OPINION:
The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday with little in the way of surprises. Organizers wanted the evening’s theme to be “for the people,” but what they saw was the opposite.
Thousands of pro-Hamas demonstrators are gathered near the United Center in Chicago, furious about the administration’s indulgent policy toward Israel. Not having any say in the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris only fuels their resentment.
Party elites crowned Ms. Harris as the nominee on a Zoom call at the beginning of the month, rendering the convention’s events more inauthentic than usual. Participants obediently followed their scripts, including President Biden.
Ashley Biden introduced her dad, and the audience showered him with applause. The sustained ovation and “We love Joe” chants paid sincere tribute to his half century of service to the Democrats’ cause.
“Democracy has prevailed,” Mr. Biden shouted. “Democracy has delivered. And now, democracy must be preserved.”
This was an odd assertion considering the unceremonious manner in which he was removed from the ticket. Some 14 million voters approved his nomination, but nobody voted for Ms. Harris in the primary cycle. There was nothing democratic about what happened to the sitting president.
Nonetheless, Mr. Biden pledged fealty to the will of party bosses, and he promised to be the “best volunteer” for Ms. Harris, who continues to duck substantial questioning.
Ms. Harris still hasn’t offered impromptu remarks lasting more than a few seconds since Mr. Biden’s removal. For instance, she stopped at a Sheetz gas station in Pennsylvania on Sunday for a bag of Doritos as part of a staged drama. The only question asked: Were those her favorite?
“This is my go-to,” Ms. Harris responded. “The original, nacho cheese.”
It seems we’ve traded media fascination with Mr. Biden’s choice of ice cream for the snack preference of Ms. Harris. The inquiry provides no insight into her future policies, just as her favored snack has no nutritional value.
A more self-respecting representative of the Fourth Estate would have asked Ms. Harris whether it was appropriate to pose for a photo-op at an establishment her administration accuses of racism. Sheetz is being hammered in federal court by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over the company’s efforts to avoid hiring violent felons for jobs that require interacting with the public.
Administration officials essentially insist that only racial minorities are violent felons, so this policy must be racist, even though it is applied without regard to an applicant’s race. It’s the sort of insane and dangerous legal argument that flows from a White House drunk on its own power.
Ms. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is also dodging extemporaneous events. His GOP counterpart, Sen. J.D. Vance, is making the most of the vapid Democratic campaign.
“After talking such a big game about wanting to debate me, why is he running like a coward and refusing to agree to two debates?” the Ohio Republican said. “I even gave him home court advantage on CNN, yet he’s still refusing to deploy — again.”
There isn’t much time left for voters to get to know what Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz are really like. Voting season opens in less than a month, with ballots cast in Pennsylvania beginning Sept. 16 and on Sept. 30 in Virginia and Minnesota.
No candidate should be allowed to hide from the people this close to an election.
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