Political conventions only come around once every four years, and whether you’re team red or team blue, it’s easy to get swept up in the enthusiasm. The Democratic National Convention will close out on the evening of Aug. 22 after a week of memorable moments. Here are five of the best surprises that came out of Chicago this week.
I’ll go ahead and warn you that this is my list. Expect to see some big names missing. I’ve heard enough Barack Obama speeches for a lifetime. After eight years of flaccid policy that make Jimmy Carter’s legacy look like FDR’s, speeches that used to inspire me now make me feel like I’ve got a mild flu. That goes triple for President and Epstein plane frequent flyer Bill Clinton. He doesn’t belong behind any podium, he belongs in a cage reserved for feral apes. Onto the list!
1. Lil Jon Fires up the Roll Call
Conventions aren’t just speeches and glad-handing. Like a city hall metting, there’s actual procedure to adhere to, including a roll call of 50 state Democratic Parties. Georgia put the rest of the country to shame, tapping rap legend Lil Jon to check in for his party with a raucous rendition of his 2013 hit “Turn Down for What.” Even the older audience members in attendance couldn’t help but be charmed by this, with just about everyone in the crowd bouncing along with Lil Jon.
2. Kenan Thompson Annihilates Project 2025
America’s Sweetheart and the longest tenured cast member in Saturday Night Live history took to the stage to lay out the dangers and evils of a second Trump term, and the policy project the candidate is currently trying to distance himself from. Holding a comically large version of the dreaded document, Thompson quips, “You ever see a document that could kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?”
Celebrities crashing conventions is the sort of thing that makes me want to pluck out my eyes like that scene in Event Horizon. It turns out that when the right celebrities are invited to speak, and have something of value to say, it’s actually kind of nice. Thompson actually spoke about policy, and made some cogent points, all while being charming and hilarious.
Let’s see Debra Messing do that.
3. Gus Walz Loves His Dad
For anyone to the left of Michael Dukakis, Governor Tim Walz has been an ounce of progressive hope on the ticket not seen since Bernie Sanders won the Nevada primaries in 2020. This could all amount to a fart, a mere glimpse of “what if?” in American politics. But passing legislation at the state level like universal free lunch is hard for even soured cynics to gloss over.
It’s no surprise that Walz was able to make a career firing up students in the classroom and on the field. His speech accepting his spot on the ticket was one of his best. What made it especially heart-rendering was the response it elicited from his son, Gus, who has a non-verbal learning disorder and ADHD. Gus kept pointing to the stage, yelling out “That’s my dad!” with a face full of happy tears. If this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, I don’t know what to tell you.
4. Shawn Fain Ignites the Crowd
In America, Labor leaders are either absolute drips or absolutely dripped out. United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain is definitely in the latter. Compare him to the Teamster’s boss, Shaun O’Brien, who cynically made a speech at the Republican National Convention, only to have that party’s nominee encourage firing en masse of striking workers. Fain got on stage and brought the fire he usually brings to picket lines.
After quoting Nelly, Fain removed his jacket to reveal a red shirt that read “Trump is a scab. Vote Harris.” Labor has traditionally been a power block for the Democratic Party, and one that is often taken for granted. Watching Fain—who is no slouch when it comes to making actual demands of the powerful—actually get excited in their endorsement of a candidate is, frankly, encouraging. In a country that’s seeing a spike in union activity, pairing the power of collective bargaining with policy could make for some potentially amazing results for workers.
5. Senator Raphael Warnock’s Righteous Rage
Georgia’s senator is a powerful orator. You sort of have to be when you work from a pulpit. Before entering politics, Warnock served as the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. In America, God, grace, and divinely inspired anger are often relegated to right wing spaces. This is despite the fact that progressive politics, from abolition to voting rights, were helmed by those on missions from God, from John Brown to Martin Luther King Jr.
Warnock’s speech was one of the most memorable, if only because it was about something. At this juncture, politicians (especially popular ones) often get away with flowery waxing about “hope” and “possibilities,” without ironing out the policy goals to make these pipe dreams tangible.
Voting rights. The dangers of authoritarianism. Even a pointed attack at Trump’s supposed religiosity. Instead of posing in pictures with bibles, Warnock quipped, “He should try reading it.” It’s unclear if Warnock’s ambitions will go beyond representing Georgia. Compared to many of the DNC speakers and the empty pablum they peddled, the country could do far worse.