Sometimes it's good not to be the story.
Now that this past week's jubilant 2024 Democratic National Convention has ended, it's a sign of success that the convention — not Chicago itself, as in 1968 — was the story that dominated the news.
And an amazing story it was.
The Democrats' chosen presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, made history the moment she formally accepted the nomination. Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, became the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to accept a major party's presidential nomination. Should she win, she will become America's first female president.
On Thursday evening, Vice President Harris' powerful acceptance speech hit all the right notes. She proved herself to be knowledgeable, empathetic, confident and presidential. On Wednesday evening, Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also delivered a strong speech, as did other speakers.
Of course, such a large event can never go off without a few hitches. But the months of planning, starting in 2022, that led up to Chicago's selection last year (give credit to the persistent efforts of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, one of a number of Illinois leaders who spoke at the convention) as the host city, paid off, which was good news for everyone involved in the event's planning and execution. That includes the state and federal law enforcement agencies that worked with the Chicago Police Department, as well as those who raised the tens of millions to make the event possible.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests around the United Center were largely peaceful, for which the organizers deserve a good measure of credit. Police Supt. Larry Snelling, who made himself constantly visible, and the rest of CPD executed their duties professionally, with a police presence everywhere. Still, there was violence on Tuesday between police and protesters (not affiliated with the major organizers) who marched into a line of cops, leading to dozens of arrests at an unsanctioned protest outside the Israeli consulate. Also, some protesters swung wooden signs at police. Others on Monday evening broke through fencing police had set up.
Yes, there were complaints the four-day event was over-policed, but that may have seemed the case because fewer protesters showed up than some had predicted. Even so, the demonstrators were able to send their messages out to the nation.
Overall, it was a far cry from the so-called "police riot" at Chicago's 1968 Democratic National Convention. The answer to the question, "Can we finally put 1968 behind us this time, when the Democrats' 1996 convention went smoothly and everyone seemed to forget it?" seems to be a strong yes.
Until now, 1968 has been the Chicago convention many people best remember, even though the city has hosted more than twice as many major-party political conventions as any other municipality.
But this year's convention was truly a success Chicago can be proud of. Those who tuned into the Chicago Bears' victory in their preseason finale on Thursday evening missed the city's real triumph. On Friday, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city hosted the "best convention this country has ever seen." Johnson also said, "As far as the world is concerned, it's clear people fell back in love with Chicago."
Chicago's convention follows a largely peaceful primary election season and a Republican convention mostly unmarred by violence last month in Milwaukee, where the biggest protest had only about 1,000 participants. With any luck, that foreshadows a peaceful fall campaign, one that doesn't end as it did four years ago with an attempt to overturn the results of the election.
We're hoping there is less conflict and more discussion of the many critical issues the nation faces as the presidential campaigns unfold. We're also hoping citizens of all political stripes get involved in a peaceful, thoughtful way. Early voting in person or by mail begins Sept. 26 in Illinois, less than five weeks from now. This is the time to get involved.
Chicago's central location and its proximity to important swing states were among the reasons the Democratic Party chose the city for its convention. The success of this year's event will be another reason the political parties may choose Chicago in the future.
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