What Went Down On Day Three Of The Democratic Convention

“America faces flashpoints and threats around the world,” said Leon Panetta, in a speech arguing that Clinton would make a better leader in a time of terrorism and geopolitical conflict than Trump would. Both the Republican and Democratic conventions focused on these issues, though in different ways with different emotional textures. It’s worth keeping in mind that Americans, only partly because of our geography, have experienced fewer terrorist incidents than Europe. “Donald Trump cannot become our commander in chief,” Panetta said. An analysis by Daniel L. Byman of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution reads in part: “Over 5,000 Europeans have gone to fight in Iraq and Syria; less than 200 Americans have joined the struggle. Europe also shares a land border with Iraq and Syria via Turkey and is logistically far more accessible for Islamic State fighters to go back and forth, while the United States is protected by two great oceans. Even putting foreign fighters and simple geography aside, Muslim communities in Europe have more radicalized individuals who stay in Europe, and thus a greater native pool of recruits for lone wolf and other attacks.” One question facing U.S. military and political leaders that has become a flashpoint in this election is how immigration and refugee policies affect our exposure to terrorism — an issue on which the two parties sharply divide.

By the way, had a few experiences of the California delegates being pretty nasty to press when you try to sit on stand near them. And those were followed by a protest action, of one kind or another. You get the sense there’s some organizing going on within the delegation that they don’t want to let anyone else in on.

With the exception of some kind of outburst from the California delegation, it seems like there’s a positive reception for the speeches tonight, including former CIA Director Leon Panetta. This is a pretty strong contrast with some of the debates between Sanders and Clinton, in which Sanders fiercely criticized Clinton’s Iraq War vote and foreign policy approach. Her actions and positions, including her praise for Henry Kissinger in that debate, have drawn ire from progressives. For her part, Clinton questioned her opponent’s credentials and readiness in foreign affairs. As I wrote this, delegates began to chant “no more war” — which could be directed at Trump as well as the Democratic nominee.