A Lens on the Democratic Convention: Two Americas (Multimedia)
The Democratic and Republican conventions showed the great divide between insiders and outsiders If what was happening inside a political convention could be merged with what was happening outside, perhaps such gatherings would be more representative of our country .
Two delegates from Washington state were escorted out by the police and then stood in front of the exit, staring down people leaving the convention. (Michael Nigro)
Photo Essay
A Lens on the Democratic Convention, Day 4: Two Americas
Editor’s note: Photojournalist Michael Nigro was in Philadelphia to provide Truthdig with photos and videos of noteworthy moments from the 2016 Democratic National Convention, where protesters and activists gathered to express their views. This is Day 4. You can also check out his coverage of Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and the GOP convention.
PHILADELPHIA—The Democratic convention presented a more hopeful vision of America than the dystopian view promoted at the Republican convention in Cleveland last week. Despite this fundamental difference, the two conventions shared one big similarity: The choreographed entertainment—at both the Wells Fargo Center (for Democrats) and the Quicken Loans Arena (for Republicans)—played to predominantly white crowds.
Yes, the Democratic Party is more diverse than the Republican Party, but the filled seats at the Wells Fargo Center still did not represent what America really looks like.
If we could merge the bubble of what was happening inside both conventions with what was happening outside, perhaps the gatherings would be more representative of America.
Both conventions were crazy and normal, smart and ridiculous, sad and happy, ridiculous and racist, inclusive and ignorant, manipulative and organic, loving and angry. I guess it was America.
WATCH: Robert Scheer, Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon on Dissatisfied Delegates
The new challenge is the loss of faith in our democratic system, made worse by Donald Trump’s fascistic rhetoric and Hillary Clinton’s above-and-beyond-the-law royal privilege.
We have reached this point because of terrible obstructionism and vilification of the opposition (by all sides) and the stoking of fear, among other things. Whichever candidate wins, none of this is going away. Not the open bigotry, hatred, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, etc.
And then there’s the growing number of people who want nothing to do with either Democrats or Republicans. That’s not going away, either. They’d rather vote the arsonist ticket and burn the two-party system down.
The conventions are over. The work continues.
Watch Michael Nigro’s from Day 4 of the convention, and check out video from Day 4 of the convention below:
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