Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
The first night of the all-virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention looked like many things.
National political conventions were not originally designed as televised events.
Conventions arguably made the Obamas political fortunes, beginning with Baracks purple-states speech in 2004.
There was room for improvement is what Im saying.
It was the first national televised convention designed, from top to bottom, to be on TV.
Much of the distinction between this and a more typical convention was in presentation rather than content.
There was also an underlying cheesiness of patriotic boosterism, an appropriate mood for this kind of event.
But the message is functionally the same.
Some of it was messy and underconceived.
Cuts to live, at-home applause usually left odd gaps.
There was a disorienting sterility to Longorias hosting studio.
Politicians who havent honed their delivery of speeches with no applause lines were left sounding stilted and uncomfortable.
Its not just nitpicking to point out the things that didnt really work on a design or production level.
Does it work to mix live and pretaped speeches?
How important is it that everyone have the same basic camera resolutions?
We have no live audience, but could we stitch one together on the fly?
Will people be distracted if Bernie Sanders stands in front of a giant pile of wood?
The participants who showed up inside familiar domestic spaces came off as more intimate and personal.
They looked like real people.
The DNC smartly adopted the visual language of the morning show and of the family sitcom.
It turns out a stage can be even more compelling when youre allowed to forget that its a stage.
The effect was most powerful for Michelle Obama, whose closing speech was the nights biggest success.
Her skill has never been to play to the crowd.
Her talent is in making everyone feel a connection with her and in forgetting the crowds there at all.
(The weirdness of the disjointed virtual format came in a close second, no question.)
One of the most poignant speakers was Kristin Urquiza, whospoke clearly and sharplyabout her fathers death from COVID.
The brothers of George Floyd spoke and then called for a moment of silence.
How are you doing?
The paradoxical intimacy of the virtual space helped make that possible.
I think thats what Americans need, though, and the virtual DNC gave everyone some room for catharsis.
