Democrats rally behind Harris, unleash 'Obama show' against Trump

The Democratic convention is currently taking place in Chicago. With Kamala Harris, the party has gained momentum, which is evident in the widespread enthusiasm among the delegates. From the speeches so far, a strategy to defeat Donald Trump is also emerging. "This is a new perception," Andrzej Kohut, an Americanist from the Center for Eastern Studies, tells Wirtualna Polska.

The Obamas were the highlight of the second day of the Democratic convention in Chicago. The former presidential couple did not disappoint the audience's expectations and used their time on stage effectively. American and international media are even talking about an "Obama Show," which is set to be the driving force for the coming, challenging months of the election campaign.

Barack Obama, like his wife who preceded him, focused on endorsing Kamala Harris but also took aim at Donald Trump.

"This is a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. We have seen that movie before and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris," preying on the fears and basest instincts of voters.

"This convention shows something that has been observed in the last month of the Democratic campaign: enormous energy and a resurgence of belief that the Democratic Party candidate can win this election. That was something missing in the Democrats' campaign for several months. There was noticeable stagnation, discouragement, and a lack of belief in Joe Biden's potential success," summarizes Andrzej Kohut, an Americanist from the Polish Center for Eastern Studies.

"Especially those key speeches, the speech by Hillary Clinton, the speech by Joe Biden, the speech by the Obamas, met with enormous enthusiasm," he emphasizes in a conversation with Wirtualna Polska.

However, the expert focuses on two things that stand out the most from what we've seen so far in Chicago. The first concerns the image of the party itself. "The Democrats want to show that they are the party of ordinary people, that their candidates, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, are just ordinary Americans," indicates Kohut.

"The second thing, evident in Barack Obama's speech, is a bit of a change in the narrative regarding Donald Trump himself," he adds. Previously, Trump was portrayed "in very apocalyptic terms," as someone who poses a serious threat to democracy. However, the Obamas pointed out a new path. The former president is now supposed to appear "a bit absurd, a bit detached from the reality of ordinary Americans, proposing absurd ideas, supporting some conspiracy theories, and falling asleep during trials." "This is a new perception," summarizes the Americanist.

"The change results from a sense that it is difficult to harm Trump by raising the same warnings about the future of American democracy over and over again. So perhaps he can be harmed by laughter. This is a powerful weapon in politics, ridiculing the rival," emphasizes the WP interlocutor.

"So Obama did indeed reach for this weapon and did it very effectively. The audience reacted very enthusiastically to his successive jokes," he points out.

This is not the only weapon the Democrats have aimed at Trump. They want to show their resemblance to ordinary Americans, with whom it is easy to identify, thereby easily contrasting with billionaire Trump, who comes from an extremely wealthy New York family.

The Democrats are also looking for ways to "stem the flow of Latino and Black voters towards Donald Trump." At the same time, this is to be done alongside mobilizing the electorate, including women. Here, Michelle Obama took on the role of the "mobilizer," who – even before Harris's nomination – enjoyed considerable support among voters and could potentially run for president herself.

"This is also a very important element of the speeches of both Obamas, where they, referring to the deceased mother of Michelle Obama, spoke about the role of women in the USA. This is about reaching out to women who are supposed to see their representative in Kamala Harris and vote for her," explains Kohut.

Obama did not spare Trump harsh words either. She described him as a product of "generational wealth affirmative action," who nevertheless enjoyed "the grace of landing on his feet," whining that he is somehow a victim. She described him as a racist and misogynist who exploited fears and lies, a swindler and hater still playing "the same old game."

This tactic is aimed at strengthening Harris's position, who in recent polls is gaining a slight lead over Trump. The convention aims to increase and solidify it. However, the Democrats seem to be aware that September and October will bring more challenges in the campaign.

"The American election campaign intensifies precisely in September and October," reminds Kohut, indicating that the Democrats are aware of the challenges awaiting Harris. "I have the impression that it was repeatedly emphasized during this convention not to fall into excessive triumphalism and to work if they want to achieve this victory," emphasizes the WP interlocutor.

The current vice president is now awaiting a real election test, and the "initial enthusiasm" alone will not suffice. "Harris will have to present her policy proposals, which will also expose her to various attacks. She will finally have to give interviews and face journalists at press conferences."

"She has avoided all these things until now and tried to minimize risk before the convention, but these things are inevitable. The campaign can still be complicated for the Democrats," says the expert.

"That the Democrats have a convention today full of enthusiasm and hope that victory is within reach is a huge success in itself. Not so long ago, no one expected this. A month ago, we had a Republican convention in Milwaukee, which took place when it seemed like Trump was heading for a fairly certain victory," recalls Kohut.

What are the prospects for the coming months? "In this campaign, of course, much can still happen," he says briefly.