'I promise to be a president for all Americans'

Party unites around Harris despite pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside convention

- RICHARD WARNICA

It became clear at some point this week, before Kamala Harris appeared to accept her party's nomination for president of the United States Thursday night, just how far the organizers of the Democratic National Convention were prepared to go to keep the focus on "joy."

The Democrats put forward a remarkably unified face in Chicago.

"I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know, I promise to be a president for all Americans," Harris said during her acceptance speech. "You can always trust me to put country above party and self, to hold sacred America's fundamental principles, from the rule of law, to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power."

Even Bernie Sanders, when he spoke this week, was full of unity possibility and, yes, even, joy.

And why not?

Sanders' vision of the Democratic Party-anti-corporate, pro-union, workers first, last and always-was ascendant in Chicago this week, never more visibly so than when union leader Shawn Fain led the crowd in a rousing chant of "Trump's a scab! Trump's a scab!" from the mainstage Monday night.

(The Democrats were unified at times to the point of absurdity. Sanders, who vowed from the stage to get the billionaires and their money out of politics, was immediately followed on stage by Illinois' billionaire governor J. B. Pritzker.)