The recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago was a showcase of impressive speeches. Presidential nominee Kamala Harris justified the newfound enthusiasm of Democrats with a strong acceptance speech, but even she couldn’t match the oratorical power of Michelle and Barack Obama two nights earlier.

US political culture is marked by visionary speeches, from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of gold” to Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” and Ronald Reagan’s “Tear down this wall”. This rhetorical tradition infuses events such as party conventions, where memorable speeches can lay the groundwork for presidential careers.

Australia also has some justly famous political speeches. There was Robert Menzies’ “Forgotten People” address of 1942, Paul Keating’s Redfern speech in 1992, and Julia Gillard’s “misogyny speech” to parliament in 2012. Noel Pearson’s eulogy for Gough Whitlam in 2014 was a rhetorical masterpiece.

But these speeches are memorable because they are so rare. Australian politicians need to be good communicators, but they are not expected to deliver the kind of soaring, visionary rhetoric we see so often in the US. Why is this?

Politics with the soul of a church.

US party conventions often look like Hollywood awards ceremonies, and Steven Spielberg was involved in the planning of the recent DNC. Hollywood has become an indelible part of US political culture.

Reagan, a former Hollywood actor, set new standards for how telegenic and entertaining presidents could be. Donald Trump may not be everyone’s idea of a great orator, but the former reality TV star is certainly a master of televised spectacles.

The tradition of preaching is an even deeper cultural source of US political rhetoric. With about 30% of Americans attending religious services regularly, the sermon is the most prevalent form of public speech in the US.

American preachers need to be compelling, given the level of religious competition, and church is where many future politicians first encounter the craft of public speaking. American political speeches often reflect the combination of uplift and warning found in preaching.

While evangelical Christianity is usually associated with the Republican Party, it is also in the DNA of Democrats because of the Civil Rights Movement and the black church. One of the standout speakers of the DNC was Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of the same Baptist church in Atlanta where Martin Luther King Jr preached.

Warnock described Trump in biblical terms as a “plague on the American conscience”. But he also described a vote as “a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children”.

Australia has no shortage of politicians who were raised as Christians and have Christian commitments. But unlike in the US, where even secular politicians must pay lip service to prayer, Christian politicians in Australia must adapt themselves to the secularism of Australian culture. This culture does not expect politicians to preach.

Strong speeches for weak parties

Michelle Grattan last week described Australian party conferences as “mind-numbing” compared with the “Hollywood extravaganzas” of their US counterparts.

But the spectacles at US party conventions testify to the weakness of American political parties. The Democratic and Republican National Committees have little power. Party organisations are localised and fragmented. They lack the central authority found in Australian parties, and the national convention every four years is the only time a nationwide party truly comes into existence.

Even in Congress, parties have few mechanisms for disciplining their members. Party leaders are forced to negotiate with their own side, not always successfully. Party conventions see an extravagant display of unity behind a newly nominated candidate. This is one of the few moments party unity is guaranteed.

While there is plenty of competition for power within Australian parties, in Australia it mostly takes place behind closed doors within party hierarchies. In the US, would-be legislators and executives need to campaign publicly to win the often brutal primary elections that earn them the party’s nomination.

Successful candidates must create their own personalised campaigns. They have help from local party organisations, which coordinate resources and volunteers, but they need much more than that. A candidate for national office must build their own coalition of donors that would dwarf anything a party could provide.

Hence the need for good speech-making. Competition for the attention of donors and voters is fierce, and a compelling speech is a vital way to stand out. This is especially true of candidates such as Barack Obama, who came from outside the party’s traditional power bases.

In Australia, inspirational speeches don’t have the same political currency. A system of strict party discipline, small preselection contests and short, relatively cheap election campaigns means candidates are rewarded more for other political skills.

The Australian advantage: debating

While a US politician might give a more entertaining stump speech than an Australian one, an Australian politician would probably perform better in any scenario that requires unscripted comments – especially a debate with an opponent.

