Democrats announce nearly all-virtual DNC Convention in Milwaukee

Mayor Tom Barrett said the event would be moved from Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center

Mayor Tom Barrett said the event would be moved from Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center

DISAPPOINTMENT. >> YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. FISERV FORUM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE CENTER FOR THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO MILWAUKEE. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ECONOMIC BOOM FOR RESTAURANTS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES. INSTEAD, MAJOR CHANGES AS THE DNC GOES NEARLY ALL VIRTUAL. >> I WANT TO WELCOME TO MILWAUKEE THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION. >> MARCH 2019, A TRIUMPHANT MAYOR TOM BARRETT ANNOUNCING MILWAUKEE WOULD HOST THE DNC. 15 MONTHS LATER, A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT TONE. >> I DON’T WANT TO CREATE FALSE HOPE FOR PEOPLE. THIS WILL BE A MUCH SMALLER EVENT. >> THE CONVENTION WILL GO MOSTLY VIRTUAL. ALL PARTY BUSINESS WILL BE DONE REMOTELY. AND BIG EVENTS, THAT WOULD HAVE DRAWN THOUSANDS TO LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS, CANCELLED. >> IT REALLY IS GOING TO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE IMPACT THAT WE ALL WANTED. >> MILWAUKEE EVENT PLANNER DAVID CARUSO HOPES THERE MAY STILL BE SMALLER EVENTS TO DRAW PEOPLE IN. >> WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. >> THERE WILL STILL BE PEOPLE HERE, SO THAT IS WHAT IS THE TO-BE-DETERMINED PART, WHAT DO THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE TO DO AND WHAT THAT IS GOING TO MEAN FOR ALL OF US. >> AND FOR THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY. >> IT IS WHAT IT IS. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC. >> A LOSS FOR CARNEVOR CO-OWNER OMAR SHAIKH AN ECONOMIC BOOST, GONE FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC. >> RESTAURANTS JUST HAVE A PROBLEM TRYING TO SURVIVE. THERE WAS HOPE FOR BUSINESS, BUT THERE WILL STILL BE SOMETHING. WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT IT IS. >> THE CONVENTION WILL STILL LAST FOUR DAYS, STARTING AUGUST 17 WITH EVENTS ANCHORED IN MILWAUKEE. >> THE FACT WE WILL BE REPRESENTED ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, WE CAN STILL REPRESENT OURSELVES WELL. JOYCE: YES, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY ORIGINALLY ATTENDED -- INTENDED. BEN, THE DNC IS CALLING THIS A CONVENTION ACROSS AMERICA? >> RIGHT. THOSE EVENTS WILL BE ANCHORED HERE IN MILWAUKEE, BUT THERE WILL BE OTHER EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE NATION. THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN SAYS THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WILL BE IN MILWAUKEE TO ACCEPT THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRES

Democrats announce nearly all-virtual DNC Convention in Milwaukee

Mayor Tom Barrett said the event would be moved from Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center

