Democrats prep for convention unlike any in history
The American political convention is a tradition stretching back to the 19th Century, and as recently as 2016 its pageantry was on full display with star-studded performances and delegates decked out in state-specific swag.
But in 2020, convention plans collided head-on with COVID-19.
And next week the Democratic Party will hold a national convention unlike any other.
This year there will be no roaring crowds in a cavernous hall, no balloon drops or wall-to-wall parties.
Ostensibly, the convention will held in the host city of Milwaukee. But the party's presidential pick, former vice president Joe Biden, will accept the nomination from his home in Delaware.
The challenge for convention planners is how to turn this bug into a feature.
Democrats have designed a virtual video control room to take in hundreds of feeds, with the potential to interact with Americans nationwide.
One plus for party unity: The virtual nature of the conventions will minimize the chances for signs of discord and unscripted moments.
To counteract what might seem a lack of spectacle, the party will trot out its political stars for four nights in hopes of exciting the electorate with a message of political strength to defeat Republican President Donald Trump.
The first night, Monday, will feature speakers showcasing a wide ideological spectrum supporting Biden's candidacy, even beyond the Democratic party.
Speakers include the Republican former governor of Ohio, John Kasich, and Bernie Sanders, an independent Vermont senator and former Biden rival for the Democratic nomination.
From the progressive wing, youthful star congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will take the stage Tuesday, as will a symbol of the party's establishment: former president Bill Clinton.
Packing in the star power, Wednesday night will feature both former president Barack Obama, and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote by 3 million ballots, but lost the contest in the electoral college.
The final night will showcase Biden himself, as he accepts the party's nomination in a speech traditionally viewed as the starting gun to the final sprint toward the election.
Critics have assailed conventions in recent years as tightly scripted party advertisements drained of political drama and relevance.
Predictions of the imminent demise of the traditional American political convention came true this year, courtesy of the coronavirus.
