By MEG KINNARD
CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, with delegates and officers descending on Chicago after a wild few weeks that noticed the occasion swap out its nominee, upending what had already been an unprecedented marketing campaign yr.
With the departure of President Joe Biden from the marketing campaign, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ swift ascension to the highest of the ticket, Democrats have basically rejiggered the overall election struggle towards the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, simply months earlier than the Nov. 5 election.
The marketing campaign redesign has additionally required changes in the platform that occasion officers will undertake earlier than proceedings in Chicago, in addition to bodily reconfigurations of the signage and different supplies in and across the conference corridor, to replicate Democrats’ new ticket.
Right here’s the way to watch the motion on the DNC:
When is the DNC?
The conference begins Monday and runs by Thursday, with televised speeches and flooring exercise occurring every evening in prime time. An entire schedule hasn’t been launched, however Harris, working mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Invoice Clinton, in addition to 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton and former first woman Michelle Obama, are all anticipated to talk throughout the week’s night programming.
What channel is carrying the conference?
The DNC will livestream on greater than a dozen platforms, together with the conference web site, YouTube and X. For the primary time in conference historical past, organizers say, they may even host vertical streams throughout TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to make the proceedings extra accessible on cell units.
Conference officers say there will likely be English and Spanish variations, in addition to American Signal Language interpretation and an audio description service.
Quite a lot of community and cable information retailers have introduced particular programming for the prime-time parts of the conference, when Harris and others will give speeches from the corridor the place delegates are convening.
Different media retailers, each native and nationwide, will stream no matter is going on on the ground. The precise area itself is closed to the general public, behind a number of layers of safety accessible solely to delegates, officers, volunteers and credentialed media.
The DNC has additionally credentialed social media influencers for this yr’s conference, that means that there could also be plenty of methods to see first-hand happenings throughout these accounts on numerous platforms, too.
The place is the DNC going down?
Democrats are convening on the United Middle, house to the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Different amenities such because the McCormick Place Conference Middle are internet hosting occasion areas, together with areas the place conference officers will maintain media briefings and delegates will maintain caucus conferences and different gatherings.
Illinois is a reliably Democratic state on the subject of presidential elections, voting for the Democratic candidate in each presidential election since 1992.
Chicago was the scene of Democrats’ raucous flooring struggle in 1968 — a yr fraught with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s determination to not search reelection and the assassination of candidate Robert F. Kennedy — that ended with delegates defeating a peace platform in search of an finish to the Vietnam Battle. 1000’s of anti-war protesters marched within the streets and had been attacked by police.
There’s uncertainty afoot in regards to the Democrats’ return to Chicago, the place protesters plan to oppose the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas — leaving some to wonder if a 1968 redux could be coming. Police say they’ve undergone extensive de-escalation training in preparation.
Who will likely be on stage?
Harris is anticipated to offer her nomination acceptance on Thursday evening, as is custom. Walz will settle for his nomination as her working mate on Wednesday evening. Biden will converse Monday, and the Obamas are scheduled to talk Tuesday.
Given the unprecedented nature of how this marketing campaign yr has unfolded, a lot of what the top-of-the-ticket candidates will likely be doing is introducing themselves to a nationwide viewers. Harris started her personal run for president solely 4 weeks in the past and made Walz her choose solely two weeks after that.
America has nonetheless had extra time to get to know Walz earlier than his speech than they did Trump’s working mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, earlier than Republicans’ conference final month. Trump waited till the conference’s opening day to announce Vance as his working mate in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The DNC on Sunday listed its themes for every of the 4 days: “For the Folks,” “A Daring Imaginative and prescient for America’s Future,” “A Combat for Our Freedoms” and “For Our Future.” Conference organizers are prone to launch extra specifics every morning for that evening’s programming.
What’s up subsequent?
On Sept. 10, lower than three weeks after the DNC wraps up, Harris and Trump are slated to fulfill on stage for a debate hosted by ABC Information.
Walz and Vance even have a debate set for Oct. 1, and it’s attainable that extra presidential and vice presidential debates may very well be scheduled.
Related Press author Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report. Meg Kinnard will be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
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