Thousands of wildly enthusiastic Democrats cheered their political idols Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton in what one tearful delegate called “the ultimate political lovefest.”
This pre-election orgy, also known as the Democratic National Convention, culminated in the official coronation of Kamala Harris as the candidate to face Donald Trump in the US presidential elections in November.
But on the streets of Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, the mood was very different.
Uber driver Angela picked me up as the enthusiastic applause for Barack Obama’s inaugural address was still ringing in my ears: “I know Kamala is riding high right now, but I’m still voting for Trump,” she said.
“For me, the question is whether I am better off now than I was four years ago. The answer is no.
The Democratic National Convention in Chicago culminated with the official coronation of Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate
Thousands of excited Democrats cheered on their political idols Barack and Michelle Obama in what one tearful delegate called “the ultimate political lovefest.”
Jubilant crowds cheered the current vice president as she took the stage.
‘They can talk all they want about Kamala being a force for change and our hope for the future. But she’s been in power for four years under Joe Biden and hasn’t made a difference.
‘As a black woman, I know I should vote for the first woman of color to run for president.
“But it comes down to who’s better for me, for my family’s future and for the country. Trump is an alpha male. He puts America first and we were better off under him. It’s that simple.”
This sentiment is shared by many “ordinary” Chicagoans, and if their views are echoed across the United States, it could spell disaster for Harris.
Time and again, in shops, restaurants and at my hotel, I encountered working men and women who told me they would vote for Trump but, as one waitress told me, “they’ll keep it a secret because he’s not considered great and Kamala is.”
While there is a palpable sense of relief among Democrats that the faltering Joe Biden has been replaced by a woman who radiates positivity, the race for the White House remains very close.
Chauncey McLean of Future Forward USA, a political action committee that has raised millions for Harris’s campaign, said: “The poll numbers are a lot less optimistic than people think.”
Crucially, social media has helped boost Harris’ campaign among young voters. Tellingly, the 59-year-old Democratic candidate has yet to give an interview to any mainstream media outlet, but last week she gave three interviews to TikTok influencers who were accused of asking “soft” questions about family and fashion.
One of these influencers is Ravayna Coe, who was invited by Harris’ team to help spread the “message of joy” on Instagram. The Californian says: “It’s a relief that we finally have a candidate who projects a positive message and can win.”
However, Ms Coe warned against complacency and said lessons must be learned from Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016.
“Everyone thought she was going to win and Trump crushed her. There are ten weeks until the election and Democrats need to get over the sugar high of Kamala’s election and get to work.”
Anthony, a security guard at the Democratic convention, told me: “I’m an undecided voter.” He voted for Trump in 2016 but leaned toward Biden in 2020 and deplored Trump’s support for the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Angela, an Uber driver in Chicago, said she will continue to vote for Donald Trump: “For me, it comes down to: Am I better off now than I was four years ago? The answer is no.”
He said he had listened to convention speeches by the Obamas and TV star Oprah Winfrey and that everyone was “obsessed” with Trump. “The message is ‘Trump is bad; Kamala is good.’ They talk about ‘dark forces’ as if it were a superhero movie.
‘Most Americans will vote with their wallets. None of us are better off; gas prices are killing us and Biden has let thousands of illegal immigrants cross our border and are taking jobs away from people like me.
I know who Trump is. You don’t need to tell me what’s wrong with him.
‘Kamala Harris has been vice president for four years and says she’s going to make things better. Why hasn’t she done that already?’
“Many people secretly support Trump, but are afraid to admit it.”
Polls show Harris has gained ground among middle-aged white women and first-time voters, but is losing to Trump, 78, among working-class voters, particularly Black and Hispanic voters.
Of course, none of these issues could dampen the effusive atmosphere of the Democratic National Convention.
At a “Hotties for Harris” party, Gen Z influencers posed in front of a “Wall of Weirdos” that featured images of Trump and his running mate JD Vance. The “weird” description of Trump and Vance was coined by Harris’s number two, Tim Walz.
In one corner was a dull brown couch with a sign reading “Property of JD Vance” — words that referred to a false rumor that Trump’s vice presidential nominee once had sex with a latex glove pressed between two couch cushions.
Model and influencer Synclaire Warren, 24, a master’s student at Fordham University in New York, said: “Kamala has given my generation hope that things can change. This wave of enthusiasm will continue to build leading up to the election.”
Moments after Harris finished her inaugural address, Breanna Spaulding of Atlanta enthused: “She is the future of America. This is Obama all over again.”
Polls show Harris has gained ground. An earlier poll of Texas voters had Biden nine points behind Trump, and Harris is now just five points behind.
After watching the speech of the current vice president of the United States electrify an already adoring crowd, one wonders how this most extraordinary American election in recent times will end.
Just a month ago, Trump was being hailed by his supporters as a near-mythic figure for dodging an assassin’s bullet.
But as the past four weeks have shown, elections can change course in an instant.
For Harris, now outside the protective “love bubble” of the party convention, the coming days and weeks are critical.
She and Trump will face off in their first televised debate on September 10, considered a defining moment.
Will Harris come to power on a wave of hope like Obama in 2008? Or will he fail like Hillary Clinton in 2016?