The Democratic National Convention is failing to captivate the American people, it seems.
Ratings for the convention have collapsed, according to Reuters, with TV viewership of Tuesday’s proceedings down 22% from what was seen on the second day of 2016’s convention. The drop comes as Democrats opt to go virtual with an event that has thus far consisted largely of formulaic speeches and video montages.
Dems face ratings dip
For three nights, Democrats have assailed President Donald Trump as an irresponsible, divisive, and bigoted figure who has embarrassed the United States while corroding the moral character of the American people. They’ve contrasted that characterization with a much rosier view of Joe Biden, lifting from the Democrat’s experiences with tragic loss to paint the image of a compassionate leader who can unite the country.
With precious little variation, Democrats have riffed on these themes in one tiresome speech after another, interspersed with sentimental montages, musical performances, and perfunctory references to the Constitution. But by the second night, it seemed the American people just weren’t all that interested.
Night two of the convention was lighter fare compared to the first, which featured a notable address from former First Lady Michelle Obama. Still, popular figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took the stage, causing some momentary excitement when she appeared to snub Biden, but then clarified it was all for show, as the Associated Press reported.
Later in the evening, former President Bill Clinton accused Trump of failing to take his job seriously — even as a photo surfaced the same day of Clinton receiving a neck massage from one of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims.
“COVID hit us much harder than it had to,” Clinton said Tuesday, according to Breitbart. “At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it’s a storm center. There’s only chaos. Just one thing never changes: his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.”
Convention spectacle drags on
Ratings for the convention rebounded somewhat on Wednesday night as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris took to the stage, but according to Deadline, they were still down by 11% compared to 2016.
According to the AP, former President Obama warned Wednesday that Trump had placed democracy itself in jeopardy in what was no doubt one of the highlights of the multi-day affair, but no less controversial.
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, called on Americans watching back home to vote in “overwhelming” numbers in order to stop Trump from “stealing” the election, Politico reported, in what appeared to be an allusion to his legitimate electoral college victory that she is still refusing to accept.
“Joe and Kamala can win by 3 million votes and still lose. Take it from me,” Clinton said, according to Politico. “So we need numbers overwhelming, so Trump can’t sneak or steal his way to victory.”
This maudlin parade of bitterness and anti-American feeling will conclude Thursday with a formal acceptance speech from the philosopher-king himself, Joe Biden.
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