Anthony W. Haddad

The Millennial View

Watching the Republican National Convention felt like tuning into an episode of “Succession,” listening to one of the Trump kids boast about the amazing company he runs, while the Democratic National Convention felt more like attending a vibrant, loud weekend house party.

As a viewer, the contrast between the two was striking — not just in terms of policies or the diversity in the room, where the RNC crowd looked like a wave of seafoam, but in the overall energy. I expected the usual mix of attacks, cheers, boos, and inevitable jokes about crowd sizes from both sides. But when it came to the roll calls, the difference was palpable.

The Roll Call Vote vs. the Roll Call Party

The RNC roll call felt like a monotone attendance check in a suburban high school classroom, while the DNC’s roll call was a full-on celebration. Delegates were jamming out, cheering for their ticket, and even had Lil Jon hyping up the Georgia votes for Vice President Kamala Harris with one of his most iconic songs. Tiktok was loving it.

The excitement from the DNC delegates was electric, sending chills through the TV screen. Even if you don’t agree with everything Harris has done — like I disagree with things she did while she was California’s attorney general — you couldn’t deny that the energy was contagious. It was a clear sign that the once “sleepy” Democratic party was wide awake and ready to rally.

Related Story: I Am a Former Bitwiser and This Is My Story

The Democratic National Convention capitalized on this momentum, riding the wave of energy that Harris sparked when President Joe Biden passed the torch to her. With live DJs, hosts dedicated to crowd engagement, and speeches from some of the most popular politicians, the DNC turned its convention into a high-energy spectacle that filled the arena and resonated with viewers across the country.

The Republican National Convention wasn’t entirely devoid of energy and enthusiasm. The MAGA crowd, decked out in their gear — maxi pad on ear — showed unwavering support for former President Donald Trump, especially after his assassination attempt. But even when Hulk Hogan made an appearance and struggled to rip off his tank top, the energy didn’t hit the same level.

Moreover, the vibe at the Republican National Convention felt driven by fear, which Trump stokes endlessly. “November fifth is the most important day in the history of our country, remember that because otherwise we aren’t going to have a country,” he said Thursday morning in a Fox & Friends interview.

In contrast, the DNC exuded a fun, emotional energy, with a focus on the most important thing: hope.

Fear vs. hope, a classic political matchup.

Related Story: Swipe Culture vs. Genuine Connection: The Millennial Dilemma in Modern Dating

Energy Can Only Do So Much

Many speakers at the Democratic National Convention acknowledged that, despite the high energy, this will be a tight race, and energy alone can only take a campaign so far. I won’t dive into polling because, as we’ve seen — especially during the Clinton-Trump faceoff — polls don’t always capture the reality on the ground.

The real hope for Democrats is that they didn’t burn all their energy at their convention turned festival. To win, they must carry that momentum all the way to the polls. The worry is that if the energy fizzles out, so too might Harris’ chances of securing the Oval Office.

This race is going to be tight. The winner, as simple as it sounds, will be the one who gets their voters to go and vote — or mail in their ballots. You can wear all the political gear you want, deck out your Clovis trucks in flags for those early Sunday Trump parades, and share every damning social media post to your story. None of that matters.

Sure, you might rile up the other side of the aisle, waste some energy, and, honestly, lose a few brain cells. But if you don’t jab your pen on a ballot and scribble in a candidate, all your political posturing means nothing.

Related Story: The Rising Cost of Living: How Inflation and Stagnant Wages Squeeze Millennial ...

Please, for the Love of the World, Vote

When I was an undergrad, I was lucky enough to run the largest voter registration drive at a California university that year, right before the Clinton and Trump faceoff. Did I care who you were voting for? Not at all. What I cared about is whether you voted.

If you want to complain on social media, I better be able to check your voting record and see that you gave a damn enough to take those 15 minutes to participate in our democracy.

But here’s the big issue both parties are grappling with: Can they muster enough energy in their voters to get them to vote, or will it all be wasted in the echo chambers of comment sections?

It’s fear vs. hope and whichever strategy stimulates the most energy wins.