As you’ve probably noticed, there’s a Democratic Party Convention going on in Chicago at the moment. Last night’s star speakers were Barack and Michelle Obama, before that we had Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden. They all gave speeches with varying degrees of energy. They all also spoke in the main using empty meaningly phrases.
No, that’s too harsh. They were empty emotional phrases. That seems to have been the strategy of the Democratic Party -get the followers pumped up. “Something wonderfully magic is in the air!” Michelle told the crowd. “I don’t know about you, Chicago, but I’m feeling fired up!” Barack Obama told the cheering crowd.”Wow! There’s a lot of energy in this room, just like across the country!” Hillary told her audience.
Note the pattern? The words were essentially vapid, largely empty of content, pure pump-it-up stuff – and the huge audience loved every second of it. I’d like to think that we’re not so dumb that we go wild when someone says they’re fired up, or there’s a lot of energy in the room, or that there’s a magic in the air. Maybe we are. But while I know the troops need to be stimulated for action, these shining words are essentially saying “We’re great and you’re great and please elect Kamala Harris”. I know you must bring energy and commitment to a cause, and that the Democrats have less than eighty days to do this, but it still looks and sounds like embarrassing flag-waving.
Maybe Kamala will put some firm policy statements into her speech, stiffening it beyond the whoop and holler. But if she does, you may be sure her speech will be served hot with lashings of glorious fighting talk that personally I think is insulting to the audience.
You are so RIGHT Jude empty is the Word not a tinkle about the slaughter in Gaza
Harris is the queen of word salad. Just stringing platitudes and slogans together resulting in a meaningless jumble. Expect nothing from either party to benefit either Palestine or even the American people . Blank check for Ukraine and the IFD though. Americans in trouble the next 4 years no matter who is elected. A disgrace
Very good jude free Palestine
At least the Democrats are a proper party, the RNC was just a bunch of white trash conspiracy theorists nut jobs pretending to love the Orange messiah.
Did you actually listen to the entirety of any of the speeches? There was a lot more than pumping people up, in my view. Besides the idea of a four day convention is to energize people to work for votes, to volunteer. It’s been so dark with Trump around and I’m enjoying the light and joy of this convention. (Except for some of the stories of ordinary people, which have been somber and sobering ). Sadly, this race is still too close, though I can’t fathom how so many still support that sorry excuse for a human: a liar, convicted felon, insurrectionist power hungry wanna be dictator. And in this country there are still people who need to be convinced a woman can be president. We cannot survive another four years of the other candidate. So if this has been four days of words, words, words there’s a reason in my view. Voters need to get to know Harris and Walz, and believe they could govern. I think many folks know promises made now can only be fulfilled if she has a Democratic majority in Congress, but no one wants to hear that right now. I don’t think we’re in trouble no matter who wins. For me there’s a clear choice. My thoughts aren’t very organized and there’s so much more I could say, but I doubt it would matter.