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American politics junkies who can鈥檛 get enough of a wild 2024 campaign season will have another opportunity for must-see-TV at the upcoming Democratic National Convention (DNC), scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago.

At the Republican convention in Milwaukee last month, the former president, Donald Trump, was greeted as a deity-like figure by Maga voters after narrowly surviving an assassination听. Now it鈥檚 the Democrats鈥� turn to cheerlead their presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her new running mate Minnesota governor Tim Walz.

The casting has changed. Harris, not President Joe Biden, will play the starring role, despite the newly anointed nominee never earning a primary vote. Yet the script of the show will stay the same: a four-day informercial packed with over-produced, ideological fervour.

When Biden听, delegates he鈥檇 accrued during the primaries became 鈥渦ncommitted鈥�. Although these delegates were free to back any candidate they wished, Harris quickly consolidated endorsements 鈥� including from听,听, and听听鈥� and officially became the Democratic听听via a virtual vote of approximately 4,000 delegates.

With that drama gone, here are five key storylines to watch out for in Chicago.

1. Identity politics

贬补谤谤颈蝉鈥檚听听will be a top Democratic talking point. Already the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in the federal government, Harris could become the听. As a woman of colour (she鈥檚 the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants), Harris would become only the second non-white president, after Barack Obama鈥檚 historic election in 2008.

Some Republicans have听听Harris as a 鈥淒EI鈥� (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) hire, citing Biden鈥檚听听in 2020 to choose a woman for the ticket and the pressures to select a black woman in the wake of the George Floyd protests. Yet Democrats have听听this criticism a 鈥渄og whistle鈥� and see a chance at the convention to highlight Harris鈥檚 race and gender.

A month ago, Trump was听听to collect more black votes than any Republican presidential candidate in history. However, reports听听surging enthusiasm for Harris among this demographic, which even led Trump to听听that Harris just recently started identifying as black. Emphasising Harris鈥檚 racial background could shore up support among the black community.

2. Focus on abortion

Likewise, when it comes to women voters, reproductive rights are a top priority for Democrats, and they will be a focal point at the DNC. After the US Supreme Court听听in 2022, upending nearly a half-century of precedent guaranteeing abortion rights, Democrats realised they had an issue with resonance.

At the convention, Democrats will laser in on Trump鈥檚 three appointments to the court that solidified the right-wing supermajority that听. Although Trump has听听leaving the abortion question to the states, some Democrats have falsely tagged him as backing a听.

Many experts听听Democrats鈥� over-performance in the 2022 midterms to grassroots anger over the abortion issue. A series of state-level referenda also听听that Democrats have the political high ground on reproductive rights. Reminding women that abortion is on the ballot could help to replicate those successes in November.

3. Democracy at stake

As president, one of Biden鈥檚 emphatic messages to voters has been that challenges to democracy abroad, including Russia鈥檚 war against Ukraine,听听to challenges by Trump to democracy at home. At the convention, Harris and the Democrats will likely continue that refrain, but couch their language in more tempered terms.

After Trump鈥檚 assassination attempt, many Republicans听听Democrats of stoking violence by attacking Trump as an existential threat to the country. At the same time, some reports have suggested that many top Democrats have听听that a Trump win in November wouldn鈥檛 mean the end of the 鈥淩epublic鈥�.

While the language may be dialled back, Harris won鈥檛 cede all of the ground on the democracy point. Trump鈥檚 threats to go on a听听and to听听align with a first term in which adversaries insist he took a sledgehammer to executive norms.

4. Salute to Biden

One month ago, Joe Biden was the 81-year-old, infirmity-ridden political inconvenience whom Democratic leaders like House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer听. Now, he鈥檚 the distinguished elder statesman who Democrats can鈥檛 stop听听as one of the most accomplished presidents ever.

Biden is slated to deliver a听听during the first evening of the DNC, where he鈥檒l doubtlessly tout his record that some have called the most progressive since Franklin Delano Roosevelt (or听). Expect lots of praise for Biden鈥檚听听and wisdom of听听to the next generation.

Biden鈥檚 decision to step down was as voluntary as a resignation letter written at gunpoint. Yet Democratic party elites are committed to asking voters to forget that their听.

5. Gaza protests

Perhaps just as important as what happens inside the convention hall is what goes down outside it. On the heels of college protests over US support for听听that rattled US campuses in the spring, protesters are already planning to make their voices heard in Chicago.

Their expressions could be a liability for Democrats. While some experts think that the parallels to the DNC in Chicago in 1968, when police clashed with听, are听, others say the planned protests could be a game-changer.

Famed investor and businessman Steve Eisman, for example, has听听that protesters 鈥渨on鈥檛 be able to help themselves鈥� in Chicago and that 鈥渢hey will burn Israeli flags, and they will burn American flags and they鈥檒l shout things like 鈥榙eath to Israel鈥� and 鈥榙eath to America,鈥欌�� and the whole country is going to watch and the whole country will be appalled and 鈥渢he election will be over鈥�.

If that proves prescient, the upcoming convention really is must-see-TV.

This article was originally published in on 15听August 2024.

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