Democrats plan to hold an almost entirely virtual presidential nominating convention Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee using live broadcasts and online streaming. Party officials confirmed Wednesday Joe Biden will accept the presidential nomination in person, but it remains to be seen whether there will be a significant in-person audience there to see it.Mayor Tom Barrett said the event would be moved from Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center.The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that official business, including the official vote to nominate Biden, will take place virtually with state delegates being asked not to travel to Milwaukee.Other smaller events will be canceled. It's the latest signal of how much the coronavirus pandemic has upended American life and the 2020 presidential election, leading Biden and the party to abandon the usual trappings of an event that draws tens of thousands of people to the host city to mark the start of the general election campaign. Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said the drastically altered convention won't be an impediment. "Vice President Biden intends to proudly accept his party's nomination in Milwaukee and take the next step forward towards making Donald Trump a one-term president," she said, adding that Biden's campaign will continue to highlight Wisconsin as a key battleground state. The convention details were released the same day that Biden's team announced its leadership team in Wisconsin, one of three key states that helped propel Trump to an Electoral College victory four years ago. He won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes -- less than 1 percentage point. Rep. Bennie Thompson, of Mississippi, will serve as convention chair, party officials said. Party Chairman Tom Perez said scaling back Democrats' festivities is a matter of public health. He sought to draw a contrast with Trump's push for a traditional convention in North Carolina, clashing with the state's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, and public health officials over the details amid the pandemic. The Republican National Committee has confirmed its official business will be conducted in Charlotte. But Trump has said he plans to accept his nomination in Jacksonville, Florida, because Cooper wouldn't guarantee Republicans the ability to host a large-scale event in Charlotte's NBA arena. "Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people," Perez said. Convention health screening protocols will be announced later with public officials.“Everything is on the line this November, which is why we must find creative and forward-looking ways to organize, mobilize, and unite our party around our shared values at the convention so that we can launch Joe Biden to victory this fall,” Democratic National Convention CEO Joe Solmonese said. Besides events in Wisconsin, Democrats plan other events in satellite locations around the country to broadcast as part of the convention. Veteran producer Ricky Kirshner, who has worked on every Democratic National Convention since 1992, will lead production of the convention, including the satellite broadcasts. Kirshner has served as executive producer of the Tony Awards since 2004 and the Super Bowl halftime show since 2007; he's won nine Emmy awards. Barrett said Milwaukee was expecting a $200 million economic benefit from hosting the convention and will likely now see only a fraction of that.

MILWAUKEE (AP) —

Democrats plan to hold an almost entirely virtual presidential nominating convention Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee using live broadcasts and online streaming.

Party officials confirmed Wednesday Joe Biden will accept the presidential nomination in person, but it remains to be seen whether there will be a significant in-person audience there to see it.

Mayor Tom Barrett said the event would be moved from Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center.

The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that official business, including the official vote to nominate Biden, will take place virtually with state delegates being asked not to travel to Milwaukee.

Other smaller events will be canceled.

It's the latest signal of how much the coronavirus pandemic has upended American life and the 2020 presidential election, leading Biden and the party to abandon the usual trappings of an event that draws tens of thousands of people to the host city to mark the start of the general election campaign.

Biden's campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said the drastically altered convention won't be an impediment.

"Vice President Biden intends to proudly accept his party's nomination in Milwaukee and take the next step forward towards making Donald Trump a one-term president," she said, adding that Biden's campaign will continue to highlight Wisconsin as a key battleground state.

The convention details were released the same day that Biden's team announced its leadership team in Wisconsin, one of three key states that helped propel Trump to an Electoral College victory four years ago.

He won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes -- less than 1 percentage point.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, of Mississippi, will serve as convention chair, party officials said.

Party Chairman Tom Perez said scaling back Democrats' festivities is a matter of public health.

He sought to draw a contrast with Trump's push for a traditional convention in North Carolina, clashing with the state's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, and public health officials over the details amid the pandemic.

The Republican National Committee has confirmed its official business will be conducted in Charlotte.

But Trump has said he plans to accept his nomination in Jacksonville, Florida, because Cooper wouldn't guarantee Republicans the ability to host a large-scale event in Charlotte's NBA arena.

"Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people," Perez said.

Convention health screening protocols will be announced later with public officials.

“Everything is on the line this November, which is why we must find creative and forward-looking ways to organize, mobilize, and unite our party around our shared values at the convention so that we can launch Joe Biden to victory this fall,” Democratic National Convention CEO Joe Solmonese said.

Besides events in Wisconsin, Democrats plan other events in satellite locations around the country to broadcast as part of the convention.

Veteran producer Ricky Kirshner, who has worked on every Democratic National Convention since 1992, will lead production of the convention, including the satellite broadcasts.

Kirshner has served as executive producer of the Tony Awards since 2004 and the Super Bowl halftime show since 2007; he's won nine Emmy awards.

Barrett said Milwaukee was expecting a $200 million economic benefit from hosting the convention and will likely now see only a fraction of that.

Democrats announce nearly all-virtual DNC Convention in Milwaukee

Mayor Tom Barrett said the event would be moved from Fiserv Forum to the Wisconsin Center

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