One of the first things that I learned on my way to the Democratic National Convention was that the whole world is indeed watching the 2024 presidential campaign.
Signage is hung on the exterior of the United Center in preparation for next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
By Denise Clay-Murray
CHICAGO — On Saturday, I left for Chicago to cover the Democratic National Convention.
As part of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism’s Every Voice, Every Vote campaign, the SUN has teamed up with the PhillyCam show, Philadelphia Hall Monitor, to cover the DNC as part of our efforts to help everyone be as informed as possible about the 2024 Presidential Election.
The question that’s governing my coverage is, “What does this mean for Philadelphia?” If you follow basic political science about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you know how Philadelphia and its collar counties go in terms of voter turnout, so goes the state.
While I’m as concerned about democracy as the next person, if Philly is going to be expected to save the republic, I want to see us get something tangible in the process. To me, if the poorest city of its size is expected to save American democracy, it deserves at least some affordable housing or economic development as a reward.
Especially since it looks like the entire world is hoping that American democracy can make it through its latest and, to many, greatest threat.
One thing that’s cool about cities is that there are trains that will take you directly downtown from the airport. SEPTA in Philadelphia has one, and so does Chicago. When I got off the plane at O’Hare Airport here in the Windy City, I hopped on one to go to where I’m staying for the DNC.
During my train ride downtown, I was talking to one of my fellow passengers. My “Presidents are temporary, but WuTang is Forever” t-shirt told him that I was here for the convention and as it turned out, he was too.
(In addition to being nothing to mess with, the WuTang Clan is also internationally known.)
He was a delegate for a group called Democrats Abroad. Democrats Abroad is a group of Americans who live in other countries. DA has members in various places including Singapore, England, Germany, and France. Some of the members are in the military while others are expatriates. There are about 25 Democrats Abroad members here in Chicago.
The man I was talking to was from Slovakia. Or at least, that’s what it’s called today. Because several Eastern Bloc countries have this nasty habit of invading its neighbors, the names of these countries sometimes change from one decade to the next.
Slovakia’s current president is a man named Peter Pellegrini. He is a close ally to Prime Minister Robert Fico and is also a populist with ties to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, otherwise known as the president of that current place that likes to occasionally invade its neighbors.
One of Slovakia’s neighbors is Ukraine. You know, the country that’s kicking Russia’s behind with the help of American-made weapons? Well, Slovakia’s concerned that the refugee crisis the war with Russia is already causing in his country will get worse if former President Donald Trump, another ally of the guy who likes to occasionally invade his neighbors, gets put back into the White House.
Also, if America, a place where many folks from the Eastern Bloc have run to get away from this kind of trouble, becomes an authoritarian state, what happens to the rest of the world?
That’s something that people a lot smarter than I am are freaking out about right now.
The whole world is watching.
Let’s hope it’s not watching in horror.
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The Philadelphia Sunday SUN and Philadelphia Hall Monitor’s coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention is also sponsored by The Chris Murray Report on WURD, Tyler Made Media, Richard Rodriguez and family, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and readers like you. Thank you.
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