The DNC links Freedom to Choice as they wrap up day three

By: Leona Towner

Image provided by the Democratic Party.

CHICAGO – The Democratic National Convention went deep into data for their Wednesday sessions held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. The theme the DNC chose for Wednesday was ‘ A fight for our Freedoms.’  Democrats emphasized the freedom to choose your partner, your healthcare options, and joy over hate.

The convention spent the day analyzing those choices through data points and surveys. From climate to artificial intelligence, most sessions were led by research groups and full of polling and strategic targets.

“The point is we have done the work to see who is with us and who is not and why they are not,” said, Terrance Woodbury CEO and co-founder of HIT Strategies during his ‘Win with Black Voters session.’

(Strategic Guidance Photo)

A briefing on climate and clean energy went through a report on how Americans feel toward specific climate policies. Then the following panel on ‘Voting for the Planet’ walked attendees through ways to find out how a candidate might vote on climate and how to mobilize the eco-friendly to turn out and vote for them.

The sessions were less race based and more generation focused with youth organizing, trainings on campaign mail vs spotting false online campaigning. The Boomers got a senior issue sing along program focused on gathering a group of talented entertainers to speak on social security and drug prices.

The Israeli and Gaza session of the day were led by Jewish Democrats. Their session was policy based acknowledging the Israeli occupation as not popular but stressing the need to fight antisemitism without weaponizing it.

The nights speaking lineup strongly brought on the either-or rhetoric.

Oprah Winfrey – “Choose common sense over nonsense,” Winfrey said as she rallied independent voters to choose ‘JOY’.

Stevie Wonder – “As we stand behind histories pain and tomorrow’s promises choose courage over complacency.”

The two most compelling and confusing speeches of the night were that of Jon and Rachel Polin, the parents of American hostage Hersch Polin currently being held captive in Gaza, captured by terrorist organization Hamas and former president Bill Clinton.

The Polins walked into a standing ovation though the thunderous applause did not quite fit the emotions felt on the stage. The Polin’s thanked the audience and current administration for keeping them breathing in a world without air as they wait for their son’s return in the midst of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. But they made it clear that there was nothing political about the pain they were going through.

“In a competition of pain, there are no winners,” Jon Polin said.

“Hersch if you can hear us… we love you…. stay strong….survive,” Rachel Polin said as she left the stage with her husband to quiet chants of Bring them home.

Now former President Bill Clinton didn’t quite know what to say, but nevertheless he kept talking. On and off script for over 25 minutes Clinton spoke of Harris breaking his record as the president with the most time spent at McDonalds, Trump being self-serving, and Democrat administrations overwhelmingly supplying more jobs than republic ones.

Clinton had some great one-liners, as his hand shook in and out of camera he said “I’m 78 and the only personal vanity that I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”

But he closed sentimentally, looking into the audience saying he didn’t know how many conventions he would have left to attend, “but from the man that used to be called the president of hope, I can’t wait for Kamala Harris the president of Joy,” Clinton closed.

He then took time shaking the hand of every member on stage, clearly moving back the nights programming as the next speakers picked up their pace to bring us to the nights main event Vice Presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Introduced by his former students and state champion winning football team, Walz walked into Coach chants introducing himself as a regular man with common courtesy and common sense.

“Listen here, I know that when someone takes the time to draw up a playbook, that they very well intend to use it,” Walz said referring to Project 2025, policy released online earlier this year by Trump allies that the Harris Walz campaign has adopted as Trumps future policy initiatives.

Video provided by the Democratic Party.

“It’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal, but we are on offense and we have the ball, we’re driving down the field and boy do we have the right team, Kamala Harris is tough, Kamala Harris is experienced and Kamala Harris is ready. Our job is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling, one inch at a time, one yard at a time. One phone call at a time. One door knock at a time.  One $5 donation at a time.” Walz started, as he closed out. “We got 76 days that’s nothing. There will be time to sleep when your dead. We are going to leave it all on the field.”

Walz ended with declaring that healthcare and housing are human rights and re- emphasizing an earlier point that the government needs to stay out of people’s bedrooms.

Day three ended with a clear picture of the two choices the Democrats want the American people to pick between, Joy or Hate.

Thursday is the last day of the DNC and it is anticipated to be the nation’s second biggest Democratic party this year. The largest national democratic celebration is planned to be on election night.