Top of Mind Thursday – August 22, 2024: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

This week, the Democratic National Convention is being held in Chicago, with Kamala Harris accepting her party’s nomination for president this evening.

The slate of speakers during the week has been jam-packed with the full range of politicians—up-and-comers that are new to most of the audience, current officeholders, two former presidents and first ladies, and of course, the current president, Joe Biden, and his family. There are performers galore, family members, and speakers who tell their personal stories, such as women who suffered from restrictive abortion laws when their much-wanted pregnancies went off-course.

All-in-all, the message is upbeat and hopeful. Harris talks about how much has been accomplished so far, how we can unite the country, and how she can help us continue to move forward.

It’s a very different approach than the Republicans took in their convention last month. With fewer celebrities and a much less raucous crowd, Donald Trump and JD Vance told us how bad the country is doing. They focused on what’s wrong with America now and what terrible things we might expect in the future if he is not elected.

Are these two candidates even running for office in the same country? How can things be simultaneously so bad and yet so good?

Reality is likely somewhere between these two poles. Things aren’t as bad as Trump would like you to believe and, for many, they aren’t as good as the Harris team is portraying them.

But elections are won and lost on emotion, not on logic. Which candidate will be able to persuade the electorate their view of the world is more correct? Which candidate will be able to get out the vote and convince the undecided they offer the best alternative for America?

Take your seats, strap in tightly, and get prepared for a wild rollercoaster ride for the next two and a half months. This is not your grandfather’s presidential race, and it’s no longer two old white men battling among themselves.

Pass the popcorn.

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