Democratic National Convention This year, convention organizers really went all out for influencers, and on today’s show, WIRED senior reporter Makenna Kelly joins us from Chicago to talk about the Democratic Party’s strategy of favoring creators over journalists and whether it helps get the vote, plus we’ll take you behind the scenes at the influencer afterparty.
Leah Fager is @Leah Fager.Makena Kelly is @Kelly McKennaContact us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.
Mentioned this week:
The DNC is officially an influencer convention. Makenna Kelly
A visual guide to the people influencing the 2024 election Makenna Kelly
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Transcript
Note: This is an automated recording and may contain errors.
Leah Fager: This is the WIRED Politics Lab, where we talk about how technology is changing politics. I’m Leah Fager, WIRED’s senior politics editor. Today on the show, we’re here to tell you that the 2024 Democratic National Convention is almost over. Earlier this week, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama rallied Democrats to their new candidate.
JOE BIDEN (ARCHIVED AUDIO): Are you ready to vote for freedom?
audience: Yeah!
JOE BIDEN (ARCHIVED AUDIO): Are you ready to vote for democracy and America?
audience: Yeah!
Joe Biden (Archived Audio)) And tonight, Kamala Harris will close out the event. But unlike past conventions, there will also be influencers appearing each night: content creators and abortion-rights activists like Deja Fox.
Deja Fox (archived audio): People my age are making big decisions about their lives and we need a president who will support us.
Leah Fager: and Carlos Eduardo Espina, a TikTok user and immigrant rights activist.
Carlos Eduardo Espina (Archived Audio): Being pro-immigration means being pro-America.
Leah Fager: More than 200 content creators have been invited to the DNC to participate and contribute in an effort to connect with young voters and help Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump. Joining us from Chicago to talk about what’s going on at the DNC is WIRED senior reporter Makenna Kelly. Makenna, how are you doing?
Makenna Kelly: I’m a little tired, but it’s the third day of the tournament and a lot is happening. A lot is really happening.
Leah Fager: Great. You’ll be attending all the DNC events during the day, plus the nighttime parties. What’s that like?
Makenna Kelly: Yeah, so I was out until 2am last night. The last thing on my schedule was a party from 10am to 2am called Hotties for Harris. It was a party that was held, and it was…
