Tom Minear: How Beyoncé’s no-show helped Kamala Harris

While the rumoured appearance of Beyoncé at the Democratic convention amounted to nothing, Tom Minear reckons that was for the best for Kamala Harris. This is why.

Four days before the 2016 US election, I went to a Hillary Clinton rally in Cleveland, Ohio. Except it wasn’t so much of a rally as a concert headlined by Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and when the Democratic candidate finally appeared, people headed for the exits.

I won’t say I was convinced Donald Trump would beat her, but in that moment, the lack of enthusiasm for Mrs Clinton was laid bare. She was clobbered in Ohio and lost the election.

This came to mind at last week’s Democratic convention, where rumours of a surprise performance from Beyoncé or even Taylor Swift spread like wildfire and amounted to nothing. While some cast this as a disappointment, it struck me as a sensible decision from a political party that – to the frustration of Mr Trump – keeps making sensible decisions.

US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris waves as she arrives to speak on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Picture: Robyn Beck / AFP

The last night of the convention was the biggest moment of Kamala Harris’s political life so far. Let’s be honest: if Beyoncé or Swift performed, she would have been overshadowed.

Accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, Ms Harris had to show ordinary Americans why she deserved their vote. Unlike Mr Trump, who rambled for 90 minutes at the Republican convention, the Vice President’s address was short, sharp and effective.

If she has the endorsement of the pop icons in her back pocket – and she probably does – then they could be better weaponised deeper in the campaign.

Scarcity and suspense are valuable commodities. This is also why Barack and Michelle Obama had such an impact, because Americans so rarely see them these days.

Former US President Barack Obama arrives onstage after his wife and former First Lady Michelle Obama introduced him on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

Mr Trump does not seem to understand this, blitzing the media as he always does to try and win back the attention he has lost to an opponent he has not yet figured out how to beat.

What last week’s convention demonstrated is that the Democrats are ruthless about winning. While it took them far too long to jettison Joe Biden, party powerbrokers eventually made it happen, seizing on the deep-seated desire among voters for a younger, fresher alternative.

This Democratic Party is bigger than any one person’s ambition, compared to this Republican Party that is now a solely owned subsidiary of an elderly convicted felon.

Mr Trump’s 2016 win remains an ever-present reminder of the extraordinary movement built on his brand. This time around, however, that may not be enough to beat a disciplined Democratic machine that is hitting the right notes – with or without America’s pop icons.

Originally published as Tom Minear: How Beyoncé’s no-show helped Kamala Harris