The balloons have fallen, and the speeches are finished. The Democratic National Convention wrapped up. Hillary Clinton delivered a well-received speech after accepting the nomination for the presidency. And Philly, we were part of history. Again.
Billy Penn recaps the final, emotional night of the DNC in Philly:
Most notable moment
This one’s easy: Hillary Clinton’s speech. Thursday night was historic in many ways, and the instant analysis was that the country’s first female presidential nominee hit it out of the park in one of her strongest speeches to date. An instant poll showed 71 percent of people who watched her remarks reacted positively.
“I’m so happy this day has come,” she said. “When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone.”
She used the speech to tell personal stories. She told a joke or two. She excoriated Donald Trump and his rhetoric when it comes to women, immigrants, Muslims, the economy and his general demeanor, saying: “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”
Most controversial moment(s)
Supporters of Bernie Sanders were easy to pick out — they were wearing glow-in-the dark shirts. And many of the anti-Clinton attendees in Wells Fargo Center had planned to chant and make noise during her speech — and they did. Some chanted “No TPP.” Others simply booed, yelled and screamed.
In response, Clinton supporters around them would chant “Hillary! Hillary!” to purposefully drown out the protests. It worked to cover up the negativity — but it still came across as awkward timing. Clinton was oftentimes mid-sentence when chants of her name would break out. But if the intent was to rattle her, the chants failed; she hardly flinched.
Other speakers to remember
Chelsea Clinton
The gist: Chelsea Clinton humanized her mother in a way few others could. She told stories of what it was like in the Clinton house as a child. Chelsea was obsessed with dinosaurs. And Goodnight Moon. And A Wrinkle in Time. She spoke of how she was inspired watching her mother succeed — and fail — throughout her life in public service.
Quotable: “How does she do it? How does she keep going amid the sound and the fury of politics? Here’s how: It’s because she never, ever forgets who she’s fighting for.”
Sarah McBride
The gist: A native Delawarean, Sarah McBride became the first transperson to address the DNC. The story she told was heartbreaking: After becoming a trans advocate, she met and fell in love with a transman, who died two years ago of cancer only four days after they married. Her husband’s memory, she explained, motivates her to keep fighting.
Quotable: “Today in America, LGBTQ people are targeted by hate that lives in both laws and hearts. Many still struggle just to get by. But I believe tomorrow can be different.”
Rev. William Barber
The gist: Rev. William Barber, in short, took the arena to church. His remarks basically combined the campaign’s “Stronger Together,” all-inclusive platform with a moral, Christian charge to help the afflicted. All while offering sobering criticism of many of the right’s faith-based arguments. We hope Hillary hugged this man hard. He did the Democrats a huge favor.
Quotable: “…I’m so concerned about those that say so much, about what God says so little, while saying so little about what God says so much.”
Khizr Khan
The gist: Pocket constitution sales just might see an uptick as of today. Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim war hero who was killed in Iraq in 2004, gave a goosebump-inducing speech. He trashed Trump’s stances on Muslims and immigrants, in epic, epic fashion.
Quotable: “Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy,” as he brandished an actual pamphlet. “You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”
The protests
Philadelphia Police provided an update Thursday night and reported no arrests made and no citations issued throughout the day. Over the course of four days, Philadelphia police issued 103 citations and federal officials made 11 arrests. Likely due to the rain, the protests Thursday outside the arena were decidedly calmer.
Philly and Pennsylvania shout-outs
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter briefly addressed the DNC earlier in the night, saying “Philadelphia has always been a friendly place for Democrats” and effectively patting himself on the back for facilitating the bringing of the convention to Philly. He hit Trump, praised Hillary and ended with a short “Love ya, Philly!”
Right around 6 p.m., PA Senate candidate Katie McGinty had her moment in the spotlight and it didn’t exactly go well. Conventioneers continued mulling around and talking amongst themselves while she was addressing them, and she wasn’t able to get much crowd reaction out of them. Plenty of out-of-town journalists had things to say. Here’s just one of the comments:
Later, Gov. Tom Wolf — who the Internet described as “dry toast” — shared with the audience that he had learned his political values from the private sector. Unlike Trump, he explained, he saw what a profit-sharing model could do for an overall company, after he became a co-owner in his family’s building materials business. “We need a president who understands we can only succeed when economic prosperity is shared broadly,” he told the audience.
Celebrity sightings
- Carole King, backed by a chorus, performed “You’ve Got a Friend.”
- Mary Steenburgen appeared with husband Ted Danson. Steenbergen and Clinton have been friends since the ’70s. She recalled an instances decades ago, after an evening of deep conversation with Bill and Hillary, that she told them that she thought they both ought to be presidents.
- Legendary basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar briefly addressed the convention, opening by introducing himself as Michael Jordan because “Donald Trump can’t tell the difference.”
- Chloe Grace Moretz, a 19-year-old actress, spoke to millennials, encouraging young people to vote and saying she’d be proud to vote for Clinton in the first election she’s old enough to vote in.
- Singer Katy Perry opened with her hit song “Rise” and then sang “Roar” before Chelsea Clinton took the stage to introduce her mother. Sound wasn’t great. But her dress tho! Disco glamour meets space-age futurism.
Best tweet
Tim Kaine is addicted to balloons.
Best .gif
Hillz addressed climate change during her speech and said this to put her stance in easy terms:
Stories to read from Thursday
- Rendell ‘not one for name-calling’; SOBs, idiots, wusses beg to differ
- Tinder at the DNC: Who’s looking for last-minute hookups in Philly?
- The merch Philly street vendors are selling most during the DNC
- How DNC protesters say Philly police are treating them
- DNC Hangover 3: Hillary surprise, Obama’s reminders and Biden does Biden
What to expect today
Hillary Clinton is holding an open public event at Temple University in McGonigle Hall on campus. Doors open to the public at 10 a.m., and the event is expected to begin around noon. So if you live in the area, expect traffic.
And a final reminder
Only 59 days until the first presidential debate.