Even superb US political orators can be underwhelming when they don’t have a script and a receptive audience. Congressional debates consist of prepared speeches with little direct engagement between opponents. There is no equivalent to Parliamentary Question Time, and holders of executive office (such as the president or state governors) aren’t even in the legislature.

While Congressional committee hearings can sometimes provide a simulation of the rowdiness we associate with Question Time, the structure of Congress isn’t conducive to debate in the same way.

The physical format of Westminster parliaments, with opponents facing each other directly, attests to an adversarial nature that was there from the beginning. The power of Gillard’s “misogyny speech”, which went viral globally, came partly from the way she delivered it straight into Tony Abbott’s face.

US Congress was designed differently. The framers of the Constitution loathed the idea of factions, and imagined a legislature made up of representatives who would negotiate with each other to find consensus. Congress in turn would have to negotiate with the president, who would rarely need to engage publicly with its members.

This may explain why, despite the routine brilliance of convention speeches, US presidential debates are so tedious and forgettable. Commentators who try to hype these debates by citing “great moments” from past debates inevitably reach for the same ancient zinger, “you’re no Jack Kennedy”, delivered by forgotten vice-presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.

The sad reality is that the most memorable and consequential presidential debate in living memory is the one we just saw, where Joe Biden performed so badly he ended his hopes of a second presidency.

In the land of the scripted, the teleprompter is king.

David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chicago:

Disappointed Pro-Palestinian activists said Kamala Harris’ speech to close the Democratic convention in Chicago failed to demonstrate any break from the status quo, after a week in which the most divisive issue facing the party was mostly ignored.

Under pressure to respond to critics of US support for Israel’s war in Gaza, the vice president used her Thursday night speech to repeat earlier calls for a ceasefire and a hostages deal. She said she supported Israel’s right to defend itself while also favouring the Palestinian right to self-determination.

Abbas Alawieh, co-founder of the Uncommitted National Movement that mobilised more than 750,000 voters to protest US policy on Israel, said Harris missed an opportunity to win over those people, many of whom live in battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

“What’s needed in this moment is courageous leadership that breaks from the current approach,” Alawieh told Reuters shortly after Harris formally accepted the party’s nomination.

Uncommitted delegates and their allies had pushed unsuccessfully for a prime-time speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to address the latest bloodshed in the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s assault on Hamas-governed Gaza, with the aid of US support, has since killed 40,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, along with displacing nearly its entire 2.3 million population, causing a hunger crisis and flattening almost the entire enclave.

Rima Mohammad, an Uncommitted delegate from Michigan, said the speech added to disappointment over the DNC’s refusal to let a Palestinian speak, and offered nothing to assuage the concerns of her progressive, diverse community in Ann Arbor.

“I’m actually more concerned now,” Mohammad said. “This is just a bad look. You’re going to lose Michigan.”

A campaign spokesperson declined to explain the decision not to schedule a speech by a Palestinian speaker at the DNC. The decision was made by DNC organisers in close consultation with the Harris campaign, sources familiar with the discussions said.

Party insiders fear the Gaza war could cost Harris needed votes in battleground states such as Michigan, which is home to large Muslim and Arab American populations and college campuses that have been the site of Gaza protests.

The convention was held in Chicago, home to the United States’ largest Palestinian community, according to the Arab American Institute.

The DNC faced pro-Palestinian protests each day in Chicago, including thousands of demonstrators on Thursday night ahead of Harris’ speech. Dozens of arrests were made during the week.

Protesters carried banners that read “No Embargo No Vote” and “No Ceasefire No Vote,” while thousands chanted “Ceasefire now,” and “Long live Palestine.”

“Leading with Israel’s right to defend itself in the wake of 40,000 massacred Palestinians is absolutely tone deaf,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC and National Chair of the US Palestinian Community Network, who said Harris simply repeated President Joe Biden’s positions.

“Harris said nothing new,” he said. “We continue to demand that the US and Harris implement an arms embargo and stop sending weapons and all other aid to Israel.”

