The Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday in Milwaukee. The DNC has scheduled four nights, culminating in presumptive presidential candidate Joe Biden’s acceptance speech Thursday. The ongoing spike in coronavirus cases has forced most of the convention into an unprecedented virtual mode. Some party business will still take place in-person, but much of the event will be online.

During a virtual kickoff event tonight, Democrats from Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota came together to rally support for their local candidates and for Biden.

Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver

Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City said he was not going to spend much time talking about President Donald Trump.

“I think that’s wasted thinking. I think that it gives me a headache. I don’t like to burp a lot. I don’t like to upchuck,” he said. “Because I have spent most of my life in ministry, I am obligated based on the Christian testament to pray for him – which I will.”

Cleaver said Trump is a “bad person and a danger to democracy.”

“He has inflicted pain on the country. He has inflicted pain internationally. These are some tough times,” said Cleaver. “And I would like to believe that Democrats flourish – that we flourish in bad times. In fact, we are bad time specialists and we are going elect a president who will become the CEO of eliminating bad stuff.”

On Twitter, Trump says the world would be laughing and taking full advantage of the United States if Joe Biden becomes president. Trump says America would collapse.

Cleaver ended by pumping up the party. He said Democrats are known for hanging in there and now is no different.

“Why do we need to hang on in there? Because Democrats have been able to hang in there, we have Medicare,” he said. “Because we have been able to hang in there, we have the minimum wage. Because we managed to hang in there, we’ve had the civil rights bill. We’ve had the Clean Air Act. We’ve had Social Security. We’ve had the creation of EEO. We’ve had the Voting Rights Act. We have had the delivery from the Great Depression. We hang on in there. That’s what we do as Democrats. We hang on in there and then we save the nation.”

State Auditor Nicole Galloway – the Democratic nominee for governor – participated in the event. She continued her criticism of opponent, Governor Mike Parson, and his handling of the coronavirus. She said government action to the virus will be on the November ballot.

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D)
(2017 file photo)

“Our response to it. The recovery from it. It will be the defining issue of our times,” said Galloway. “I believe if we are going to get back on our feet, get back to work and come out ahead, we have to start moving in a new direction.”

She said the COVID-19 crisis has put a spotlight on governors around the country due to an “absence of leadership in Washington, D.C.”

“Many governors are rising to the occasion. We have seen around the country what true leadership looks like. Unfortunately here in Missouri, that’s not what we’re seeing,” said Galloway. “I’m concerned that for Missourians recovering from the economic crisis, it will be harder here than in neighboring states – not because the virus has hit us harder but because this governor’s actions in the years leading up to the virus puts so many Missourians right on the edge economically. And now the virus has pushed them over the edge so deep in an economic black hole it will take years to dig out of.”

Parson has said Missouri is so diverse and local governments know what is best for their communities when it comes to slowing the spread of the virus. He has mostly let local leaders decide about what health requirements to enact.

The Republican National Convention will also be held mostly online the week of August 24 in North Carolina.

Missourinet will have coverage throughout both conventions from a variety of Missourians.

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