5 takeaways from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago

CHICAGO — Democrats displayed unity and buoyancy this week at their national convention as they embraced their substitute presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Tim Walz, just weeks after President Joe Biden stepped aside.

Delegates from Long Island and the rest of the nation floated on newly found optimism during the Democratic National Convention’s four days at a packed United Center that featured musical stars, Oprah Winfrey and the 1999 Mankato West High School football state champions.

They cheered Harris after she accepted the presidential nomination Thursday night, labeling herself as "Kamala Harris for the people" and leading her supporters in the slogan chanted throughout the week to deny former President Donald Trump a new term: "We’re not going back."

Democrats staged a convention with a patriotic and party-like atmosphere with American flag waving, celebrations and scores of speakers who downplayed any divisions within their party as well as the protests outside by thousands of opponents to Israel’s war in Gaza.

But beneath the celebratory atmosphere, Democratic officials warned that political land mines may well lay ahead.

Still, the first three nights of the Democratic convention drew larger audiences than the Republican National Convention by pulling in about 20 million viewers a night compared with 15 million to 18 million for the Republican conclave.

Here are five takeaways from the convention.

Happy warriors

When Harris announced Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6, the Minnesota governor and former congressman turned to the vice president and said, "Thank you for bringing back the joy."

That statement signaled that Democrats have cast themselves as happy warriors to create a contrast with Trump’s often dark and angry rants, and the convention maintained an upbeat atmosphere.

"An optimistic appeal, which doesn't feel too radical one way or another, is the key to at least getting the attention of what I would argue are the most crucial voters in this election," said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies.

Assemb. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont), a New York delegate, on Thursday told Newsday, "I think that really is resonating with people. They're tired of angry America. They're tired of being divided."

House call

It is not just the White House that Democrats seek to win in the election — they also want to preserve their majority in the Senate and reclaim control of the House of Representatives.

Those victories would not only give Democrats a majority in both chambers but would also allow New York Sen. Chuck Schumer to remain Senate majority leader and lift Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries from House minority leader to House speaker.

"The road to a Democratic majority cuts through New York and Long Island," said Steve Israel, a former Long Island congressman and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman. "The top of the ticket is vital in turning out the base but also in attracting moderate swing voters."

Schumer repeatedly expressed confidence at the convention that he would keep his job as majority leader, telling reporters he thinks Democrats will keep their narrow majority and that "we might even get an extra seat or two."

Town and country

A new accessory popped up at the New York delegation breakfast the morning after Walz spoke Wednesday night: camouflage baseball caps with "Harris Walz" stitched across the front in orange.

San Francisco, meet Mankato.

"With Harris you got a very urban appeal, and with Tim Walz you’ve got an appeal to a population that has been outside the Democratic orbit for a long time," Levy said.

Speaking at the breakfast, New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "He reminds me of Mr. Rogers. I want him to be my neighbor."

But he is much more than that, Levy said.

"His so-called folksy manner, his resume as a teacher, a coach and a soldier all makes him appealing to people beyond the so-called coastal elites," he said.

"Her job is Georgia and Pennsylvania," said Long Island Republican consultant Mike Dawidziak, speaking of the voters each will reach out to. "His job is Wisconsin and Michigan."

Empowered women

In the 2020 election, exit polls showed that 57% of women voters cast a ballot for Biden — making women a prime target for persuasion in this year’s election.

"I believe that Democrats do rely on women. I firmly believe Black women made Joe Biden president [in 2020], and we need to carry that momentum forward," said Denise Murphy McGraw, president of the New York State Federation of Democratic Women.

Harris, a Black and South Asian American woman, could be a powerful draw for female voters.

"It's vital in generating turnout in African American districts, but more so on Long Island in particular," Israel said.

"I think it's a reminder to moderate suburban women of the importance of reproductive rights in this election," he said. "She can speak to that in a way that you know a male candidate running for president could not." 

Cautionary warning

In otherwise upbeat remarks Tuesday, Michelle Obama issued sober warnings to the delegates about Trump "doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies" and cautioned that "this is still a going to be an uphill battle."

The former first lady counseled the delegates not to be their own worst enemies.

"No, the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, we cannot start wringing our hands," Obama said. "We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right."

She warned that Harris and Walz are human "and like all of us they will make mistakes."

But, Obama said, "Don’t sit around and complain — do something."

Some delegates said they felt Obama’s message had a dark edge to it.

But Robert Zimmerman, a Democratic national committeeman from Great Neck, told Newsday, "Everyone knew it is true. She really laid it out, but she knows the score."