The News Not Noise Letter: Walking the Line in Chicago
The News Not Noise Letter: Walking the Line in Chicago
The Democratic National Convention kicks off looking forward and back. Plus: a delicate balancing act, and Trump counterprograms.
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Hello from Chicago where we are about to head to the convention hall.
The Harris campaign took off like a rocket ship. VP Kamala Harris’s candidacy achieved liftoff and hit orbit with almost flawless precision. Now her team has to maintain that momentum and a successful convention is key. It’s an opportunity to speak directly to the people and to build a deeper connection with voters through a week of highly produced storytelling. In our newsletter last week, we explained that the timing couldn’t be better as the press is on the cusp of going negative. Guess what? After weeks of positive coverage, today the New York Times cover featured a piece criticizing Harris for a “light on policy” campaign. (A fair critique.)
Whether this convention is a success depends on a number of factors – only some in the campaign’s control. A key consideration: unpredictable world events.
Here are a few dynamics we’ll be watching this week:
Moderates vs. Progressives: Traditionally, Democrats win primaries by running to the left to energize the base, then in the general run to the center to woo moderates. This year the campaign is so compressed Harris is attempting to do both at once. How will she thread that needle this week?
Storytelling vs. Policy: This campaign has been connecting with voters through storytelling and memes. They’re building an emotional connection while skimping on policy specifics. Supporters can project onto Harris anything they want to believe. The convention is a place for storytelling over policy. But will storytelling alone be enough?
Harris vs. HRC: The Harris team boasts many veterans from Hillary Clinton’s campaign. And they have Clinton herself on speed dial. Unlike Clinton, Harris is downplaying the fact that she’d break a glass ceiling if elected. Will that change this week?
Foreign Policy Savvy vs. Progressive Rage: How will they navigate the discussion of responsible foreign policy, rising antisemitism, and fierce anti-war – and at times anti-Israel and even antisemitic – protest?
Media vs. Creators: The media has the big booths and skyboxes, but creators are flooding the convention hall. Who will prove more effective at helping voters make their decision?
Finally, this is exciting for me personally. When I left TV news years ago and started doing this on my own, I thought one trade-off would be losing access to cover events like this. Pretty cool that the world has come around – though I’m not sure I’m ready to be on a blue carpet with TikTok dancers.
Here are your headlines:
Harris Updates: VP Harris is taking heat for sharing few policy details. Today, her campaign offered one new specific: as president she’d raise the corporate tax rate to 28% (up from its current 21%) which is what Biden’s been advocating.
Polls: Multiple recent polls show Harris with a narrow lead on Trump nationally, and narrowing the gap in key Sun Belt states.
Battlegrounds: She and Gov. Walz spent Sunday campaigning in battleground Pennsylvania. During that trip she answered some press questions. She dodged a question about how she’d pay for the proposed child tax credit, saying instead that the return-on-investment is in lives improved. She also said that her acceptance speech will share a vision of “a new way forward and bringing everyone along in that.”
The Platform: This year is weird in so many ways. Here’s the latest: the DNC approved its platform before President Biden dropped out so it’s filled with references to his second term. Delegates will vote on it tonight. Highlights include: enshrining Roe v. Wade as law; protecting access to contraception and IVF; $15 minimum wage nationwide; more Border Patrol agents; and expanded funding for cities and states sheltering migrants. Notably the platform does not include an arms embargo on Israel, which “uncommitted” delegates pushed for. The platform instead calls for a “negotiated two-state solution.”
DNC Day One: Tonight’s theme is “For the People,” and the focus is on President Biden. The DNC plans to frame his decision to withdraw from the race as a contrast to Trump, saying he “put the American people’s interests above his own.” The speaker lineup is packed with notable names: former nominee Sec. Hillary Clinton, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. President Biden will deliver the keynote address, symbolically passing the torch to VP Harris. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harris herself makes an appearance with Biden. Also look for stories from regular people. Today you’ll hear from women with life-threatening pregnancy stories.
Star-Studded Events: Lots of big-name celebrities will attend and participate. Steven Spielberg reportedly helped choreograph the primetime show, while actors Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn, and Kerry Washington will each host one night of the convention, along with political commentator Ana Navarro. Julia Louis-Dreyfus – who appeared on the 2020 convention stage is here. She was on my flight!
Trump’s Counterprogramming: Former President Trump, campaigning in battleground states, is targeting issues his campaign sees as weak spots for Harris. Today he gave an economic speech in Pennsylvania, slamming Harris for “pushing communist price controls” and claiming that he and Sen. JD Vance are “extremely normal.” He’ll be in Michigan Tuesday to talk crime, North Carolina Wednesday to talk national security, and Arizona and Nevada Thursday and Friday to focus on immigration. Today Trump said he’d tap Elon Musk for the Cabinet – as if Musk doesn’t have enough jobs already.
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Protests: Thousands of people who oppose the war in Gaza spent the day protesting outside United Center. The turnout was well under the anticipated 20,000+ that organizers hoped to draw. About 100 protesters broke through a security fence, but were contained without violence. So far the protests have been peaceful. More officially-sanctioned protests are scheduled Thursday, when VP Harris will accept the nomination.
Security Updates: When I shared that I’d be coming to Chicago to cover the DNC, lots of you wrote me “be safe.” There are people threatening to do harm – a national security source sent me this tweet (“Chicago is gonna be 🔥 this week!”) from Ivan Raiklin. Raiklin is no joke – he calls himself Trump’s “secretary of retribution” and previously drew up a hit list of “Deep State” targets. But this convention is a designated national security event. Law enforcement and city infrastructure have been planning for “well over a year.” 17 public safety agencies ranging from the Chicago Police Department to the Secret Service have coordinated intensely. So far we haven’t been through the security and we hear it’s intense.
Middle East: This week, we’re monitoring the delicate situation in the Middle East. As reported, President Biden set this week to reach a hostage-for-ceasefire deal. A deal would mean a return of hostages, a reprieve from violence for the Palestinians in Gaza, and crucially, a de-escalation with Iran. Today Israel accepted a proposal that the US, Egypt, and Qatar put forward – but Hamas rejected the deal (and claimed responsibility for an explosion in Tel Aviv). US Sec. of State Antony Blinken, in Israel now, says the deal is not dead and called on Hamas to accept it. He met with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu today for nearly three hours. If the deal fails, Iran and Hezbollah could strike at any time. The events in the Middle East are a huge wild card right now.
Here’s some news that doesn’t suck:
Blue Supermoon: Tonight is a blue supermoon – but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t actually look blue. The moon will look bigger than usual, because it’s currently at the part of its orbit where it passes closest to Earth. If you see cloudy skies tonight, don’t worry – the next three full moons will also be supermoons.
For more details on the convention, including if Harris might see a post-convention bounce and what makes this convention different, see our explainer here. And follow us on Instagram @jessicayellin to see our DNC coverage from Chicago.
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