Democratic National Convention day 4: Start time, speakers, how to watch and stream

After six hours of virtual programming, Joe Biden will finally get the chance to speak Thursday during the fourth and final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

The former vice president will deliver arguably the most important address of his long political career from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del. While former President Barack Obama focused on President Donald Trump during his speech Wednesday, Biden is expected to deliver an optimistic and forward-looking address that barely mentions the 45th president.

We got a preview of what the stage will look like during California Sen. Kamala Harris’ historic acceptance speech to become Biden’s vice presidential nominee. It included a floor of empty state signs and a Zoom wall full of supporters cheering the pair on virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hours before Biden’s remarks, Trump is taking his “Sleepy Joe” road tour to Pennsylvania to deliver a speech just outside of Scranton, Biden’s childhood home. Trump will speak at Mariotti Building Products, a kitchen remodeler in Old Forge, a former coal mining town on the border of Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention:

Like previous days, the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern and last two hours.

The convention will stream live on the DNC’s website and across all their social media channels. In Philadelphia, it will also air live on NBC, ABC, CBS, and WHYY, with most networks opting to carry the final hour beginning at 10 p.m. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News will also offer live coverage starting hours before the event begins, each offering their own analysis.

Comcast Xfinity X1 subscribers can watch all the programming by simply saying “DNC” into their remote.

You can also stream it live on Inquirer.com, courtesy of the DNC:

Former Vice President Joe Biden will deliver his first speech as the Democrat’s official nominee for president. The full list of speakers Thursday night includes:

Former President Barack Obama wasn’t attempting to be subtle by delivering his speech from Philadelphia in front of a display of the U.S. Constitution inside the Museum of the American Revolution.

Obama delivered a scathing criticism of Trump, treading where former presidents rarely go by painting the current resident of the White House as a danger to our democracy.

“I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously,” Obama said. “But he never did. He’s shown no interest in putting in the work. No interest in finding common ground. No interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends. No interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”

Harris was given the difficult task of following Obama, and delivered an impassioned speech that touched on her background as the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica.

But the first Black woman to be part of a major party’s presidential ticket got direct discussing racial justice, pledging to fight to end injustices within the criminal justice system spotlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement this summer following the murder of George Floyd.

“There is no vaccine for racism. We have got to do the work,” Harris said. “For George Floyd, for Breonna Taylor, for the lives of too many others to name, for our children, and for all of us. We’ve got to do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law.”

While political conventions have largely grown into television events designed to promote political parties and their leaders, the business of the convention includes formalizing a party platform, which was updated at the end of July. It is based on a report issued by joint task forces organized by Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who garnered the second most delegates during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

To the dismay of some of the party’s more progressive members, the platform doesn’t include a plan for a single-payer health care system, like “Medicare for all.” Instead, it calls for the addition of a public option to the existing Affordable Care Act.

There was also a formal vote of delegates Tuesday to officially nominate Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.

The 2020 Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin Monday. Trump plans to deliver his acceptance speech from the lawn of the White House. He is also expected to be the central focus each night.

Republicans haven’t yet released an official list of speakers, but in addition to the Trump family, other Republicans reportedly expected to deliver remarks include South Carolina Sen.Tim Scott, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Pennsylvania congressional candidate Sean Parnell. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to deliver his speech on Wednesday, Aug. 26 from Fort McHenry in Baltimore.

Also expected to speak during the Republican National Convention are Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Protesters outside their home in June.