Before Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States, he was a junior senator from Illinois. A Harvard Law graduate who was born in Hawaii, he started his political career as a state senator. But in 2004, a keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention launched him into political stardom. He won the presidency just four years later.
But the party has struggled to find a fresh face to fill the spotlight during the Trump administration. But party leaders remain hopeful that they can find the next rising leader. Now, as former Vice President Joe Biden and current Sen. Kamala Harris make a Democratic run at the White House, many are tuning into the Democratic National Convention to catch a glimpse at who that might be.
With 17 different keynotes, including Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Michigan State Rep. Mari Manoogian, it could be a convention that creates stars and galvanizes supporters. But too many faces could split the attention of voters. And some suggest that even with these featured voices, the convention hasn’t done enough to highlight energizing, new perspectives on the party’s left flank.
We meet some of these speakers and talk with them about where they think the party is headed and how to win in November.
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