The Spectacle
The 2020 Political Conventions…
The two national political conventions in the 2020 race for the White House could not have conducted more starkly different coronations of their respective standard-bearers. The Democrats tried to cast the next four years as recoverable, while the Republicans tried to present four years to be feared.
The two speeches were also delivered in other ways. The former Vice President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, delivered his message in about one-half hour, and the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, delivered his acceptance over seventy minutes.
Nevertheless, the Republicans used their convention to solidify their base further, as did the Democrats with their base. What is up for grabs now is the independent vote, which represents approximately one-third of the American electorate today.
In 2016, more Independents supported Donald J. Trump’s candidacy. Will they do the same in 2020, or will those same Independents defect to Mr. Trump’s challenger, former Vice President Biden?
President Trump ended the Republican National Convention Thursday evening with a hair-raising keynote address ripping his general election opponent, calling into question Mr. Biden’s physical health, China interactions, and lack of response to the COVID-19 crisis even though Mr. Biden has not held government office during the pandemic, and Socialist philosophy overall.