Mohammad, Alawieh and other Uncommitted delegates spent the previous night on the sidewalk outside the convention to protest the DNC’s rejection of their request for a Palestinian speaker.

They welcomed a call for a ceasefire and the return of hostages by the parents of one US hostage held in Gaza – Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin – on Wednesday night, but said they should also have been given a chance to speak.

Pro-Palestinian protesters and delegates said they were heartened by messages of solidarity from the United Auto Workers union and the Movement for Black Lives, a network of over 150 leaders and organizations. Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said on X it would cease operations after the DNC decision.

Ruwa Romman, a Georgia state legislator and delegate who spent the night outside the DNC, said Uncommitted organizers had negotiated with the Harris campaign for weeks and provided a list of possible speakers, only to be rejected.

Prior to Harris’ remarks, only a handful of speakers even addressed the war, including Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders and Raphael Warnock, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

One major Harris campaign donor, who requested anonymity to be candid about their private conversations with the campaign, said they worried that without a near-term ceasefire deal and clear statements from Harris about ending the war and protecting civilians, campus protests could flare again when universities resume classes in coming days.

“We need every vote,” the donor said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination, Kamala Harris vowed to resist the influence of authoritarian leaders, who she implied have allegedly manipulated Donald Trump’s foreign policy by appealing to his autocratic tendencies. In a bid to position herself against Republican frontrunner Trump, Harris is stressing her resolve on national security, portraying the billionaire as a riskier alternative.

In her speech, Harris made it abundantly clear that her presidency would mark a definitive break from the Trump era, particularly in foreign policy. “I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators,” she declared.

As Dr Sweta Chakraborty, a Climate Surrogate for the Harris campaign, explains, Harris’s approach to policy formation is rooted in a clear-eyed assessment of the threats facing the country, both from foreign adversaries and from within. Dr Chakraborty, who has been closely involved in the campaign and was present at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, noted that Harris’s message is resonating strongly with Indian-Americans and other minority communities who see in her as their leader.

Indian-American Perspective

“Kamala Harris is polling a few points ahead of Donald Trump and will surely get a surge following the DNC. Indian-Americans like myself are banding together and supporting her through various efforts and speciality collaborations. For example, we are raising funds through ‘South Asians in Climate’ after the DNC and ahead of the ‘Harris for President Climate Group’ official launch this September. South Asians are in. Climate voters are in, and as a South Asian climate surrogate, I represent both voter groups that broadly support Kamala Harris for President,” Dr Chakraborty told NDTV.

READ | When Kamala Harris Gave Her Watch To ‘Chitthi’: Aunt Recalls Fond Memories

Born in Oakland, California in 1964, Harris’s father is Donald Harris, a man of Afro-Jamaican descent while his mother is Shyamala Gopalan, who emigrated to the US at the age of 19 to pursue her doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology.

“Having a President who shares ancestry with South Asians in America shows that South Asian immigrants and their offspring have a clear place in America. A daughter of India can make it to the highest elected office in the United States, which shows that the sky is the limit for the Indian diaspora in the US. Indians in the US already enjoy the status as the highest-earning demographic. An Indian will elevate that status and make history for minorities and women more broadly,” Dr Chakraborty said. 

The Usha Vance Factor

However, Harris is not the only Indian-American whose name and image are plastered across the US presidential campaign. Over at the Republican camp, Trump’s Vice President pick JD Vance’s wife is Usha Vance who traces her roots to Andhra Pradesh’s Vadluru. 

Usha’s father, Chilukuri Radhakrishnan, was brought up in Chennai but went to the US to pursue higher studies. Usha was raised in San Diego, California and she met JD Vance at Yale Law School before getting married in 2014. 

Video | Kamala Harris’ Grandnieces’ Tutorial On Pronouncing Leader’s Name

“Usha Vance and her husband are trading in their morals for power,” Dr Chakraborty alleged. “It is clear they had authentically shared liberal values with friends and classmates from university, but edited and adjusted their stances to maneuver in the conservative party, which they perceived would be the easier route to power.”

Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump 

Dr Chakraborty highlighted a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: where Trump has prioritised tax breaks for billionaires and deregulation of corporate polluters, Harris has pledged to hold the oil and gas industry accountable, invest in a clean energy economy, and ensure that the benefits of climate action are shared by all Americans, not just the wealthy elite.

When Harris ran for vice president in 2020, her climate plan was even more aggressive than what ultimately passed during Joe Biden’s presidency as the Inflation Reduction Act – a landmark climate legislation in American history. Now, as she prepares to release her full climate agenda in September, Harris is positioning herself as the ‘Climate President’ for the United States, Dr Chakraborty said. 

“As an Indian woman, she also represents members of American society that have been historically disenfranchised. She is physically the opposite of Biden and represents the ascendency of women and a future society that is more equitable and fair to all genders and races,” she said. 

Heading into the glitzy final night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, speculation was rife online about who would be the much vaunted special guest, with figures from ex Republican President George W Bush to superstar musician Beyonce and Taylor Swift in the frame.

It proved to be way off the mark.

George W Bush was put forward as a contender for the surprise spot, with “Republicans against Trump” posting a picture of Bush embracing then first lady Michelle Obama to the account’s 765,000 followers on X.

George Bush’s spokesperson Freddy Ford told John Bachman, veteran TV news anchor with Newsmax, that Bush is “definitely not” in Chicago to speak at the DNC.

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, currently a US senator who has criticized former president Donald Trump, also denied it would be him.

“Contrary to fake news posts, I am not the surprise guest at the DNC tonight. My guess is that it will be Beyonce or Taylor Swift,” Mr Romney posted on X. “So disappointing, I know!”

Contrary to fake news posts, I am not the surprise guest at the DNC tonight. My guess is that it will be Beyoncé or Taylor Swift. So disappointing, I know!

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) August 22, 2024

However, many anti-Trump Republicans spoke at this year’s DNC throughout the week, taking a stance against the former president and endorsing Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz instead.

This list includes former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, former homeland security adviser Olivia Troye, former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, and even Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

But Bush is perhaps one of the most prominent Republicans to publicly announce he was not supporting Trump – sparking rumors he may make a surprise appearance on Thursday.

Kamala Harris accepted her party’s presidential nomination on the final day of the convention, buoyed by a galaxy of stars, that set the stage for the grueling run-in to November 5.

The 59-year-old Californian has edged ahead by razor-thin margins in polling, reversing what had started to look like a likely Trump victory against Biden before he dramatically pulled out and endorsed Harris.

Democratic heavy hitters, from Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton to vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, have warned that the party could still lose to Trump’s Republicans if complacency creeps in.

Walz, a former school football coach, used a sporting analogy, saying that Democrats were “down a field goal, but we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball.”

Party strategists spent the week in Chicago showcasing a parade of anti-Trump Republicans, including ex-cabinet officials, a small-town mayor and a former statewide office holder.

“If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot,” former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan said.

Ms Harris called Trump an “unserious” person.

“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,” Harris said in her keynote speech, earning uproarious applause.

(With inputs from AFP)

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waves after speaking on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told voters they have a chance to chart a “new way forward” as Americans this November, as she accepted her party’s presidential nomination Thursday (August 22, 2024) night at the Democratic National Convention.

Ms. Harris walked onstage to thunderous applause and a long standing ovation as convention-goers chanted her name, before beginning her remarks.

“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Ms. Harris said, as she accepted the nomination. “A chance to chart a New Way Forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

Ms. Harris’ address in Chicago caps a whirlwind eight weeks in American politics and manifests the stunning reversal of Democratic fortunes just 75 days until Election Day. Party leaders, who had publicly despaired over President Joe Biden’s candidacy after his disastrous debate against Republican Donald Trump, were jubilant both at the historic nature of Ms. Harris’ candidacy and their buoyed hopes for this November.

“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” she said.

