What Went Down On The Final Night Of The DNC

Agreed, Julia. I think there is a recognition that the 2016 strategy of “this guy is not really an option” didn’t, you know, pan out. Now the Democrats are really emphasizing that the stakes are high and even if you don’t agree with us, Trump doesn’t represent what you want either.

Sarah, I think those nonvoters are not very likely to be watching tonight, whereas the “former future Republicans” — especially the older ones — are much more likely to be watching.

I’m thinking about the combination of, for example, Duckworth referring to Trump as “Coward-in-Chief” and the other direct attacks on the president, alongside the points about compromise and bipartisanship. I think these are working in concert, with the bipartisanship providing a backdrop for these very sharp criticisms. There is no “he means well, we just disagree about policy” here. The inclusion of Republican perspectives makes this about something other than party politics.