So, What’s the Deal with the DNC?

written by ERICA DICK. August 20th, 2020

Thanks to our democratic political system, every four years, the United States votes to elect a new president. That, however, seems to be where the simple part of it all ends. Between the electoral college, primary elections and caucuses, the American political system can get a bit complex and confusing. So to make your lives easier, we’ve laid out all you need to know about the Democratic National Convention that took place this past week.

A question you might have is WTF is the Democratic National Convention — and you’re not alone. Simply put, the DNC is a convention that takes place towards the end of every presidential election season to officially elect the democratic nominee. But wasn’t Joe already the nominee before the convention, you might wonder. Well, hypothetically yes. But, Bernie Sanders ran long enough that he still received a large chunk of votes from delegates (delegates are a bit confusing in their own right so check here to learn more). So, at the Democratic National Convention, a representative from each state casts all the delegates’ votes towards the party’s final nominee to make it official.

Although that is the technical reasoning for the convention, it’s also to rally up spirit and excitement for the party and their official nominee. This year was a little different (thanks, Corona, you’ve outdone yourself) making the events somewhat unusual. Where the convention usually takes place in a chosen city — this year Miluakee — and prominent democrats come to publicly speak, this year it was all done virtually.

Speakers included Senators Bernie Sanders, Chris Coons, Elizabeth Warren and AOC, former Attorney General Sally Yates, former First Lady and President Michelle and Barack Obama and potential First Lady Jill Biden. Their speeches were moving and uplifting, working to unify the party in uncertain times. 

But this year’s DNC featured more unorthodox speakers, as well. Staunch Republicans such as Ohio Congressman John Kasich, Congresswoman Susan Molinari, and Meg Whitman, the former eBay and Hewlett-Packard CEO, also spoke in favor of Joe Biden. In their speeches they discussed how Trump is not a true Republican but in fact a dangerous political figure who will run the party and the country into the ground if elected for another four years.

The convention convenes for four days and then the next week brings the Republican National Convention. While it can be mundane to tune into these conventions, it’s important to watch bits and pieces, even after the fact, just to have a clear idea of which candidate and party you really support.

As the election nears, we’ll do our best to offer you factual, concise info on politics to keep you updated and well-informed. But until then, as a no bullshit, raw platform where we give you the real stuff, just remember, Trump put kids in cages. 

That’s all for now!