Just a month after Mr. Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed her to replace him atop the Democratic ticket, Ms. Harris was looking to make the most of her chance to define herself and her political vision to voters on her own terms before an audience of millions.

Ms. Harris talked about being raised primarily by her mother after her parents divorced in a small apartment in San Francisco’s East Bay, and being raised as well by friends and caregivers who were “family by love.” She also detailed a key part of her political origin story, when Wanda, her best friend from high school, confided in her that she was being abused by her stepfather and came to live with Harris’ family.

“That is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. To protect people like Wanda,” Ms. Harris said.

Ms. Harris is the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to accept a major party’s presidential nomination, and if elected, she would be the first female U.S. president. As she took the stage, she saw a sea of female delegates and Democratic supporters wearing white — the colour of women’s suffrage — the movement that culminated with American women securing the right to vote in 1920.

A festive mood filled the United Center all evening, with a packed audience including running mate Tim Walz dancing and singing along to a mix of pop and classic rock. Two of Ms. Harris’ young grandnieces were brought onstage by actress Kerry Washington to remind the convention how to correctly pronounce her first name. At the girls’ direction, one side of the arena shouted “comma” and the other “la.”

Ms. Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, spoke a day after Mr. Walz, her choice for running mate, thanked the packed Chicago arena for “ bringing the joy ” to the election.

US Vice President Kamala Harris today formally accepted the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nomination to fight against her Republican rival Donald Trump. Ms Harris, who is of Indian origin, emerged as the Democratic candidate after President Joe Biden, 81, was forced to quit the race for the White House last month. If successful, she will become the first woman elected US president.

“On behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America,” she said as the gathering at Chicago’s United Center erupted into cheers on the last day of the four-day Democratic National Convention.

Vice President Harris: On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America pic.twitter.com/I8sXLSHOox

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 23, 2024

Watch live: The final night of the Democratic National Convention https://t.co/Pu90L42xFX

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 22, 2024

During her acceptance speech, the 59-year-old vowed to be the “president who unites” Americans and pledged to “fight for America’s future”.

“With this election, our nation has a precious and fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past. A chance to chart a New Way Forward, not as members of any one party or faction but as Americans,” she said.

Kamala Harris Jabs Donald Trump

Kamala Harris slammed her rival Donald Trump and accused him of planning to “pull our country back”.

“This election is one of the most important in the life of our nation. Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails. How he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States, not to improve your life, but to serve the only client he has ever had… himself,” she said.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” she warned.

She also spoke about the “chaos and calamity” of Mr Trump’s years in the Oval Office and also pointed to him questioning election results in 2020 when he lost his reelection bid.

“Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol where they assaulted law enforcement officers. When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames,” Ms Harris said.

Kamala Harris Praises Joe Biden

Kamala Harris also thanked her boss, Joe Biden, and said that his character is “inspiring”.

“Joe, I am filled with gratitude. Your record is extraordinary as history will show. Your character is inspiring,” she said.it,” she said.

Mr Biden, who gave an emotional farewell speech to the convention on Monday, said he and First Lady Jill Biden had called Ms Harris to wish her luck.

“I am proud to watch my partner Kamala Harris accept our nomination for president. She will be an outstanding president because she is fighting for our future,” he said on X.

He also said that Ms Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, will “inspire a generation and lead us into the future”.

Jill and I just spoke to @KamalaHarris — we can’t wait to watch her accept this historic nomination.

Kamala and Tim will inspire a generation and lead us into the future. pic.twitter.com/guKuTevT8F

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 23, 2024

Kamala Harris On Her Family

Kamala Harris also remembered her “tough and courageous” mother, Shyamala Gopalan, saying she misses her every day, especially when she is on the verge of breaking the highest glass ceiling in the United States.

She said her mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, travelling from India to California with an unshakeable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.

“… It was mostly my mother who raised us. Before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the East Bay. In the Bay, you either live in the hills or the flatlands. We lived in the flats — a beautiful working-class neighbourhood of firefighters, nurses, and construction workers, all of whom tended their lawns with pride,” Ms Harris said.

