The Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago on Monday with a notable shift in focus, as President Joe Biden passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden, who made Harris his running mate in 2020, described the decision as the best of his career and endorsed her as a future president who would make history.
“She’ll be a president our children can look up to. She’d be a president respected by world leaders, because she already is. She’d be a president we can all be proud of. And she’d be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future,” Biden said.
The convention, which ran significantly behind schedule, marked a turning point for the Democratic Party, which had been divided just a month ago amid pressure on Biden to step aside.
On Monday night, however, the party presented a united front, rallying behind Harris and positioning her as the Democratic candidate to face former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Democrats used the evening to attack Trump on issues such as abortion rights, his legal challenges, and his policies, which they argued favor the wealthy. In contrast, they framed Harris as a candidate who would prioritize working people.
Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, a pastor at Martin Luther King Jr.’s former church in Atlanta, highlighted the significance of unity in the upcoming election, saying, “A vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children, and our prayers are stronger when we pray together.”
The night also emphasized the historic potential of Harris’s candidacy, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing hope that Harris would succeed where she had fallen short eight years ago. Clinton voiced her support, saying, “This is when we break through. The future is here.”
