The kindness is the point
The defining moment of the 2020 Democratic National Convention was neither a slickly produced policy video nor a speech from a former president. Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s address, arguably the best oration of his long career, wasn’t it either.
Instead, it was a testimonial from a 13-year-old boy from New Hampshire named Brayden Harrington.
Harrington, like Biden, has a stutter. The two met at a CNN town hall in Concord this February, where Harrington told the candidate about his difficulty with speech. After the event, Biden met with the boy backstage. He talked to Harrington about techniques for managing the stutter, like practicing in front of a mirror. He gave Harrington a copy of his speech from the night, which had markings designed to help get the words out — markings Harrington used in crafting his DNC comments.
Harrington explained to millions of people how much Biden’s support mattered.
“I’m just trying to be a kid,” he said. “And in a short amount of time, Joe Biden made me feel more confident about something that’s bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared. Imagine what he could do for all of us.”
The underlying message was clear. Joe Biden is the kind of man who takes time out of his day to help a person with a disability. President Donald Trump is the kind of man who uses his platform to mock one.
Throughout the convention, the Democrats spotlighted stories like Harrington’s — of Biden going out of his way to treat ordinary Americans with kindness and decency. [Continue reading…]