All posts tagged "dnc"

Capitol Police respond to 'incident' at DNC headquarters in DC

Senate staffers were warned on Thursday to stay away from the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In an alert to Senate staff, the Capitol Police said they were "responding to an incident at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Headquarters. Staff are asked to remain clear of the police activity," according to Semafor correspondent Burgess Everett.

A spokesperson for the DNC later stated that a bomb threat was found to be not credible.

“This afternoon, there was a bomb threat to DNC HQ that was determined to not be credible by the U.S. Capitol Police. Out of an abundance of caution, Capitol Police is conducting an interior sweep of the building," the person said.

'Frankly, I don't care': Texas Dem hits back at threats as he flees state

Rep. Gene Wu (D), chair of the Texas State House Democratic Caucus, joined CNN's John Berman from Chicago Monday where he fled to prevent a redistricting vote that could add as many as five Republican congressional seats to his state's political map.

Most of the defiant members have travelled to Democratic-led states, including New York and Massachusetts. The Hill reported that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) "is supporting their effort."

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) threatened to fire Democratic members if they don't return to the Texas House to reconvene by 3 p.m. Monday.

But Wu called Abbott's threats "all bluster, sound and fury, signifying nothing."

"Today is a great day to end the corruption of Greg Abbott. This has gone on far too long," Wu said. "The public has been enraged about this, how politicians continue to tell the public pretty words, but never actually do what they say they would do. This is Gov. Abbott being upset about that because he's been caught doing exactly that ... and frankly, Democrats say come and take it. Come and take it."

Berman asked about Texas law that could fine the lawmakers $500 for each day that they're absent.

"How will you pay that?" Berman asked.

"Frankly, I don't care and our members don't care, because what we're fighting for is not about us," Wu answered. "It's not about our pain and our suffering. We are elected officials. We have volunteered for this. We have committed to sacrificing our lives to protect the people of the state of Texas and that is exactly what we do. The $500 — whatever they're going to fine us — that is nothing compared to the pain that the American people have felt and the people of Texas have felt."

Berman also asked about the possibility of federal law enforcement getting involved.

"Yeah. look, we have spent hours, days, weeks going over this with ourselves, with our lawyers, everybody. We know that the governor has no power to reach into other states. And legally, by law, by federal law or state law, the president has no ability, no authority to legally come get us."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

Democrats in danger of losing Gen Z voters over latest controversy: analyst

The Democratic National Committee's recent dustup with vice chair David Hogg could be off-putting to the younger generation of voters if they don't tread lightly, according to analysis by CNN.

Anchor Wolf Blitzer introduced a clip of DNC chair Ken Martin Thursday by saying the committee was issuing an ultimatum to Hogg to give up his purported "threat to primary Democrats he deems ineffective, or give up his leadership position."

On the clip, Martin said, "No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger. I have great respect for David Hogg. I think he's an amazing young leader who's done so much already to help move our movement forward. And while...certainly you know, I understand what he's trying to do, as I've said to him, if you want to challenge incumbents, you're more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC."

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Hogg is an outspoken gun control activist who survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, that killed 17 students and staff.

CNN Senior Political Analyst Mark Preston said on Thursday's Situation Room said that Hogg was trying to "infiltrate the Party from the inside and try to enact change that he wants to see. Now, I will say he is going to be very unlucky, I would suspect, in his efforts to do so. But this is going to cause the Democratic National Committee a lot of headache, a lot of heartache, over the next four-and-a half months."

Co-anchor Pamela Brown asked that since Hogg represents this new young generation of Democratic leaders, "is there any risk, concern about pushing him out and hurting the Party's outreach to those younger voters that we know Trump surprisingly did well with in 2024?"

Preston said Martin was obviously being very careful when talking about the situation.

"[Martin] was very effusive about him," Preston said. "The DNC wants to make sure that they put this out there as something that is not about David Hogg — that it is just simply about incumbency. And, as he said, if you want to take on an...incumbent Democrat, then do it from outside the party."

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.

No candidate age limits: Democratic delegates

CHICAGO — Not two months ago, high-profile Democrats began calling for President Joe Biden to drop out as the Democratic presidential nominee — attributing much of his plummeting poll numbers to his age and a disastrous debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Many had grown convinced Biden had neither the mental sharpness nor physical stamina to beat Trump, say nothing of serving another four-year term — he’d be 86 years old when he left the White House in early 2029.

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While the Constitution provides minimum age limits to run for federal office (25 in the House, 30 in the Senate, 35 for president), there’s no limit to how old someone can be as a member of Congress, a Supreme Court justice or commander-in-chief.

And many federal leaders certainly aren’t retiring early. The average age of a member of Congress is 61 — and many have worked well into their late 80s or beyond. Trump and Biden are both deep into their senior years — 78 and 81, respectively.

Still, Democratic delegates at the Democratic National Convention, who nominated Kamala Harris, 59, as their presidential candidate, overwhelmingly told Raw Story they wouldn’t want to put an age limit or mandatory retirement age on anyone in the executive, legislative or judicial branches of government.

