JUDY WOODRUFF: Tonight, the Democratic Party
will make history by holding its first national
convention to nominate a president not in
person, but remotely, in scores of different
locations, all made necessary by the extraordinary
events of the past six months, events that
have turned life upside down in this country.
Amna Nawaz reports on how we got here.
AMNA NAWAZ: Historically, it is fanfare and
spectacle, celebration, and performance. The
Democratic National Convention would typically
bring together thousands of people, all under
one roof, for a four-day affair.
But today, in Milwaukee, home base for this
year's convention, it is a much different
scene, as organizers have been forced by the
coronavirus pandemic to dramatically scale
back plans to an almost entirely virtual convention.
LT. GOV. MANDELA BARNES (D-WI): If COVID had
been more appropriately managed in this country,
you would see thousands of people in the streets
of the city of Milwaukee.
AMNA NAWAZ: Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor
Mandela Barnes is a vice chair of the convention,
and fought for months to bring this historic
event to his home city.
LT. GOV. MANDELA BARNES: But the writing was
on the wall earlier this year, as COVID numbers
continued to rise. And with that in mind,
I knew that it would be very difficult, nearly
impossible, to pull off the large-scale convention
that we thought we'd be able to.
And when I saw the news, you know, I had already
felt like I was playing the violin on the
Titanic at that point.
AMNA NAWAZ: Organizers have been working and
reworking plans for months, making clear public
health was a priority.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez:
TOM PEREZ, Chairman, Democratic National Committee:
Our North Star has always been public health
and safety. That was clear from the outset.
And we have always made sure that we listen
to the experts.
AMNA NAWAZ: Originally scheduled for July,
the convention was delayed to August. The
venue, originally the Fiserv Forum, home to
Milwaukee's NBA team, with capacity for 18,000
people, was changed to the smaller Wisconsin
Center that can house up to 4,000 people.
Instead of one city hosting the entire event,
the convention will now be anchored from Milwaukee,
with curated content from other cities. As
for the headliners, they will be virtual too.
In years past, the party's presumptive nominee
delivering an acceptance speech before roaring
crowds has been a signature convention moment.
AUDIENCE: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!
AMNA NAWAZ: This year, former Vice President
Joe Biden will deliver his remarks from his
home state of Delaware on the final night
of the convention.
In fact, all speakers, including his running
mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, and
other key figures in the Democratic Party,
will be delivering speeches remotely.
WOMAN: We cast 47 votes for the next president
of the United States
AMNA NAWAZ: Even the roll call vote, a hallmark
moment featuring each state declaring its
delegate count, will be done virtually, with
input from each of the 57 states and territories.
The event meant to cap off the primary season
and kick off the general election won't be
what it once was. But Barnes says he isn't
worried it will fail to inspire the Democratic
base.
LT. GOV. MANDELA BARNES: This is a virtual
pep rally. And I think that folks will still
leave excited, because, you know, we now have
a vice presidential nominee. The ticket is
finally set. And there's a lot of enthusiasm
there.
AMNA NAWAZ: As around the nation, COVID cases
continue to climb, millions remain unemployed,
and a national racial reckoning unfolds, the
Democratic National Committee says all these
issues will make their way into convention
programming, with Americans from around the
country sharing their stories.
Next week, President Trump and the Republican
Party will host their own convention, similarly
upended during the pandemic. But, before then,
Democrats have four days to get voters excited
for their party's 2020 ticket, all from safe
distance.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Amna Nawaz.
