The Democratic National Convention Committee announced that Joe Biden would accept the nomination for president at a scaled-down convention in Milwaukee from August 17-20.
The convention will move from the Fiserv Forum to the smaller Wisconsin Center, a convention center in downtown Milwaukee. Delegates are being asked not to come.
The contrast with Donald Trump’s big party in Florida later in August is deliberate. Democrats believe it’s “responsible” to protect the health and safety of people by limiting the number of people who will take part and initiate other safety protocols.
“Leadership means being able to adapt to any situation,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said in the announcement.
“That’s exactly what we’ve done with our convention. Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people,” he added.
Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said the presumptive presidential nominee intends to “proudly accept” the party’s nomination at the scaled-back convention.
The move to limit the convention also plays into the Biden campaign’s plans to hide their candidate until the election. There will be few, if any, big Biden rallies during the campaign. That, too, is deliberate. The campaign feels the less opportunity Biden is given to make a fool of himself, the better.
The DNCC also said a “process is being developed” to ensure all delegates can cast their votes on matters, including on the presidential nomination, remotely during the convention.
DNC standing committee meetings will also take place virtually.
Specifics about delegate representation on the convention floor will be provided after public health officials complete their assessment of the trajectory of the pandemic and determine how many people can safely gather in person in August, the committee said.
The Democrats also told state delegates they weren’t going to be welcome in Milwaukee.
“After consulting with public health officials about the COVID-19 pandemic, convention organizers are announcing today that they have determined state delegations should not plan to travel to Milwaukee and should plan to conduct their official convention business remotely,” the DNC said in a statement.
There are going to be a lot of disappointed Democrats out there. No one will be able to see all those silly hats that delegates wear on the convention floor.
Biden is surging in the polls. A look at today’s hysterical, end-of-the-world headlines and stories tells you why. It’s a disease that feeds on itself, growing ever larger, becoming ever more apocalyptic and dire.
Imagine what it’s going to be by late October.
Trump can’t win, of course. It’s impossible. Republicans will lose the Senate. That’s a certainty. Indeed, judging by what the media has been saying, a Republican won’t even be able to get elected dog catcher. It will be a slaughter. Republican Armageddon.
But if you take a deep breath, step back, and focus on what’s really happening, the picture changes dramatically. Trump is in trouble, yes. But Trump has been in trouble since he took the oath of office. The coronavirus “second wave” may or may not be upon us, but what’s clear is that there’s no going back. There will not be a second nationwide lockdown. There may be localized quarantines and restrictions, but the die is cast. Trump has crossed the Rubicon and the GOP has crossed with him.
Trump is looking ahead, not behind him. Ultimately, the voters will determine if that’s a winning strategy.
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