The Democratic National Convention occurred on August 17th through 20th of 2020 albeit in a virtual setting. Former Vice President of the United States under the Obama Administration Joe Biden was selected to lead the democrats in the presidential race. Kamala Harris was selected to be Biden’s running mate and she also accepted the bid.

            The democratic convention featured speakers such as former first lady Michelle Obama, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Andrew Cuomo. Collectively the sentiment was expressed that current sitting President Donald Trump has been an ineffective leader in these times, and it is necessary for Joe Biden to become the next president.

            Former President Barack Obama spoke in a chilling and passionate tone, urging voters to protect democracy– which he believes is at stake under the current administration. He called democrats to action: “do not let them take away your power, do not let them take away your democracy.” This address from the former President was crucial to painting Joe Biden as the ideal leader to protect democracy and continue the American tradition of liberty and justice for all.

            The democratic party also addressed the diversity of opinion within the party. The party has a very diverse set of opinions and beliefs, especially about how health insurance should be covered, how wall street should be regulated, and moreover how to deal with Big Tech companies. Despite their differences, however, the party appeared to be united in their effort to force Trump out of office.

            An interesting part of the convention came about however when Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced that she would be supporting fellow democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for the presidency. This endorsement comes after Sanders lost in the primary to Biden. Though Ocasio-Cortez maintains her support for senator and his progressive ideas.

            In summation, the DNC was a successful event in the sense that it showed a collective effort and unity– something that is needed greatly right now. The critical question that now must be asked: was the convention enough to sway undecided voters? The election is soon nearing and polls show Biden with a slight lead of 10% over President Trump. Though if anything can be learned from the 2016 election, it is that polls should be viewed with skepticism. Following the DNC Biden has not gained any more traction in the polls, however, which is good news for the Trump Administration.