The Democratic Party kicked off its presidential convention on Monday — with one caveat. Instead of meeting in person in Milwaukee as they had originally planned, Democrats opted for a virtual, four-night event due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
Given the significant risks associated with large gatherings right now, the Democratic National Committee made the right call. But it could have at least prepared a better production than what we’re seeing right now. Because it’s difficult to imagine voters lasting through two hours of this stuff, let alone eight hours over four nights.
The convention began with the National Anthem, sung virtually by singers whose faces twirled and rotated across the screen in such a way that I almost wonder whether a middle schooler who just discovered Microsoft Powerpoint was put in charge of the layout. Then, it became obvious that most of the interviews were prerecorded, which makes the entire convention feel more like a telethon than a significant political event.
If the Democratic Party was aiming for a conversational tone, this is not it. The monologues sound rehearsed and forced, and the sudden concert breaks are distracting. Surely, someone, somewhere, among the Democratic Party’s many Hollywood connections could have helped them avoid this.
To be fair, there’s only so much you can do virtually. It would have been impossible to recreate the energy that accompanies an in-person political event. But the Democratic Party could have at least tried not to squash what little excitement remained. Truly, anything would have been better than this.
