Optimism and joy in election time?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The razzle-dazzle and frenetic energy of participants at political conventions has always attracted me; having no affiliation nor philosophical bond with any party, my interest is solely based on the entertainment value such events offer. Having watched most of the main speakers at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), it was clear that those involved were determined to convey messages of “Optimism and Joy”, which is what their presidential candidate apparently represents.

Although Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president (VP) in January 2021, she has not been in the forefront as much as other VPs; Dick Cheney comes to mind, whose role as puppeteer controlled most everything that President George W. Bush did, just a few years ago. In fact, until about two months ago late night talk show hosts, most of whom loudly declare their affiliation to the Democratic Party, were cracking jokes about how Harris has been invisible since 2021. That changed immediately after the June 27 presidential debate debacle, when President Joe Biden looked so ill, inept and decrepit. The VP was catapulted from obscurity into the spotlight, and granted all the delegate votes that had been assigned to President Biden earlier; thus the Democratic Party presidential campaign gained new life, with the all-important donations. The stage was set for her introduction to DNC delegates, also to viewing audiences in America and around the globe.

The DNC’s first night kicked off according to plan, until President Biden gave his farewell speech; he obviously didn’t get the memo, and shouted for far too long in a very angry tone that had little to do with optimism and joy. He was barely mentioned on subsequent nights when Democratic glitterati like former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle were treated like royalty. Mrs Obama had famously put herself above the political fray at the 2016 DNC by stating “When they go low, we go high”, but in her hometown of Chicago those lofty words were replaced by getting a little revenge for what Republican Donald Trump had said about her and her husband, who was equally down and dirty.

Other former occupants of the White House, Bill and Hillary Clinton, were on hand, too; but scanning the sea of faces roaring approval for his speech, there was no sign of the apparently-forgotten Monica Lewinsky, whose name will be forever synonymous with his presidency. Both Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz had the convention crowd and sycophantic political pundits greatly enthused, but that little voice in the back of my mind kept telling me that people who have been involved in the sordid and disreputable game of American politics at so many levels for so long, can never be as pure as the driven snow, as everyone was asked to believe. The DNC’s most spontaneous applause came at the very few times when a speaker dared mention a ceasefire in Gaza, to free Israeli hostages and end the suffering of countless Palestinians. Depending on what happens in the volatile Middle East during the next several weeks, could well determine if there is still optimism and joy at election time?

BERNIE SMITH

Parksville, BC

Canada