She also spoke about her Jamaican father, Donald Jasper Harris, and said he always taught her to be “fearless”.

The Democratic National Convention, a four-day mega event which saw a tearful Joe Biden getting a farewell, and Kamala Harris making a surprise entry in a tan suit, will end today.

1. The fourth day will witness Kamala Harris deliver the biggest, most important speech of her political life as she accepts the Presidential nomination, the second woman in the party’s history to ever get nominated.

2. The groundwork for her performance has been laid by her boss, US President Joe Biden, who said “She is tough, experienced and has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story.” Barack Obama tweaked his 2008 campaign “Yes We Can” to Yes, She Can”, to praise Ms Harris. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama termed Kamala Harris’s story as “the embodiment of stories we speak about (in) this country.”

3. Kamala Harris is expected to talk about her past experiences, and her life story from a successful lawyer to becoming the first Black, South Asian female Vice President in American history. The seasoned lawyer will present her case in front of the delegates at United Center Arena in Chicago.

4. From Barack and Michelle Obama to Bill Clinton, senior figures have warned all week that Ms Harris has a brutal fight on her hands to beat the 78-year-old Trump.

5. Tim Walz, the Minnesota Governor, yesterday, accepted the Vice President nomination. He called it the “honour of his life” and shared his upbringing in a middle-class family in Nebraska, how he learned from helping his family on the farm and his experience of teaching students. These stories are intended to connect with the larger middle-class American population that is reeling through an economic slowdown coupled with inflation and unemployment.

6. Mr Walz’s son, Gus, stole the spotlight on day 3 of the event. The 17-year-old who is neurodivergent and has ADHD, was overcome with emotion as he watched his father take the stage. With tears streaming down his face, Gus stood up and proudly pointed at his dad, exclaiming, “That’s my dad!”.

7. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey endorsed the party’s nominees. Ms Winfrey made a surprise entry yesterday and said “What we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States. And let us choose joy!” Winfrey said, a day after former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle addressed the DNC.”

8. The chemistry between 59-year-old Harris and Walz and the noisy energy generated at their rallies is helping to fuel Democratic hopes that they can defeat Donald Trump.

9. A recent poll showed Kamala Harris holds a narrow lead over her Republican rival Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. The four-point lead is a small but notable improvement for Democrats in the election race, a month after polls had shown then-presidential nominee Joe Biden and Trump in a dead heat.

10. Immigration is set to be a key issue in the upcoming Presidential elections. A slowdown in the economy which leads to unemployment and inflation, deeply impacts the attitude towards immigration. The immigrants fear a second Trump term, who has been a staunch hardliner on such issues. 

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Chicago:

Kamala Harris is poised to deliver the biggest speech of her political life on Thursday as she accepts the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago after a historic turnaround in the 2024 White House race.

The 59-year-old US vice president will focus on joyful “vibes” after electrifying her party in the space of a single heady month since President Joe Biden dropped out of the contest.

Now Harris will tell her personal story to the American people, using her televised address to the Democratic National Convention to contrast her optimism with the darker tone of Republican Donald Trump.

“It’s going to blow the roof off,” said Amanda Taylor, a 47-year-old delegate from Missouri.

Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, also swapped messages on X on Thursday for their 10th wedding anniversary.

“To the best partner I could ask for: Happy anniversary, Dougie,” the Vice President wrote, while he said: “Forever to go. Happy anniversary @VP. I love you.”

Yet while Democrats’ hopes are soaring and as Harris edges ahead in the polls, they know the battle is far from won.

From Barack and Michelle Obama to Bill Clinton, senior figures have warned all week that Harris has a brutal fight on her hands to beat the 78-year-old Trump.

The sheer speed of her astonishing rise to the top of the ticket also means Harris remains an unknown quantity to many US voters.

A trailblazer as the first woman, Black and South Asian vice president in US history — and now bidding to become its first woman president — her role has largely kept her in the background the last four years.

