The Democratic National Convention kicked off on Monday, August 19, but its arrival marked a disaster for the party’s copy editors (if they exist at all) with multiple references to President Joe Biden’s “second term” across the official platform.
Biden announced his decision to not stand for re-election four weeks and a day before the DNC began in Chicago, IL. His announcement, while still a landmark moment, was expected for some weeks prior with pressure mounting from senior Democrats calling him to stand aside.
In his statement posted on X, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor to take on Donald Trump at November’s election, which all-but confirmed her status as the Democrats’ presidential nominee.
Yet, despite four weeks of the Democrats promoting Harris as a movement for change from the administration she’s currently in, it appears some staffers within the party missed the memo.
Before a hasty editorial change, the DNC platform – which describes the events for the party’s quadrennial ceremony – featured five references to the administration’s plans for “Biden’s second term”. Such pledges include greater border security, research into AI, and his push for Supreme Court reform.
While perhaps just an oversight, the mishaps do not bode well for a Harris campaign which seeks to differentiate itself from the failings of the Biden administration.
Others made reference to the AI model ChatGPT.
