“We’re at an inflection point,” Ms. Harris said as she formally accepted the nomination. “The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone.
“We can do better and deserve so much more. We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better and do the important work.”
…
Mr. Obama delivered his remarks from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, in a room with the U.S. Constitution displayed on its walls. The subtext was clear: The core of the nation’s democracy was at stake.
“Do not let them take away your power,” Mr. Obama said. “Do not let them take away your democracy.”
The evening opened with a surprise appearance by Ms. Harris, who welcomed the audience along with Kerry Washington, the third Hollywood actress to assume M.C. duties this week.
…
Mrs. Clinton made the case for Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris as a dual package offering policy and empathy, saying they could move the country forward in areas such as housing and health care.
Former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses the Democratic National Convention. (DNCC)
But for all the embrace of Ms. Harris for symbolizing a new era of Democratic politics, there was little on Wednesday night to suggest that her ascension would signal a break from mainstream Democratic orthodoxy. A former prosecutor and California attorney general, she spent the primary campaign oscillating between the party’s moderate and progressive lanes, supporting ideas like the expansive Green New Deal to combat climate change but rejecting left-wing litmus tests such as “Medicare for all” and higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans.
How is the present moment an inflection point, rather than another instant in the continuum of a decades-long process? If indeed this moment does constitute an inflection point, is orthodoxy then what is called for?
Is „We can do better“ a phrase which effectively engages the magnitude of the disaster of the United States in 2020?
Who is „we“? Are „we“ US citizens? Democrats? Why do we deserve so much more? Is the current president not the product of a uniquely American society? What has this society done to give itself the impression it deserves anything other than what it has?
