Reflecting on the Election Season: DNC v. RNC

Ava Saunders

WHEATON, IL — “Let me be clear,” Vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said — on day three of the Democratic National Convention, “there is no vaccine for racism. We've got to do the work." Harris’ speech, along with many others from her fellow party members, were centered around themes of two-party unity, racial justice, and the inherent need to revive our country from the damage inflicted by the current administration’s lack of empathy. The speeches were given by the other side of the aisle, however, were much different, particularly when it came to two hot topics in American politics today: Coronavirus and racism. 

While both parties had proud showings of diverse speakers, their similarities ended there. Harris spoke about Covid’s disproportionate effect on minorities, saying “this virus has no eyes, yet it knows exactly how we see each other”. Joe Biden admitted that America has displayed the “worst performance from any nation” at handling the pandemic. He also detailed his full plan for controlling it, starting with mandating masks in all states. Trump, on the other hand, stated he would have a vaccine by the end of the year, and promised a “super V-shaped recovery” though he offered up no plans as to how. Republican speaker Larry Kudrow referred to the virus in the past tense, explaining, “It was awful, impacts were tragic. But presidential leadership came swiftly and effectively with an extraordinary rescue for health and safety to successfully fight the COVID virus” (case counts and the death rate in the US continue to rise, and could reach 400,000 dead by the end of the year). 

Another difference in the parties’ speeches came when discussing America’s racist past and present. Harris gave a powerful speech, talking about her experiences being the reason she went into politics, because “the fight for justice is a shared responsibility”. Biden added in his speech that he is prepared to “wipe away the stain of racism in America” while Obama praised protestors for taking a stand against “systemic” racism. Trump, however, disagreed. 

In the America Trump describes, Black Lives Matter protesters are all violent and harmful (“looters and arsonists”), and the black lives lost at police hands is an overblown issue. Republican speakers rejected the notion that the country is biased towards people of any color. “It’s now fashionable to say that America is racist” speaker Nikki Haley said, “America is not a racist country”. After saying this, though, she continued to explain how she and her family faced hardship living in the south. Haley wasn’t the only speaker of color at the RNC convention, but none of them advocated for an end to racism in the United States. Instead, they attempted to defend President Trump from critics who claim he is a racist. “We live in a world that only wants you to believe in the bad news. Racially, economically and culturally polarizing news,” Senator Tim Scott explained, “The truth is, our nation’s arc always bends back toward fairness.” Mr. Scott did not address where he felt the nation’s “arc” was today — or the cost of that gradual “bend” while it’s happening. 

While both parties have differing views on important issues, the main difference this year seemed to be thematic: unity versus division. Though Trump was bashed considerably in all speeches at the DNC, his supporters and the Republican Party itself were not. Biden’s speech was centered around uniting the parties, claiming “we are more than just a collection of clashing red and blue states”. He urged citizens to recognize the direness of the situation, but promised to take care of all citizens, even those who don’t support him, because “that’s the job of a president”. Former President Barack Obama preached that Trump promoted division in the country, and “he is counting on your cynicism to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter”. For Democrats, the “enemy” was clearly Trump and his administration, not “republicans” altogether. Republicans had a more polarizing and outright antagonistic message. Trump bashed Democrats in his speech. “In the left's backward view,” he claimed, “they do not see America as the most free, just, and exceptional nation on earth," he said. "Instead, they see a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins." Trump added that the left “spends too much time tearing our country down to lead it” Even when he mentioned Biden, it was often only to pivot toward the entire “left.” He suggested, for example, that Biden is working with Sanders to move the party even further left. Vernon Jordan referred to democrats as running “a mental plantation”. Hand in glove with this hatred of all things non-republican was an extreme nationalism theme. That “love America or leave it, but don’t you dare try to change it” theme ran through many RNC speeches, especially Trump’s. There was an intense —almost religious — belief that America is superior to all other countries. The RNC’s America is, according to him, “the torch that enlightens the entire world”. 

Compromise has always required two willing parties. The conventions seem to paint a bleak outlook for compromise no matter who wins. The danger behind the RNC’s approach is that both sides lose in an election. If Trump wins, minority voices (eg - “the evil left”) will continue to be ignored — a situation that will lead to more anger and violence. If Biden wins, the RNC will simply refuse to come to the table out of fear of “changing” their sacred American ideal. Labeling the Dems as the enemy, while painting themselves as true Americans, will make compromise impossible. The only way out of this political storm would be a resurgence of the “centrist” elements in both parties, though neither side would achieve their ultimate goals with this approach. However, the conventions didn’t seem to offer those members much of a voice. 

Reflection: I wrote this article before the election, the refusal to accept results, and the insurrection at the Capitol. Many points from it are still relevant. The RNC, namely those loyal to Trump, did fail to compromise. They even refused to accept Biden’s victory until a staged rebellion by supporters forced their hand. The theme of “unity v. division” still applies to our nation, which is so divided that members of the same party are turning into adversaries, and citizens are willing to use violence and fear rather than admit defeat. Looking back at my original article, right-wing politicians were already spreading a hateful agenda. This continued to go unchecked by the rest of their party and resulted in grave consequences. Hatred of the other side kept growing. The lives of Congressmen and Congresswomen were endangered by the citizens they represent. Many in the Republican party opposed this from the start but failed to correct their colleagues’ actions. As long as Americans refuse to see each other as people, and instead see each other as “the enemy”, there will be no compromise. There will be no united country until compassion overcomes hostility.