Carole Cadue-Blackwood, Kansas delegate, gave an emphatic “no” to Raw Story’s question.

Gina Spade and Carole Cadue-Blackwood, Kansas delegates (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

But, she added: “I would think there would be a competency exam,” Cadue-Blackwood said.

Guy Cecil, a delegate from Washington, D.C., and longtime Democratic political operative, says an age limit isn’t necessary.

Guy Cecil, D.C. delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

“I think ultimately voters should make the right decision. They can assess the ability of the candidates, the age of the candidates,” Cecil said. “I think we should leave it in voters’ hands to make those decisions.”

Carl Donovan, a Montana delegate, said age limits aren’t necessary because voters have the ability to vote out members of Congress — plus term limits exist for the presidency.

Carl Donovan, Montana delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

Democratic delegates are somewhat out of step with most Americans on the issue of age limits, with a Business Insider/Morning Consult poll in 2022 finding that about three in four Americans supported age limits for politicians — and more than four in 10 viewed the ages of political leaders as a "major" problem.

And, of course, the Supreme Court doesn’t have any service restrictions — no age caps, term limits or the ability to be voted out of their jobs. Justices — along with all federal judges — enjoy lifetime appointments.

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In one extreme example last decade, a U.S. district court judge served until he was 104. He died while still actively presiding over cases.

“I think there should be term limits for the Supreme Court, whatever number amount of terms that is,” said Tony Vauss, mayor of Irvington, N.J. “But as far as the presidency, there's already term limits for two-term limits, so, I'm pretty happy with that.”

Tony Vauss, New Jersey delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

While Vauss wants the Supreme Court to be more “above board” and “nonpartisan,” he still doesn’t support an age limit, especially in the context of Biden.

“He's done more in four years than most presidents have done in their entire time,” Vauss said. “It's not about age. It's about what you can accomplish.”

Brandon Williford, a Wisconsin delegate, wasn’t sure about the idea of an age limit.

Brandon Williford, Wisconsin delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

“That's a great question,” he said. “I think you gotta just leave it up to the people. I mean, just maybe do a referendum, or do some type of surveys or something like that. We got a democracy so let’s get people to participate in that.”

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One South Carolina delegate, originally from Puerto Rico, pointed out that the territory’s Supreme Court justices have a mandatory retirement age at 70 years old.

That delegate, Mayra Rivera-Vazquez, said the age limit in Puerto Rico has “been working perfectly” and gives way to “a new generation.”

Mayea Rivera-Vazquez, South Carolina delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

“You need new people and new vision, new ideas,” Rivera-Vazquez said. “I'm kind of hesitant about the Congress because sometimes we have younger people and new people, but we also need the wisdom of older people.”

Rivera-Vazquez acknowledged that her congressman, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), is in his eighties.

“I don’t think you should be penalized just because you’re a senior person,” she said. “Eventually, we'll all be senior, too.”

As for the U.S. Supreme Court, which has come under intense scrutiny for apparent conflicts of interest and partisanship, Rivera-Vazquez said she’d be open to an age limit.

“It’s about time,” she said.

Kamala Harris wants to unleash a young voter tsunami. But will her plan work?

CHICAGO — The "brat"-themed branding reverberating this summer through Gen Z also rocked the 2024 Democratic National Convention as candidates and organizations rally young voters — many participating in their first election — to Kamala Harris’ cause.

Young voters stand to be a critical bloc in the 2024 presidential election, particularly in swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. Here, vote margins in thousands — even hundreds — could determine whether Harris or Republican nominee Donald Trump wins the White House.

And Harris has work to do during the presidential election’s final weeks, particularly among young men, who continue to prefer Trump in significant numbers.

But Team Harris has a playbook, and the Democratic National Convention was ground zero for its unveiling.

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NextGen America, the nation’s largest youth voting organization, boasted a lime-green setup at DemPalooza inspired by British pop singer Charli XCX’s ‘brat’ album. One of Harris’ most viral endorsements so far: Charli’s July 21 tweet proclaiming “kamala IS brat.”

Emily Slatkow, NextGen’s communications director, said the group, which works to register, educate and mobilize Gen Z voters, is leaning heavily into social media marketing inspired by memes and pop culture. She said the organization has seen more than a 200 percent increase in volunteer sign-ups in the weeks since Harris took President Joe Biden’s spot on the Democratic ticket.

“We saw the enthusiasm, the engagement online and on our social content, and our field team even saw folks approaching them excited and eager to register to vote,” she said. “We have really seen that enthusiasm just take over from the end of July going forward.”

Sunjay Muralitharan, 19, is the national vice president of College Democrats of America, a student at the University of California, San Diego — and a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention. He believes the Democratic Party “made the right choice” in having Biden step aside.

He’s noticed that a lot of his peers are “very impressed” with the Harris’ campaign’s social media outreach to young voters.

