Convention jitters grip Democrats [View all]

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

State party officials and the rank and file are skeptical about the prospect of "miniconventions" across the nation as Covid cases surge.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN

07/07/2020 04:30 AM EDT

First came the announcement of a downsized convention in Milwaukee that delegates were urged not to attend in person. Now, Democrats are questioning whether even gathering in smaller events throughout the country as an alternative is a plausible option after a new surge of Covid-19 cases.

With infection rates exploding in several states, some elected officials, state party leaders and rank-and-file members of the Democratic National Committee are skeptical about the proposed idea of “mini-conventions” across the nation — regional satellite sites for delegates and party leaders, particularly in battleground states.

“We should think, ‘What would Dr. Fauci do?’ And I doubt Dr. Fauci would say go ahead and have mini-conventions across the country,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, who is co-chairing the California delegation. “I personally think it will backfire to be aggressive like the Republicans are.”

The Republican National Committee said in June it would move its convention keynote events — including President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech — to Jacksonville, Florida, after the party failed to come to an agreement with officials in North Carolina, where the event was set to be held in August. Jacksonville ranked third in the nation for metro area Covid-19 growth in the week ending June 27.

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