CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� Convention roll call votes can be staid and cheesy, but Democrats turned theirs into the ultimate dance party on Tuesday.
DJ Cassidy stood onstage in what appeared to be a double-breasted satin suit of royal blue, spinning a special song for each state and territory awarding their delegates to Vice President Kamala Harris at the . What America got was a mashup of an elite karaoke night: Detroit native Eminem's 鈥淟ose Yourself鈥� for Michigan, Dropkick Murphys' 鈥淚'm Shipping Up to Boston鈥� for Massachusetts and Tupac Shakur's 鈥淐alifornia Love鈥� for California.
Georgia brought out one of its natives in person: Atlanta's Lil Jon striding through Chicago's United Center to the beats of 鈥淭urn Down for What,鈥� his song with DJ Snake.
In short, Democrats were determined to put the party in political party, part of their even as they issue dire warnings about the need to beat Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The party last used a -restricted 2020 convention that famously had Rhode Island featuring its state dish, calamari, creating the pressure to do something bigger this year. (The chef holding that iconic tray of calamari .)
This year's roll call vote featured the party's emerging political stars like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Movie director Spike Lee was there for New York, while the actor Sean Astin, who starred in the Notre Dame-set football movie 鈥淩udy,鈥� was with the Indiana delegation.
The musical choices were something of a risk. The 1996 Democratic convention in Chicago infamously featured delegates gyrating awkwardly to 鈥淢acarena (Bayside Boys Remix)" by the Spanish pop duo Los del R铆o. Video of the Macarena still circulates among political diehards nearly three decades later.
Florida鈥檚 delegation played Tom Petty鈥檚 anthem to hard-headedness, 鈥淚 Won鈥檛 Back Down,鈥� in casting its delegates for Harris 鈥� a not-too-subtle jab at the state鈥檚 Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Petty was born in the Florida city of Gainesville. DeSantis used the song as the theme of his failed Republican presidential primary this cycle, and it was part of the name of a super PAC that spent lavishly in his losing cause.
鈥淔lorida is worth fighting for,鈥� state Democratic chairwoman Nikki Fried declared, arguing that her state is worth national Democrats campaigning for despite it moving hard to the right and likely to go for Trump in November.
Alabama, obviously, got 鈥淪weet Home Alabama鈥� by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Alaska announced their backing of Vice President Kamala Harris to 鈥淔eel It Still鈥� by Portugal. The Man, a band from Wasilla, where Republican Sarah Palin was once mayor.
Minnesota went with 鈥�1999鈥� by Paisley Park鈥檚 own Prince. Indiana, with Astin by the microphone, went with Gary native Michael Jackson鈥檚 鈥淒on鈥檛 Stop 鈥檛il You Get Enough.鈥� Nevada played 鈥淢r. Brightside鈥� by The Killers, the synth pop band from Las Vegas. Kansas went with 鈥淐arry On My Wayward Son鈥� by the rock band Kansas. New Jersey went with Bruce Springsteen鈥檚 鈥淏orn in the USA.鈥�
鈥淯nder one groove nothing can stop us now,鈥� DJ Cassidy said over Springsteen鈥檚 anthem.
Despite the festive mood, the roll call announcements did contain some serious moments. Texas' Kate Cox had her request for an abortion during a troubled pregnancy rejected by that state's supreme court, forcing her to go to another state for the procedure. But Cox announced on the floor that she was again pregnant and the baby was due in January.
Under Democratic Party rules, only Harris garnered enough signatures to be entered into nomination. Votes for any other person or uncommitted votes were tallied as 鈥減resent鈥� during the virtual roll call earlier this month. Tuesday night鈥檚 鈥渃elebratory鈥� vote is following that earlier roll call鈥檚 vote total.
Josh Boak, The Associated Press