“They're venturing into Tiktok, into Instagram, into Twitter and all these social media platforms to actually connect with young voters. I think this speaks volumes, because the only way for them to do this well is to put young people in power within the campaign — to allow them to make consequential decisions in reaching their own constituency,” he said.

Harris’ spot at the top of the Democratic ticket “proves what is possible,” Muralitharan said, and “speaks to what our nation is.”

Young Americans were among the supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris at a presidential campaign rally on Aug. 10, 2024, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz. (Gage Skidmore)

“Our nation is a nation of immigrants. Especially our generation, Gen Z, nearly half of our eligible voters are immigrants and are minorities,” he said. “Having someone that looks like us displays that anything is possible within this country. Harris rising to the top of the ticket kind of inspires millions of Americans who don't conventionally see themselves in positions of power.”

Hailee Clack, a member of NextGen’s Leaders Lab, is a 21-year-old delegate representing Flint, Mich., who, as a young Black woman, says Harris inspires her.

“There's a certain type of freshness and excitement surrounding Kamala,” she said. “We’re revved up and we feel like our voices are truly being heard this time. It's almost like it's 2008 and 2012 again.”

“I'm from Flint,” she added, underscoring the challenges a decade after a public health crisis revealed lead and other contamination in the drinking water. “Being a young person from Flint in this area is very crucial, so I can make sure that my city is being heard.”

She urged young people to vote, saying “your vote does matter.”

“I know a lot of people feel like it doesn't matter if they vote or not, but it really does,” she said. “A lot of (swing) states end up winning by a small margin of error — two to three thousand votes, maybe even a thousand — but that could just be a few more doors being knocked on.”

Alexandre Burgos, 26, a Latino, LGBTQ+, first-time, at-large delegate from Buffalo, N.Y., agrees.

“I know the outcome of the election and the fate of our country lies in our hands,” Burgos said.

Justin Meszler, a 20-year-old delegate representing Massachusetts' 4th District and student at Brown University, serves as National Programming Director of Voters of Tomorrow, an organization mobilizing Gen Z’s political engagement.

He said Voters of Tomorrow has witnessed young people becoming “more motivated to vote” when the organization educates them about Harris and what she stands for.

“Young people are not apathetic about politics, but for too long we have not seen government meet the moment of the challenges facing our generation,” he said. “Harris brings hope and joy and a renewed energy to the political arena, and young people are fired up.”

Muralitharan said he plans to rally young voters by focusing on how Harris “has clear priorities that align closely with us.”

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“Fighting for housing affordability, cracking down on major corporations, acquiring homes in masses, policies like reproductive rights or climate habitability,” he said. “Things like that, that are integral to the priorities of youth.”

One issue that’s particularly important to 19-year-old delegate Jack Chrismon “as a gay person living in the state of Texas,” he said, is the Affordable Care Act.

“It’s because of pre-exposure prophylaxis, which prevents me from contracting HIV,” he said. “Prior to the Affordable Care Act adopting it as a medication that is of essential use for preventing the spread of communicable diseases, it would have cost me $6,000 every three months. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, it is free for me, but that could be undone under Project 2025.”

Chrismon is a rising sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin. He said the Harris campaign is targeting his university as a key location in Texas.

“Because of how dense our student population is and the relatively higher turnout compared to other campuses, Travis County has the highest voter registration rate of any county in Texas. so We have a lot of voters compared to maybe some other campuses around the nation,” he said.

“People are a lot more enthusiastic about this year's election than they were even two months ago. We're expecting higher voter turnout on campus this year than ever before,” Chrismon added.

Chrismon mentioned a trend of young voters expressing dissatisfaction at having to pick “between the lesser of two evils.”

“I feel that a lot of the youth anguish with that issue was especially inflamed by the current war in Gaza,” he said. “Harris is more progressive on Gaza policy than Biden. So I definitely do think now it's less of a question of the lesser of two evils for a lot of young people. And from what I've seen on the internet and in real life, young people are a lot more enthusiastic about voting for Harris now.”

A party divided

Harris can hardly afford to take young voters for granted.

Some young Americans gathered this week in Chicago said they lack enthusiasm for Harris for the same reason they did for Biden: Israel’s 10-month-long war on Hamas.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Union Park and marched to the site of the convention Monday. Protests continued throughout the week, with 55 to 60 people arrested Tuesday night following clashes with police.

Because many protesters say they believe Biden and Harris are complicit in the killings of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, they plan not to vote for Harris in November, even if that has the practical effect of helping Trump, who has made clear his support for Israel’s military effort.

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“It’s important for our politicians to know that they can't have a milquetoast approach towards the conflict in Palestine right now. Like, inaction is one of the worst actions that you could be taking,” said Cameron Crans, a protestor from Seattle. “Maintaining the status quo doesn't make you a progressive politician.”

Protesters expressed anger at the idea of their taxpayer dollars paying for the deaths of civilians in Gaza. Last Tuesday, the U.S. approved another $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel.

