I watched parts of the Democratic National Convention this week. It was electric, it was exhilarating, it was inspiring. But even as I felt all those emotions while I watched, there was something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Then it hit me: it was the return of Normal.
No shocking utterances. No over-the-top insults. No former stars ripping their shirt in half. No exaggerations, no lies, and especially no Big Lie.
Just a joyful, all-American celebration of a political party and its nominees – one of whom was a life-long lawyer, and the other of whom taught social studies and coached football.
What, I ask you, could be more American Normal than that?
And it felt good. It felt really good. To be able to just enjoy the speeches, the crazy hats, the cheering, the heartfelt thanks and admiration for a retiring president. To see the welcome for former first ladies and former presidents, and to hear from our current nominees.
And to see a high school football team show up decades later to support the man who coached them. It was both touching and so American.
Apparently, the sobriquet “weird” is sticking as a descriptor of today’s GOP and their chosen candidates. I would suggest that perhaps the opposite of “weird” is “normal.”
And perhaps one of the best slogans for the Democratic campaign this fall is simply “The return of Normal.”
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