One of the first things I learned on the way to the Democratic National Convention was that the whole world is actually watching the 2024 presidential election.
Signs are hung on the outside of the United Center in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
By Denise Clay-Murray
CHICAGO – On Saturday I headed to Chicago to cover the Democratic National Convention.
As part of the Every Voice, Every Vote campaign of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism SUN has partnered with PhillyCam’s Philadelphia Hall Monitor to cover the DNC as part of our effort to keep everyone as informed as possible about the 2024 presidential election.
The question that drives my reporting is, “What does this mean for Philadelphia?” If you have a basic understanding of Pennsylvania state politics, you know what voter turnout is like in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, and that’s true for the state itself, too.
While I’m as concerned about democracy as anyone, if Philly is expected to save the republic, I want us to achieve something tangible. If the poorest city of its size is expected to save American democracy, I think it deserves at least some affordable housing or economic development as a reward.
This is especially true because the entire world seems to be hoping that American democracy can survive its latest and, for many, greatest threat.
The cool thing about cities is that there are trains that take you from the airport directly to downtown. SEPTA in Philadelphia has one, as does Chicago. When I got off the plane at O’Hare Airport here in the Windy City, I hopped on one to go to my accommodations during the DNC.
During my train ride downtown, I chatted with one of my fellow passengers. My “Presidents are temporary, but WuTang is forever” t-shirt told him I was here for the convention, and as it turned out, so was he.
(The WuTang Clan is not to be trifled with, it is also internationally known.)
He was a delegate to a group called Democrats Abroad. Democrats Abroad is a group of Americans living abroad. DA has members in various places including Singapore, England, Germany and France. Some of the members are in the military, others are overseas. Here in Chicago, there are about 25 members of Democrats Abroad.
The man I spoke to was from Slovakia. At least, that’s what the country is called today. Since several Eastern Bloc countries have a nasty habit of invading their neighbors, the names of these countries sometimes change from one decade to the next.
Slovakia’s current president is Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico and a populist with ties to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, also known as the president of the country that occasionally likes to invade its neighbors.
One of Slovakia’s neighbors is Ukraine. You know, the country that kicks Russia’s ass with the help of American weapons? Well, Slovakia is worried that the refugee crisis that the war with Russia is already causing in their country will only get worse if former President Donald Trump, another ally of the man who likes to occasionally raid his neighbors, is brought back to the White House.
And if America, where many people from the Eastern bloc fled to escape problems of this kind, becomes an authoritarian state, what will happen to the rest of the world?
This is something that people much smarter than me are freaking out about right now.
The whole world is watching.
Let’s hope it doesn’t look on in horror.
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The Philadelphia Sunday SUN and Philadelphia Hall Monitor’s coverage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention is also sponsored by The Chris Murray Report on WURD, Tyler Made Media, Richard Rodriguez and family, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, and readers like you. Thank you.