“I'm frustrated where my tax dollars are going,” said Kevin Lily, a protestor from Chicago. “I mean, there's people experiencing homelessness, people without health care, people who are really struggling here, and we're sending billions of dollars to a genocidal state the size of New Jersey.

Lily added: “I want to see action. Feeling sorry and understanding all that — that's cute, but like, people are really dying. So I need to see some action behind those words.”

Sean Duffy, a protester and co-chair of Chicago’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter, also said his decision to vote is contingent on Harris’ policy regarding the war.

Kamala HArris posters Peeling and torn Kamala Harris Forward posters on an abandoned building on the West Side of Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024. (John Ruberry / Shutterstock)

“Vice President Harris would not only win my vote, but I will go knock doors in Michigan and in Wisconsin, which is just a short car ride away, if she commits today to a full arms embargo to military aid to Israel,” Duffy said. “If she doesn't do that, she'd risk losing the election to Donald Trump … there’s a lot of folks who might stay home if they see that Kamala Harris is going to continue the terrible policies and Palestine of Biden's administration.”

The annual Harvard Youth Poll, which surveys Americans aged 18-29 and was published in April, found that out of 16 ranked issues, the Israel-Palestine conflict was of 15th most importance to young voters. Inflation, housing and healthcare were the top three most pressing issues for youth while student debt, the war in the Middle East and free speech were the least.

An April Pew Research Center survey found that, out of adults younger than 30, just 16 percent favor the U.S. providing military aid to Israel, in contrast to 56 percent of adults 65 and older.

Despite these polling numbers, dedicated American advocates of the Palestinian cause are often extraordinarily vocal about the issue, which has led to significant public attention.

A total of 36 uncommitted Democratic delegates — who earned their place at the Democratic National Convention after more than 740,000 presidential primary voters chose “uncommitted” instead of Biden — share similar goals with pro-Gaza protesters.

They hope threatening the Harris-Walz ticket with a loss of voters would assuage the vice president to implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and embargo of arms to Israel.

During her nomination acceptance speech Thursday, Harris both affirmed her commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself and the United States’ support of its military — while at the same time declaring the war in Gaza must end and the carnage of innocent Gazans must stop.

Crans said he thinks Gaza policy is “the most important factor” influencing his decision to vote in November, but still would choose Harris over Trump.

“Being in a two-party system,” he said, “I am still gonna vote for her. If it's between her and Trump, yeah, anything to stop Trump from being in office again.”

Muralitharan acknowledged that there’s “generally a negative apparatus” regarding the narrative of the two-party system being a choice between a “lesser of two evils.”

“But right now, we're witnessing such a stark contrast … it’s historic,” he said. “There's this clear difference between one party who's primarily focused on the ego of one man and another that's focused on the best interests of American people.”

Why Chicago’s 2024 Democratic convention didn’t devolve into 1968

CHICAGO — Despite some protesters’ vows to “make it great like ’68,” history did not repeat itself, and the streets of Chicago did not descend into chaos during this year’s Democratic National Convention.

And inside the United Center, delegates cheering the presidential nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris experienced none of the turmoil that upended the 1968 convention, when security forces roughed up journalists and attacked campaign volunteers.

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Despite the parallels between opposition to the Vietnam war in 1968 and protests against U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza in 2024, there are some key differences that explain why the dynamic is different this time.

Most importantly, the nominees: Harris is not Hubert Humphrey.

Sure, Harris is currently the sitting vice president, as Humphrey was in 1968. But as the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, and as a woman poised to become leader of the free world, she can credibly claim to be a change candidate. Humphrey, in contrast, was the embodiment of the 1960s-era Democratic Party establishment.

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Harris’ campaign promises “a new way forward” — primarily from the era of Donald Trump, but also from the political style — if not entirely the policy prescriptions — of a Silent Generation politician in Joe Biden, who entered the U.S. Senate in 1973, when Harris was in grade school.

Humphrey, in contrast, represented a continuation of then-President Lyndon Johnson’s policies, including an unpopular, war and efforts to address racism and poverty that, taken together with rioting in American cities in response to the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, prompted a backlash from white voters.

(A Chicago police commander raises his fist while standing behind a police line near the Israeli consulate on Tuesday. (Jordan Green /Raw Story)

Another key difference between 2024 and 1968 is the Republican nominee. Simply stated,Trump is not Richard Nixon.

Voters and, more importantly, the Democratic Party rank-and-file, know Trump because he’s already served one term as president and has never stopped running for president since, shattering democratic legal standards and norms all the while.

Nixon, the Republican nominee, ran on the sufficiently vague promise of “peace with victory” in Vietnam that allowed him to evade scrutiny before going on to win the election and dramatically expand the war.

While Nixon would of course resign in 1974 amid nation-shaking abuses of power, neither Democrats nor Republicans in 1968 could not have predicted the events that would precede his political demise.

