How and When to Watch the Democratic National Convention This Week

There have been a number of memorable speeches delivered at the Democratic National Convention over the past few decades: Mario Cuomo and his stirring “City on a Hill” speech in 1984, a moment so electrifying that it actually had delegates wondering whether, in nominating Walter Mondale, they had picked the wrong man; Texas Governor Ann Richards, in 1988, with her memorable line about George H.W. Bush, the GOP nominee and her fellow Texan, “Poor George, he can’t help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth”; and, of course, Barack Obama in 2004, when the keynote speech by this little-known state senator from Illinois propelled him into the national spotlight and onto the path to the White House four years later.

But would those speeches have had the same impact if they not been delivered to a packed convention hall and thousands of delegates primed for the fight for the White House that would take place that fall? What would it have been like, if, when Cuomo spoke, he did so, not to a crowd that enthusiastically embraced him and began talking to each other about whether it might not be too late to switch nominees, but to a TV monitor? What if Ann Richards had no one to enthusiastically join her refrain of “Poor George” as she ticked off the failings of the Republican nominee and whose “tart keynote speech” made it into the first line of her New York Times obituary? What if there had not be a raucous and restless crowd suddenly silenced by the powerful oratory of Barack Obama and the growing realization that they were witnessing history being made on the stage in front of them?

We’re about to find out.

The 2020 Democratic National Convention, which begins tonight, is the first in history to be held virtually, with only a handful of party officials in Milwaukee, the originally planned site of the convention before coronavirus struck. Instead of giving speeches in a packed hall, basking in the adulation of their supporters, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the presumptive nominees for president and vice president, will be delivering their acceptance speeches from a remote location in Delaware. And all the other speeches this week—some live and some recorded in advance—will also be delivered virtually.

Will this somehow still be must-see TV? The major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News) don’t seem to think so; they are offering only one hour of prime-time coverage each of the four nights, from 10 p.m to 11 p.m., skipping the first hour of programming. (The cable networks CNN and MSNBC, as well as PBS and C-Span, will cover the full two hours each night. The event can also be livestreamed on the convention’s official site.)

Here is what to look for each night.

Monday: One of the most-anticipated appearances of the week will be that of Michelle Obama, the former first lady and still among the most popular figures in the country. She will be the final speaker at tonight’s event, following Senator Bernie Sanders, who twice sought the presidency himself, and John Kasich, the former Republican governor of Ohio and now a very vocal critic of Donald Trump, in what is being billed as “unity night.” Two other highlights will be speeches by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose forceful responses to the coronavirus outbreaks in their states were in direct contrast to that of the president. (Whitmer was also one of the finalists in Joe Biden’s search for a running mate.) Also on the program tonight: speeches by Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and musical performances by Maggie Rogers and Leon Bridges. The celebrity “emcee” will be actor Eva Longoria.

Tuesday: This night’s lineup is a little less starry, but will feature former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez starting in the 9 p.m. slot, and then former president Bill Clinton and the potential first lady Dr. Jill Biden, in the last hour. The emcee will be Tracee Ellis Ross.

Wednesday: This is the night to settle in and get out the popcorn. The 9 p.m. hour alone will feature speeches by Hillary Clinton, the 2016 nominee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, another of Biden’s VP finalists as well as a musical performance by Billie Eilish. Then the night will conclude with the acceptance speech by vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and a closing address by former president Barack Obama. The emcee will be Kerry Washington.

Thursday: Tonight, the party’s nominee, Joe Biden, will make his case to the nation, and it will be interesting to see how he meets the challenge of being the first person having to do so remotely. And though Harris is reportedly with him in Delaware, along with their families, the awkwardness of a socially distanced joint appearance will no doubt replace the euphoria and enthusiasm that usually greets the first onstage appearance by the party’s now official nominees. (Who can forget Bill and Hillary Clinton and Al and Tipper Gore bopping along to Fleetwood Mac at the 1992 convention in Madison Square Garden, signaling a new generation of leaders for the Democratic Party and, a few months later, the nation?) Also appearing on this night’s jam-packed schedule: three former rivals for the nomination (Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang, Cory Booker), three more VP finalists (Keisha Lance Bottom, Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth), and a performance by The Chicks. The celebrity emcee will be Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Next up: The Republican National Convention, starting August 24, and also being held remotely after plans to move it from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida, proved unwise in the face of spiking coronavirus cases in Florida. Donald Trump is reportedly planning a precedent-breaking acceptance speech from the White House.