Everyday Americans Were the Stars of the DNC
The centering of their voices served as a reminder that lawmakers work at the behest of the people — not the other way around
Decked in a coral-colored shirt and standing in his poster-covered bedroom, 13-year-old Brayden Harrington told the story of a meeting that changed his life. See, Brayden has a stutter, and so does Democratic nominee Joe Biden. When their paths crossed in New Hampshire in February, Brayden saw himself reflected in the vice president. “He told me that we were members of the same club. We… ” Brayden said in a video address that was broadcast on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, closing his eyes as he drew out an “s” sound and pushed through his impediment, “… stutter.” Throughout his two-minute speech, Brayden stumbled a few more times, but his cool demeanor never broke. He showed a piece of paper to the camera: “He showed me how he marks his addresses, to make them easier to say out loud,” Brayden said, smiling. ‘So I did the same thing today.”
To see that Biden showed a young boy that a stutter wouldn’t hold him back from his dreams made for one of the most touching moments of the convention. And it underscored that the true stars of the DNC were everyday Americans.