In contrast, Democratic Party delegates who gathered in Chicago this week are well aware that Trump intends, for one, to gut the civil service to install loyalists in the federal government. Trump’s risible efforts to distance himself notwithstanding, Project 2025, with its prescriptions for restructuring the government with authoritarian efficiency, is practically a household name among Democratic voters.

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Thanks to the threat of Trump, Democratic Party activists are giving their nominee extraordinary leeway on policy issues. Aside from the politically perilous issue of Gaza, there was little evidence inside the United Center of factions jockeying for influence over particulars concerning environmental policy, healthcare or immigration. Many Democrats are happy to unify behind Harris with the imperative to beat Trump in November.

Another key difference between then and now is the Chicago police, who arguably bear the largest share of responsibility for the violence in 1968.

In 1968, violent skirmishes broke out between police and protesters roughly six miles from the convention center in what an independent commission later described as a “indiscriminate and unrestrained police violence.”

Protesters at the 2024 Democratic convention leaned into the legacy of 1968 in a bid to elevate the suffering in Gaza into the national discourse.

“Just like 1968, there’s nothing here to celebrate,” the protesters chanted on Wednesday, as their march idled in a residential neighborhood four blocks from the United Center. “The whole world’s watching — the bombs are dropping.”

Chicago police in riot gear — aided throughout Chicago by local and federal law enforcement officials from across the nation — held the line despite attempts by protesters throughout the week to break through security fences and access the United Center.

There were some minor skirmishes, as on Tuesday evening, when officers grabbed protest leaders out of a crowd outside the Israeli consulate, about two miles away from the United Center. The police sometimes used aggressive tactics, including trying to grab media credentials from journalists and arresting two on Tuesday. They also detained protesters in train stations near the march route, although they later released them, and in the end, the clashes didn’t amount to much.

Chicago police confront a photojournalist near the Israeli consulate on Aug. 20, 2024, in downtown Chicago. (Jordan Green / Raw Story)

Contrast this week’s events with the 1968 protests, as described by Peter Hayward, then a college student, to CBS News: “Cops on motorcycles — on those three-wheeled motorcycles — just driving us north. I saw some kids fall down — in a panic to see this kind of thing happening — and the National Guard just walking over them, and the motorcycle cops showing absolutely no respect for the fact that these people were lying there.”

The violence in 1968 was so horrifying and grotesque that Humphrey was forced to acknowledge it before giving his acceptance speech.

In 2024, it’s safe to say that for the vast majority of the Democrats, the joyful chaos of celebratory balloons and throngs of elated delegates chanting long after Harris left the stage left a more lasting impression than anything transpiring outside the United Center.

‘Higher than Obama’: Repeat Dem convention-goers hyped over ‘electrifying’ Chicago energy

CHICAGO — Darnell Williams might be one of the most experienced convention goers at the Democratic National Convention this week, with seven under his belt.

The Massachusetts delegate, who works with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, first attended a Democratic convention in 1980 when he supported Sen. Ted Kennedy, the intra-party challenger to incumbent President Jimmy Carter, who would win the Democratic nomination but ultimately lose to Republican Ronald Regan.

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Forty-four years later, this Democratic convention is unlike any in modern history given the compressed timeline for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign following President Joe Biden dropping out of the race in July — a move that Williams calls a “profile in courage” that created an “earthquake” and “a restoration of focus” for Democrats.

Williams said the convention in Chicago — with today marking the final day — “has to really edge out to be number one.”

Darnell Williams on the Chicago blue line train after Wednesday's convention concluded. (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

That includes the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, with then-Sen. Barack Obama accepting his party’s presidential nomination before a capacity crowd inside a 76,000-seat outdoor football stadium.

“There's been such a drastic shift in attitude and expectation, happiness and restoring democracy, restoring freedom. We are galvanized in order to be the boots on the ground, in order to transfer that message back to and across America,” Williams said. “That's a little different than where we were at before. The other ones were maybe more mechanical, methodical, but this is more, this is personal.”

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Carl Donovan, a delegate from Great Falls, Mont., attended his first convention in 1976 when Carter first won the Democratic nomination and would go on to serve one term as president. He agreed with Williams that this year has been the best — even for logistical reasons.

Carl Donovan, a delegate from Great Falls, Mont. (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

“This is probably the greatest speeches, and everything is orchestrated very, very well at this one,” Donovan said. “I’m excited to hear what Kamala says, but I'm very excited about Gov. Walz because he is like us living in Montana. We help our neighbors, and he's just like one of us.”

Alabama delegates Carolyn Culpepper, Merika Coleman and Sherry McClain have attended three conventions together as a group.

Alabama delegates Carolyn Culpepper, Merika Coleman and Sherry McClain (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

The energy is different this year in Chicago, said Culpepper, a retired lieutenant colonel.

“Oh wow, it’s higher than Obama,” Culpepper said of Obama’s 2008 nomination.

Coleman, an Alabama state senator, agreed that the Harris nomination will be just as historic as Obama’s nomination — if not more, particularly if she becomes the first woman to serve as president of the United States.

