing up for our country.”