We are two days away from the start of the 2020 Democratic Convention. We already know that some things will be different from the norm. We will not have a full arena with delegates hearing presentations on committee reports during non-prime time hours. To the extent that these matters have to be done, they are being done remotely.
But the real issue is how to handle the prime time speeches. A speech delivered in front of a large arena will typically have natural applause lines and some “call and response” with the audience. Signs are passed out in advance to the audience to create the perfect message during any crowd shots that the networks might choose to cut to. None of that will happen this time. But the natural temptation is to still have the same type of speeches. Just presented live from a room with a small, socially-distanced audience. But such speeches will not have the same power that they did when presented to a crowded, loud, vocal arena audience.
The change in format creates the real possibility to try something different. Perhaps, rather than a stump speech format delivered at a podium, speakers could do a homey sit-down chat. Or, you could do a pre-taped speech with cuts from the speaker to visuals that emphasize the speaker’s point (e.g., while discussing the ineptitude of the Trump Administration, showing photographs of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria). Or you could have your “name speaker” introduce some testimonials from real people followed by a short summary from the “name speaker” of why electing Joe Biden will change these people’s lies for the better. In short, the type of presentation that would never work in a crowded arena, could work when the convention is occurring virtually.
In modern politics, the national convention has changed from a business meeting in which everything has to be decided into a tool to present the party and the candidate in a positive light. The traditional format of the convention, however, has placed limits on that effort. This year, however, has upended the traditional format. I am interested to see if either party takes advantage of the change in format to try something “out of the box” to better connect with voters. Or will they try to pretend that nothing has changed. It may not make a large difference in November, but realizing that the audience is not a monolith and different persuadable voters are persuaded by different techniques might make the small difference that turns a 100,000 vote loss into a 100,000 vote victory in a key state.