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“He was the first African American, but right now, we're talking about saving our country, and it's amazing the coalition of people that are coming together to save the country,” Coleman said. “It's just absolutely amazing the energy behind this candidacy. Coach Walz yesterday, he gave us our pep talk. Today, she's gonna bring it all the way home.”

Jackie Nophlin, a Virginia delegate, traveled to Los Angeles for the 2000 Democratic convention that nominated then-Vice President Al Gore.

Jackie Nophlin, Virginia delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

“The excitement there, it was immaculate,” Nophlin said. “I couldn't put it into words, but this, 24 years later, it's remarkable.”

If Biden had stayed in the race? Nophlin said she didn't think her “heart would have been in it as much.”

“The energy is different. It's a refreshing, youthful type,” Nophlin said. “It is electrifying, and the people mean it, and you feel the togetherness and the helpfulness and the love that was not there until now.”

This is the first convention for Brandon Williford, a Wisconsin delegate, who was thrilled to see Obama speak on Tuesday.

Brandon Williford, Wisconsin delegate (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

“He was a big inspiration for me. When he got elected. I was just 10 years old, and he inspired me to run for office myself,” said Williford, who lost a race for State Assembly District 12 but is going to “keep on trying.”

Some of the youngest attendees here in Chicago were brought by their parents to experience the energy as well.

“It’s an opportunity for him at this age to experience this historic movement. I want him to be around everybody, feel the spirit and something to remember,” said Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, a New York delegate and chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, who brought her 22-month-old son, Daniel. “I think he might remember this.”

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and Daniel (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

Mary Wyatt from New York came with her 14-month-old daughter, Wyatt.

“If Kamala is elected, when she learns what the concept of what a president is, it'll be a woman, and it's not even like a question,” she said.

Mary Wyatt and her daughter Wyatt (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)

See the most outrageous Kamala costumes at the Democratic National Convention

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are dressing for the lady they want — whether that's Vice President Kamala Harris or, say, Taylor Swift.

Sometimes both!

Kamala Harris dresses, tees, earrings, necklaces and hats abound at the DNC, and some delegates have been accessorizing their presidential bling with a Taylor Swift fan. (Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

For some attendees at Chicago’s United Center, their outfits scream their identity.

Ashley Fedan, a Washington state delegate, said her “Gina the stuffed cat” purse has a message to deliver to Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, whose views on “childless cat ladies” has earned him widespread rebukes.

"She's going around and meeting everybody to prove that sometimes, even if you don't have children, you have value and you can be fun,” Fedan told Raw Story.

And, of course, T. Swift isn’t the only music icon to win the hearts, minds and closet space of Democratic delegates.

Ashley Fedan and her Gina the stuffed cat purse alongside fellow Washington delegate Andrew Ashiofu. (Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

Fedan’s recycled white dress and sparkling hat is a nod to Beyoncé — "she revolutionized country music with one album with Cowboy Carter. We’re Cowboy Kamala” — that accompanies her Ruth Bader Ginsburg frill, an homage to R.B.G.’s advocacy for women as a Supreme Court justice and jurist.

Her fellow Washington state delegate, Andrew Ashiofu, came decked out in a traditional Nigerian handwoven top in white and patriotically painted nails.

Andrew Ashiofu's patriotic nails (Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

“For a long time, the colors of America, red, white, blue and the word ‘patriot' has been taken from us by the MAGA Republicans,” Ashiofu said. “Also, they have this whole gender fight against people who are non-binary. In painting my nails red, white, blue, I’m taking back the word ‘patriot’ from them."

Ashley Fedan and Andrew Ashiofu's Kamala cowboy hats (Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

But it wouldn’t be a convention without a Florida woman (or two).

A member of the Florida delegation has been lighting up her state’s section all week long. (Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

Of course, there’s always lots of pithy walking political billboards around every corner of the convention hall. One of the more common slogans represented here in Chicago is a jab at former President Donald Trump as they declare “Voting is my ‘Black job.’”

(Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

Many delegates are also paying their party’s respects to those who came before them, especially Illinois favorite son, former President Barack Obama, and favorite daughter, former first lady Michelle Obama.

On Wednesday, the day after the Obamas addressed the convention, five-time Mississippi delegate Kelly Jacobs said she had to forgo her four Kamala Harris-themed dresses and rock one of her old Obama-themed dresses.

Jacobs says her eye-catching political dresses are more than just fun — she says they come in handy while door knocking in African American communities throughout Mississippi.

“That’s actually why I have so many Obama dresses, because when white girl goes knocking on doors, they’re like, ‘Of course you’re a Republican, we can’t believe anything you say.’ But when I’m knocking one of my Obama dresses, they’re like, ‘Oh, come in. Let me get you some water,’” Jacobs told Raw Story.

(Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

There’s also been a number of brave cheeseheads rocking Green Bay Packer yellow on Chicago Bears turf. Still, there’s only love in the air here, even amongst rivals.

(Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

"The big thing is just we're gonna see Kamala Harris speak. That’s pretty exciting,” Brandon Williford, a Wisconsin delegate, told Raw Story.

Carl Donovan, delegate from Great Falls, Mont., who donned an Uncle Sam-style hat, attended his first convention in 1976.

Carl Donovan (Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

Classics never grow old, as is the case with good ole red, white and blue — the foundational colors to any political fashion in these United States.

Jackie Nophlin (Alexandria Jacobson / Raw Story)

The first national convention Jackie Nophlin attended was in 2000.

"It’s been so exciting, I can barely contain myself,” Jackie Nophlin, a Virginia delegate, told Raw Story.

(Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

While the Democratic National Convention is taking place inside the home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, it seems Benny the Bull and Tony Hawk got the week off, but there’s been at least one blue donkey spotted throughout the convention hall.

(Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

Alas, you can’t have a convention without a plethora of politicians, so, of course, there’s plenty of monkey suits around.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his entourage make their way to the stage at the DNC ahead of his Wednesday night speech. (Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

With unrest in the party’s progressive ranks over Israel’s war in Gaza, some attendees have used their wardrobe as olive branches — and to make statements.

(Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

Outside Chicago’s United Center the theme has been Palestinian Black, white, red and green.

(Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

There’s also plenty of blue on the city’s streets, though not Democratic Party blue.

Chicago Police Department blue mixed with day-glo neon green and billy club brown can be seen on every street corner near the United Center.

Chicago Police officers stand guard outside the security barrier on the final night of the DNC. (Matt Laslo / Raw Story)

‘Thought we would be coming to a funeral’: Dean Phillips gets his validation moment

CHICAGO — Failed Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips — who challenged President Joe Biden in this year’s primary to the guffaws and eye rolls of his party colleagues — is having a little moment at the Democratic National Convention.

Phillips, who based his ultra-longshot campaign on the basis that Biden was too old and frail to beat Donald Trump, and that Democrats must nominate someone else, failed to win one Democratic primary contest. He wasn’t offered a prime-time speaking slot.

But Biden withdrew last month, Kamala Harris is now the party’s presidential nominee and Phillips couldn’t be happier.

ALSO READ: Inside the Democratic National Convention corporate moneyfest

“Are you just walking around here being like, ‘told you so,’ ‘told you so,’ ‘told you so’?” Raw Story asked the congressman as he was briskly walking around the convention hall on his way to a television interview.

“Yeah,” the Minnesota congressman said through a laugh. “That's not what I was seeking, but I've been the recipient of a lot of wonderful handshakes, high fives and hugs that I, frankly, wasn't even anticipating and I’m grateful.”’

Phillips — with a total of four — came in second to Biden in terms of those all-important delegates in this year’s Democratic primary, besting self-help author and political gadfly Marianne Williamson after Robert Kennedy Jr. ditched the Democratic Party last fall and ran as an independent.

Other Democrats still aren’t ready to verbalize their non-apology apologies to Phillips, a multimillionaire businessman who comes from a family of distillers.

But Phillips says he still feels the love.

“I'm getting a lot of wink-winks and nod-nods,” the 55-year-old Phillips said through a knowing smile. “And just a lot of kind gestures.”

After a less-than-lackluster primary showing against the sitting president and member of his own party, Phillips ended his campaign this March and endorsed Biden. But there was still lingering bad blood — until Biden flopped during his first and only debate against Trump, the former president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

ALSO READ: Why Kamala Harris may get a big convention polling ‘bounce’

Like most Democrats, Phillips felt gutted and terrified after Biden’s poor debate performance. But Phillips’ fear turned to validation when many of his congressional colleagues joined his effort and successfully pressured Biden to drop out, which he did on July 21.

Phillips says he’s not spiking the proverbial football — though that doesn’t mean he’s not dancing in the end zone of this year’s Democratic National Convention.

“It wasn't about me, it was about the mission, and the mission's been validated,” Phillips said. “By the way, not just validated, I thought we would be coming to a funeral, and it turned out to be a birth.”

Thing is, Phillips says this isn’t news to him. That’s because in the quiet of the Capitol’s cloakrooms, he had colleagues — he didn’t name names — voice support to him throughout his longshot bid to upend his own political party, he said.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump exploits AP photo error for new $99 'Save America' book

“Yes, there were a number of colleagues who agreed with me during it, but we live in a political culture — work in a political culture — that doesn't reward independence and that kind of risky truth telling,” Phillips told Raw Story. “And I know that, and I was in a unique position to risk my job — and even lose it — and I think that too few are willing to undertake, and that's where we have problems.”

While Phillips is retiring from the U.S. House after this session of Congress ends in January, he’s not done with politics: He’s got opinions — including unflattering ones on his own party — and he’s sharing them to whoever will listen

If anything, this chapter in his political career makes him want to upend the nation’s two-party system, because he says it’s structured to help enrich Washington’s political class — whether monetarily or with the power so many politicians sell their souls for — at the expense of the very people they’ve pledged to serve.

