DNC Night #2: An Elevator Pitch & A Roll Call with Calamari

Night two of the Democratic National Convention was a smorgasbord of solidarity for Joe Biden.

There were speeches from former President Clinton, former President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn (who turned 93 today) as well as 2004 Democratic presidential standard bearer John Kerry.

There were speeches from rising Democratic politicians at the state and local level.

There were remarks from the formerly nonpartisan (Sally Yates) and former Republicans (Colin Powell) along with a video showcasing Biden's friendship with the late John McCain and his family.

There was also Dr. Jill Biden speaking from the classroom and speaking from the heart. I will only say that Joe Biden is a lucky man.

But the highlight of the night was a roll call with an elevator pitch.

Initially, I thought this wouldn't be good as both Biden and Bernie Sanders were nominated. I found it telling that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seconded Bernie's nomination. She still can't bring herself to support Biden. All things considered Biden is probably better off without her help.

Alas AOC's speech was but a footnote. Security guard Jacquelyn Brittany, who encountered Biden in an elevator last December, began the roll call with the ultimate elevator pitch for the former Vice-President. As we went from state to state, we zoomed in on America's diversity in demography, geography and personality. Some states like Indiana and New Jersey had politicians moving the nomination (Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy) while Bernie Sanders stood in the background in Vermont. New York had a ER nurse, Kansas had a farmer and Arizona had a teacher. There were somber moments from Khizr Khan of Virginia, Fred Gutterman in Florida and Matthew Shepard's parents in Wyoming. Tennessee had an aspiring beauty queen celebrating a century of womens' suffrage while Rhode Island offered us calamari. 

Some food for thought. Calamari or no calamari, anyone who watched tonight's edition of the DNC will not only come away finding Biden more appetizing, palatable and wanting more.