9 Things We Loved About America’s First Digital Convention

We here at Run the World feel that America’s first digital DNC was a success! Part of our most important ethos is to foster community and intimate engagement with a platform that features the latest in virtual events. With an all-time high audience attendance that expanded internationally and the ability to collaborate with a diverse group of important speakers across the nation, the 2020 DNC did exactly that! Let’s take a look at nine of our favorite moments from the convention.

Michelle Obama Spilling the Tea

Michelle Obama both threw shade and cast light on Trump’s poor handling of the pandemic on the first evening, saying, “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”

Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising”

A special music video set Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” (originally written as a response to 9/11) showed the nation coming together in a time of crisis, as images of empty stadiums and streets were juxtaposed with footage of citizens from all different backgrounds coming together, while Biden gave an inspirational speech. Now more states have a reason to sing along with “The Boss” in the shower than just New Jersey.

Crossing the Aisle

At least five Republicans (including Colin Powell, John Kasich, Christine Todd Whitman, Meg Whitman, and Susan Molinari) attended virtually, in a rare show of bipartisan support that our country desperately needs to heal.

A Star-Spangled Cast

The virtual DNC convention started off strong with a cast of celebrities like Eva Langoria and Tracee Ellis Ross. However, it’s certain that Julia Louis-Dreyfus (known for her hilarious role as Vice President Selena Meyers in HBO’s hit show, “Veep”) who stole the show Thursday evening.

Plan Your Vote

MSNBC and NBC News unveiled a digital interactive guide called “Plan Your Vote” to help voters do just that: find their answers to questions about when and where to vote, how to track mail-in ballots and what forms of ID are valid by state.

Girl Power

One might say that the suffragettes were the original Spice Girls. Women received the right to vote in America 100 years ago. The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, launched “We the Women,” a video and podcast series featuring 19 influential women to celebrate this historic anniversary.

A Moment of Silence for George Floyd

George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, led a moment of silence at the opening night of the DNC, in a powerful moment that resonated from coast to coast, even through our computer screens.

The Kasich Crossroads Meme

A poorly produced video of Republican moderate John Kasich at both the literal and metaphorical crossroads of a barren, rural road provided unintentionally hilarious fodder for thousands of internet memes on Twitter.

We the People

The 2016 Democratic National Convention had about 50,000 attendees in-person. By contrast, an estimated 28.9 million people attended virtually, making this the most widely attended convention by far and showcasing the power of virtual events to reach a much wider audience. Virtual events also eliminate the barrier of travel and lodging costs for people who would otherwise be unable to afford the trip to Milwalkee.