Past presidents, political props and a dance party: Takeaways from Day 2 of the DNC

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention’s second night highlighted the party’s past presidents, particularly Chicago’s own Barack Obama. The Democrats also went all-in on promoting cross-party appeal, featuring a former Donald Trump spokeswoman and a Republican mayor from the battleground state of Arizona.

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, ducked out of Chicago to hold a rally just up the interstate in Milwaukee, wooing voters in swing state Wisconsin. It’s a recognition that, regardless of whatever good vibes may exist at the convention, Democrats expect this presidential election to be razor-close.

Here are some takeaways from the convention’s second night.

The ex-presidents club

If the Republican convention was all about Trump, the Democrats on Tuesday wanted to put Harris in a pantheon with past presidents. It wasn’t just Obama who was to make the case for the vice president. The convention turned to the grandsons of Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy to also portray her as the natural heir of past Democratic leaders.

As groundbreaking as Harris’ candidacy is as the first woman of color to be her party’s nominee, these speeches by an ex-president and presidential progeny were all about linking her to a broader historical arc, creating a nostalgic message that can animate an increasingly older electorate.

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