Biden Will Accept Nomination at “Virtual” Convention in Milwaukee; Delegates Told to Stay Home

The convention is not just about nominating a candidate.

It's also a moment for the party to organize and establish its national agenda.

Will hosting a virtual convention weaken the Democrats' odds in November?

The Hill has more details on what a virtual convention means for the party:

Former Vice President Joe Biden is poised to accept the Democratic party’s nomination in Milwaukee at a scaled-back convention amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced Wednesday.

The convention will move from the Fiserv Forum to the smaller Wisconsin Center, a convention center in downtown Milwaukee, for the four nights of programming between Aug. 17 and 20.

“Leadership means being able to adapt to any situation,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said in the announcement.

“That’s exactly what we’ve done with our convention. Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people," he added.

Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said the presumptive presidential nominee intends to “proudly accept” the party’s nomination at the scaled-back convention.

The DNCC also said a “process is being developed” to ensure all delegates can cast their votes on matters, including on the presidential nomination, remotely during the convention.

DNC standing committee meetings will also take place virtually.

Specifics about delegate representation on the convention floor will be provided after public health officials complete their assessment of the trajectory of the pandemic and determine how many people can safely gather in person in August, the committee said.

This year’s convention will also eliminate large-scale events attended by thousands of people, including welcome receptions for media and delegates as well as an event for volunteers.

Meanwhile, President Trump will be accepting the nomination in-person with MASSIVE crowds in Jacksonville, FL.

The Republican party is thrilled to nominate Trump and support him again this November!

Many users took to social media to mock Biden's virtual convention.

Despite the fact that delegates are being told to stay home, the DNC is boastful that this won't be an impediment.

The Guardian has more details on the Democrats' strategy heading into November:

Democrats had offered strong signals before Wednesday that they’d curtail convention activities, including when Tom Perez, the Democratic party chairman, pushed back the original convention dates in mid-July.

The new details were released the same day that Biden’s team announced its leadership team in Wisconsin, one of three key states that helped propel Trump to an electoral college victory four years ago. He won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes – less than 1 percentage point.

Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi will serve as convention chair, party officials said.

Perez said scaling back Democrats’ festivities is a matter of public health. He sought to draw a contrast with Trump’s push for a traditional convention in North Carolina, clashing with the state’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, and public health officials over the details amid the pandemic.

The Republican National Committee has confirmed its official business will be conducted in Charlotte. But Trump has said he plans to accept his nomination in Jacksonville, Florida, because Cooper wouldn’t guarantee Republicans the ability to host a large-scale event in Charlotte’s NBA arena.

“Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people,” Perez said.

Besides events in Wisconsin, Democrats plan other events in satellite locations around the country to broadcast as part of the convention.

Veteran producer Ricky Kirshner, who has worked on every Democratic National Convention since 1992, will lead production of the convention, including the satellite broadcasts. Kirshner has served as executive producer of the Tony awards since 2004 and the Super Bowl halftime show since 2007; he’s won nine Emmy awards.

While Kirshner will certainly try to make the DNC convention "exciting," he likely won't be able to compensate for a sleepy candidate.

President Trump, on the other hand, is a one-man lightning bolt that zaps excitment into every stage he walks onto!

It will truly be a tale of two conventions!