From Sea To Shining Sea: A Roll Call Road Trip

MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 18: In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, U.S. Rep. Derrick Lente (D-NM) casts the New Mexico roll-call vote for Presumptive Democratic pre... MILWAUKEE, WI - AUGUST 18: In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, U.S. Rep. Derrick Lente (D-NM) casts the New Mexico roll-call vote for Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden during the virtual convention on August 18, 2020. The convention, which was once expected to draw 50,000 people to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is now taking place virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by DNCC via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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As Americans watched from their well-worn couches, where many of us have spent almost all of our time for five months, the Democratic National Convention took its viewers on a coast-to-coast road trip.

Delegates from the states and territories announced their vote tallies before backdrops meant to be representative of their homes: wind turbines in Ohio, the neon Las Vegas sign in Nevada, a verdant forest in South Dakota, Joe Biden’s old home in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Some, like New York, tossed a schtick in with the boilerplate: “It’s Joe time!”

Some, like Utah, spent its seconds making a political statement. The delegate spoke about the state’s longtime use of universal vote-by-mail, highlighting its reliability — a clear counterpoint to the voter fraud fear mongering spread daily by President Donald Trump.

Biden’s home state of Delaware gave its presentation at an Amtrak station, a nod to his famous origin story. The delegates passed the first time around, preserving for themselves the honor of putting “Delaware’s favorite son” over the top, making him the official nominee of the Democratic party.

The montage had an energy completely different than the absolute chaos that usually marks the convention’s roll calls. In a normal, non-pandemic year, dozens of delegates crowd behind a handheld microphone to shout their vote tallies above the din of a jam-packed conference hall. They wear silly hats and shill for their states’ exports and brag about the greats they’ve produced.

This time, it just felt different. Almost like the Parade of Nations at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, each state sought to showcase its natural beauty and to excitedly – but calmly — announce its nominations. Of course, some states found that old habits die hard: looking at you, Rhode Island, with a platter of fried fish to mark you out as the “calamari comeback state.”

It was also a moment of unity, even levity, amid a night that featured some very heavy moments, including a health care package showcasing Ady Barkan, an activist who was diagnosed with ALS in 2016.

Ultimately, it was a roll call that only would’ve happened during the pandemic, and it was moving because of it. For many of us, as our lives ground to a standstill these past few months, our views have been reduced to the streets outside our windows and the faces over our computer cameras.

There was something very powerful about seeing Americans of all kinds, from every corner of the country, with different accents, many masked and standing feet from each other, coming together to nominate the Democratic candidate.

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Notable Replies

  1. I liked it. It showed diversity in America in their own states. Usually we see ‘faces’ on a convention floor but this went deeper. Good job.

  2. We just saw the future of America…
    It was great
    It was reassuring
    It was unifying!

  3. Compelling! Well done!

    Instead of a boisterous convention hall, this time we were able to hear and tour each state as they were visually represented.

  4. Really well done. It was hokey at times, but reassuringly so. And the portion with the focus on people who talked about the meaning of the ACA to them was especially moving. I find myself wondering what the GOoPers will come up with to compete. I mean, is Trump going to stand up in front of another Church with a right side up Bible? I guess that would be news.

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