Republished with permission from Lucian K. Truscott IV
One of the difficulties with writing political journalism is when the news is good—most especially when it’s all good. That’s the problem with writing about last night’s DNC: it wasn’t just good, it was great! Kamala made a surprise appearance and spoke on the first night, which made history because candidates have traditionally taken the stage only after they are nominated on the third night.
The speakers were good; the order they spoke in was right-on; the speeches were smart and powerful; the visuals were terrific, all the young and non-white faces, the enthusiasm that came across as genuine and not politically canned, like crowds can be at some campaign events, especially for you-know-who.
What else can you add?
It’s going to be much the same tonight, devoted to the Obamas. What could go wrong with that? It will be a love-fest for all the right reasons, the speeches will be spot-on, even the musical choices are likely to be stunning and wonderful.
There was some whining by the establishment political press, of course—that the Democrats didn’t do right by President Biden by pushing him into the late hours, or even that it was the party’s plan all along, to “hide” Biden by not having him on in prime time.
Balderdash. It came out today that the convention managers cancelled two earlier speakers and a musical number by Democrat-fave James Taylor attempting to get Biden in a prime time slot. It didn’t work chiefly because there was so much cheering and floor demonstrations during Kamala’s and Hillary’s and AOC’s and Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket’s speeches, all of whom brought the house down, that the convention schedule ran late.
There was one wonderful reaction from the other side. Nitwits and droolers like Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk and the X account “End Wokeness” (with 3 million followers—go figure) started bouncing off the walls about—you’re going to love this—Joe Biden and Doug Emhoff hugging their daughters, calling them “weird” and “creepy.”
There are advantages in political journalism when the news is so good that the other side freaks out, however. You get to run photos like this one, of Trump in a pimp-suit hugging his daughter Ivanka while seated on a statue of two parrots having sex.
Lucian K. Truscott IV
Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist and screenwriter. He has covered stories such as Watergate, the Stonewall riots and wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels and several unsuccessful motion pictures. He has three children, lives in rural Pennsylvania and spends his time Worrying About the State of Our Nation and madly scribbling in a so-far fruitless attempt to Make Things Better.
