DNC and RNC set up upcoming election

KYLEE LARY
PHOTOGRAPHER

BRYCE BIRCHMEIER
STAFF WRITER

IASMINA IDRIS
STAFF WRITER

9/16/2024

The Republican and Democratic National Conventions serve several main purposes in our election process. The vital part of the convention is the roll call of the delegates voting for their choice of the presidential nominee, who will then also announce their vice president.

Moving to the more entertaining part – there are usually speeches from the members of the party, very often the most well-known of them, such as former presidents, potential nominees, and sometimes also invited celebrities out of the party. This election year the RNC was held from July 15-18th and the DNC was held from Aug. 19-22nd.

The Democratic National Convention was held throughout Chicago during its four-day span. The main takeaway is that the Democratic nominee for the November 5th ticket will be Kamala Harris with Tim Walz as vice president. 

“I thought Democrats presented their nominee incredibly well. The younger, and incredibly politically active, population will appreciate the Democrat’s emphasis on entertainment as well,” said Mallory Fenskie (’26).

The convention was titled “For the People, For Our Future” and each day had an overall theme for their discussions.

Firstly, discussing Joe Biden’s presidential legacy and Harris’s commitment to fight for the everyday American in her presidency. Followed by Project 2025 and contrasting it with the overall focus of Harris’s presidency. Then, fundamental freedoms and how Trump’s presidency changed and challenged them. Ending off with discussing what having Trump in the white house for another four years would look like.  

The convention also had many performers including Pink with her daughter Maren Morris, Stevie Wonder, Amanda Gorman and John Legend. 

“These conventions have turned into so much more than just policy and plans. Showcasing unity and relating to the ‘average American’ is so important to the young voter,” said Fenskie. Each performance spoke of different and impactful themes including change, standing together, and standing for what you believe in. 

Sam Leppien (‘26) will be helping us out today with the RNC. We were eager to figure out several things. In particular, is a party convention still an important part of the American people’s life? Of the election process? Well, for Leppien’s family it was in fact a big thing, they had a watch party, observing and discussing all of the exciting parts of the event.

According to his words, the convention turned out to be a bit different from what was expected- this year a lot of celebrities showed up to openly support the republican party nominee- Donald Trump.

Apparently, it is something new and standing out. As the nominee himself obviously was not a surprise, my next questions were about the relevance of the convention. After all, if we know the candidate in advance, what is the point of it? Besides, it was a great opportunity for the whole party to meet all together as well as to get a chance to be on the national television for a long time to be able to present their future policy comprehensively, or in Trump’s case “make a comeback” after a big character change. 

Even though the perception of conventions have been changing throughout the years, they are still an integral part of the political life of American society. With the information we’re given, we’re able to make our choices to vote for either side of the political spectrum.