– ‘Fight for freedom’ –

Harris will seek to remedy that in her speech. She will talk about how she was raised by a working mother and knows the challenges facing families hit by inflation, a campaign official said on condition of anonymity.

She will set her confident vision for America’s future against what her campaign calls Trump’s dark, conservative inspiration for a second term in the Oval Office, the official said.

Speaker after speaker has focused on the idea of freedom during the Democratic convention, as the party targets what it says are Republican plans to further limit abortion and clamp down on democratic institutions.

On Wednesday, Harris’s energetic running mate Tim Walz formally accepted the party’s nomination, saying: “Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead.”

But Harris has been short on policy announcements since taking over as the Democratic standard-bearer, particularly when it comes to the economy, a key issue in the election.

She has to take advantage of her first major speech in a presidential setting, as “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” political analyst Larry Sabato told AFP.

– ‘Kamala vibes’ –

“Voters already have the Kamala vibes. Now they need the Kamala agenda,” said Sabato, a professor at the University of Virginia. A lack of economic policy “can defeat her faster than the border,” he added.

But when it comes to vibes, Democrats are in full on celebration mode, unrecognizable from the party that was steeped in despair after the 81-year-old Biden’s catastrophic debate performance against Trump.

The Obamas raised the roof in Chicago on Tuesday, with the ex-first lady declaring that under Harris “hope is making a comeback.”

On Wednesday, Clinton, television talk show host Oprah Winfrey and musicians Stevie Wonder and John Legend were the warm-up acts for Walz, the governor of Minnesota.

Biden’s farewell address on Monday, when Harris made a surprise appearance on stage to give him a hug, already seems like a distant memory.

If the transition has been head-spinning for Biden and the Democrats, it has completely unsettled Trump.

In a roller-coaster summer he has survived an assassination attempt, and then seen what he thought was certain victory turned on its head by a new and far younger opponent.

Trump will be in Arizona on the Mexican border on Thursday to push Harris’s weak spot on the issue of illegal immigration.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz may not have been present at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday evening, but his fashion sense was certainly felt. On Tuesday, former US President Barack Obama praised Walz’s signature flannel shirts, saying they “don’t come from some political consultant, they come from his closet.”

Obama on Tim Walz: Let me tell you something. I love this guy… You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some political consultant, they come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff. pic.twitter.com/8vYqzNvWNy

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2024

The next day, Walz’s wife, Gwen, reacted to Obama’s comment by posting a photo of her husband sewing a button on one of his beloved flannel shirts. “It’s so true, @BarackObama. Tim loves his flannels,” she wrote on X.

Obama reposted the photo, expressing his admiration for Walz. “I love this guy. Watch tonight to hear from @Tim_Walz – a man who knows what leadership looks like – and how to fix his own flannels.” 

I love this guy. Watch tonight to hear from @Tim_Walz — a man who knows what leadership looks like — and how to fix his own flannels. https://t.co/exzqjUzplL

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 22, 2024

The exchange came just before Tim Walz accepted his party’s nomination for vice president on Wednesday. Walz’s flannel style has been a hallmark of his folksy, down-to-earth persona, and it appears to have resonated with voters. His convention address was met with enthusiasm from the packed arena.

Walz thanked the delegates for “bringing the joy” to the election. “We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason: We love this country,” he said, as thousands of delegates held up ‘Coach Walz”‘ placards in red, white and blue. 

Tim Walz’s speech was filled with intimate details about his family’s struggles, including their battle with infertility. He spoke about the importance of respecting others’ choices, saying, “In Minnesota, we respect our neighbours and the personal choices they make and even if we wouldn’t make those same choices for ourselves we’ve got a golden rule: mine your own damn business.”

A heartwarming clip shared on social media showed Walz’s son, Gus, in tears beside his mother and sister, Hope, as they clapped and cheered for the governor. 

Tim Walz’s kids tear up: “That’s my dad!” pic.twitter.com/xfw3C2aI9N

— Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) August 22, 2024

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s convention featured speeches by Barack and Michelle Obama.