With the Democratic National Convention halfway through, vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine will take the stage on Tuesday evening to praise his potential new boss Hillary Clinton and to try to calm the nerves of those who worry he isn’t progressive enough.
Before Kaine gets to the stage, though, there are plenty of other speakers to warm up the crowd both inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and at home.
Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama will address the convention. The president’s approval ratings have vacillated over the years, but Obama remains mostly loved within the Democratic Party. Biden, similarly, has become a sort of beloved uncle figure for many in the Party, and his address is sure to deliver an emotional gut punch — particularly if he talks about his late son Beau.
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Also speaking Tuesday night will be former New York City Mayor Michel Bloomberg. Bloomberg has been a registered Democrat and a Republican, and he’s now an independent. Though he has some viewpoints that jibe with many on the left — in particular his crusade against gun violence — Bloomberg is also seen as a bogeyman by many on the party’s progressive edge. He’s a hero in the financial industry, and his embrace of police tactics like stop-and-frisk have alienated some Democrats. Depending on how he chooses to frame his talk, the reception could be chilly, adding tension to what had become a mostly unified convention hall.