“They're both private corporations, and I think the American public needs to better understand that they don't answer to shareholders, they answer to officers and they're appointed by political leaders. And I want to shine light on that, because we have perverse incentives,” Phillips said before heading off to do a TV hit. “I’ve gotta run.”

Capitol Police alumni rally around Kamala Harris

CHICAGO — The Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol may be in the rearview for many Americans, but it’s remained a centerpiece of former President Donald Trump’s campaign — from his song with “the J6 choir” to him dubbing those federal convicts “hostages.”

And while the economy, immigration and war in the Middle East are also on the top of voter’s minds this cycle, some of the officers left scarred by the failed insurrectionists are combating Trump’s rhetoric by pounding the pavement in battleground states nationwide this election cycle.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump exploits AP photo error for new $99 'Save America' book

That includes one former officer who could soon find his way back to Congress — as an elected lawmaker.

“I've been out on the road for Vice President Harris, and I couldn't be happier,” former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn told Raw Story while trekking through the crowded Democratic National Convention arena in Chicago as delegates praised his service and stopped him for selfies.

Dunn was one of a handful of officers who garnered headlines for testifying in front of the 117th Congress about the brutality, racism and abuse law enforcement officials endured at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Earlier this year, Dunn lost a Democratic primary for an open Maryland congressional seat, but he says he feels at home in the party. Now, as a surrogate for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, Dunn has already been to Michigan and Wisconsin, and he’ll be traveling to North Carolina soon.

Other officers left scarred in the aftermath of the attack are also speaking out this election cycle, including Daniel Hodges, Michael Fanone and Aquilino Gonell, who recounted to the delegates gathered in Chicago his story of being brutalized by a pole with an American flag still waving from the other end.

ALSO READ: Inside the Democratic National Convention corporate moneyfest

As hard as it is to discuss trauma they endured that day, Dunn says there’s no quit in them.

“All the swing states. Us officers, we are out on the road,” Dunn said. “As long as Donald Trump is spewing lies about January 6, you're gonna find me and us pushing back against him.”

While they aren’t officially a part of the campaign, the Harris-Walz ticket covers Dunn’s travel expenses as he traverses the nation’s last remaining purple states between now and November.

“Do you worry about J6 being normalized?” Raw Story asked.

“Hell yeah. There's been no accountability for it, and the Supreme Court just basically just said ‘F— you, Donald Trump can do what he wants to do,’” Dunn said. “So what accountability? That's why on November 5th we have to get rid of them, because there's no more institutions left to save us. The calvary is the voters.”

ALSO READ: Why Kamala Harris may get a big convention polling ‘bounce’

Dunn and the other officers have allies, especially those lawmakers who still carry the trauma of that day with them.

“Do you worry about Jan. 6 being normalized?” Raw Story asked. “Like, on the House side of the Capitol they’ve been using the committees to defend them.”

“Yeah, I know,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) told Raw Story at Chicago’s United Center. “It's weird. But at the end of the day, there's not much he can do unless he gets elected. And every day it looks less and less like he's going to get elected, and the more he says this crazy stuff, the less likely he makes it.”

Whitehouse says the worse Trump looks in the polls, the more he’s been reviving his rhetoric about hundreds of his supporters serving out January 6-related prison stints.

ALSO READ: ‘Stop the Steal’ organizer hired by Trump campaign for Election 2024 endgame

“His grip on reality, I think, is slipping further, and what he knows is what he said before. And so as he flails around, he goes back to stuff that he said before, even if it makes no sense,” Whitehouse said. “He's not making sense right now. He's just singing familiar songs. It's like a ritual chanting. [Republicans] love their ritual chants.”

The attack on the Capitol has come up throughout the Democratic convention, but it proved to be a centerpiece of Wednesday night’s programming.

Convention-goers were shown video of officers being overwhelmed and assaulted at the Capitol before Gonell, a former Capitol Police sergeant, spoke on Capitol Police officer’s behalf.

And some members of the select Jan. 6 committee were also given prime speaking slots, including its former chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS).

Thompson says Trump’s rhetoric is beyond troubling.

“That's one of the reasons we got to defeat him and not let him get back there,” Thompson told Raw Story while walking through the convention hall in Chicago. “Because that kind of behavior under him will become the norm and we could very well have a situation that's even worse.”

While these lawmakers and officers aren’t surprised Trump has tripled down on his J6 rhetoric this election, they’re also prepared to correct the record for the American people.

“That's who he is. That's why the choice for this election couldn’t be more clear,” Dunn said. “He’s already said he doesn't know if he's gonna accept the results of it, so he's already planting those seeds. He’s planting the seeds for Jan. 6 to happen again.”

“Harris, because she's VP, should she not certify it if he wins?” Raw Story asked.

“No. The Democrats, we follow the rules,” Dunn told Raw Story. “But we're not gonna speak that into existence. Kamala Harris is gonna win this thing. That’s it.”