DNC Fangirling...

I spent four days last week in a shattered fog from watching the Democratic National Convention. Yeah, don't @me,  I know it's mad. From 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday, I watched as much as I could stay awake for, then caught the rest the next day. And here's the thing... it was fab.

Yep, I'm banging on about politics again. This time, it's the DNC. Look, I can't help it. The personal is political and vice versa. Nothing new there. The fact I have a uterus and that the UK often follows US trends, means I'm particularly keen for Kamala Harris to quash the other guy's hate-fuelled dismantling of bodily autonomy for people that aren't like him. That's one reason I'm keen for a Democratic win. There are a gazillion more, but that's not why you're here. 

This is August's Long Ramble. Don't worry, we're being gently politics adjacent today. Pure vibes based. It's just that as someone who last week mainlined twenty plus hours of DNC content, I believe we can learn some lessons for the UK. Especially as we head into party conference season. Labour? Lib Dems? Greens? SNP? Plaid? Did you watch? Did you see? If not, this is what you missed. 

1. There was an overwhelming sense of joy. Who says politics has to be boring? The DJ-soundtracked states roll call proved that even a longwinded political process (where every state declares their delegate numbers) can be upbeat and celebratory. Let's have a bit of that in UK politics please. 

A tiny snapshot
from Threads.

2. I saw the whole thing on YouTube and according to Threads, lots of other people did too. It seems viewers are growing tired of network pundits and journos, spinning things to suit their employer's agenda. Wouldn't that be good here? Of course, to digest pure UK conference content for hours at a time, it'd need to up its game and bring the fun. No worries! The DNC has shown us how to do that.

3. There were excellent speeches every night. Both in terms of content as well as delivery. There was Gabby Giffords, the senator shot in 2011 and who's campaigned against gun violence ever since. Then there were members of the Exonerated Five - the innocent men that were jailed for rape as teenagers before being exonerated years later. There was also Hadley Duvall, a survivor of sexual abuse who addressed the crowd. It was powerful stuff. In terms of party political speeches, there were so many corkers. My particular faves were Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, Alexandria Orcasio-Cortez, Joe Biden, and Pete Buttigieg. They provided a master class in how to work a crowd. And of course the icing on the cake was Tim Walz and Kamala Harris. Exhilarating! Inspiring! Are you watching, UK politicians? 

4. The conference was perfectly organised. No mean feat considering a month ago, the nominee was a whole other person. Speeches were short and snappy. No one hogged the limelight. The continuous stream of speakers arriving and leaving the stage was slick and timely. Upbeat music filled any gaps. The audio was loud and clear. There was no dead air, nor opportunities for the crowd to flag. It was impossible to lose interest. Let's have a bit of that, UK, yeah?

5. The technical creatives who put together the video packages, did a cracking job. The messaging was direct and clear, whether it was pointing out the threat to democracy or celebrating Democratic Party talking points. Maybe UK political parties could do this. Hire the BBC people behind the closing titles of big sports events. You know the kind? Where the soaring music, the most emotive clips, and the expert editing punches you in the gut. That'd be good, right?

6. Abortion was defiantly, proudly claimed as a right. I've long known this to be true (see above mention of uterus ownership for the reason) but for a long time, it's been 'something we don't talk about.' Perhaps it's my Catholic education or because legal abortion was available so no longer deemed an issue. Who knows? But watching what's happening to women in states that have rolled back that right, is horrific. And that those laws also endanger people who have miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and much-wanted but none-viable pregnancies, is inhumane. Claiming back a talking point that has been negatively viewed for years, is important. Hey UK! How about we proudly claim back the positive messaging around immigration? We need it, the NHS and care system needs it, and the country is better when we stop othering a group of vulnerable people. Just a thought, but it'd be so good.

7. In terms of speakers, there were many rising stars as well as the big hitters. The symbolism of passing the torch was clear. Then there was the wide-ranging diversity. It was a pleasure to witness. So many women took centre stage. As did people of colour and LGBTQA+ voices. It felt more representative than is often the case. And the men that spoke? They spoke in passionate support of Kamala Harris. Their egos weren't so fragile that they couldn't do that. It flew in the face of the toxic masculinity of far right politics. The kind that has given a platform to Nigel F*rage, Stephen Y*xley-Le*non, or Laurence F*x. Non-toxic masculinity was on stage last week. We saw it after Kamala Harris began her campaign. Wouldn't it be good if that filtered over here. Loads and loads of supportive, progressive, straight, white men, standing up for other people and their needs on the national stage. The absolute dream! 

It's nearly time to wrap this up. I know I sound like a screaming fan. I don't mean to, I'm not naive. A President or political party is not perfect. There were pro-Palestinian protests outside the United Center where the convention was held. In her nomination acceptance speech, Kamala talked about the urgent need for a ceasefire, as well as the importance of bringing Israeli hostages home. It's ongoing work that'll have no chance of happening if the election goes the other way. And even without global conflict, there'll be tough times ahead. Even on good days, the thrill of last week will be replaced with flat, mundane governance. But like I said at the top, this isn't about politics. Only politics adjacent. It's the vibes I've loved. The feeling of hope, of being inspired, simply the buzz of the thing. Is that why people love the Olympics? Or why every May I get caught in the mad Eurovision frenzy? Perhaps I need a large-scale communal event to let me feel. What I do know is if I were a US citizen, I'd have signed up for phone-banking or door-knocking this time. Not once have I felt the urge to do that in the UK, not once. Funny, innit. 

To finally wrap up the August Long Ramble, let's try to pull together the key points. Is that even possible? It's perhaps the most rambliest of them all. Let's summarise. 

1. I'm a fan of seeing progressive politics face down fascism. 

2. I'm a fan of hearing from people who have historically been silenced. 

3. I'm a fan of hearing from people historically amplified, using their voice to support those that haven't. 

4. I'm also a fan of UK politics forgetting that we've a completely different political system and taking notes for putting on a show. 

When people are engaged, enthused and joyfully political, with leaders that seek to improve lives not sew division, they'll become active participants and take pride in their country. The good kind of pride. Not the populist, petty, small-minded type. The type that reared its ugly head in the recent riots. 

Look, November's still some weeks away. Anything could happen. As many speakers pointed out, the Democrats are the underdog. Even so, I can't imagine a stronger way to launch the Harris/Walz ticket. Joy? Keep it coming. And when the Labour Party Conference takes over Liverpool in a few weeks, I'll be more than happy to feel the buzz of political excitement here. It could happen? Maybe?

Have a lovely week, folks.