The Democratic National Convention Roll Call Invited America To The Cookout. The RNC Should Take Notes

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) join the California delegation as they cast their votes during the Ceremonial Roll Call of States on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024, in Chicago. | Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty

L ook, I’m just going to say what a lot of people are thinking: Democrats didn’t have to go this hard with their DNC roll call Tuesday night.

On the second night of the Democratic National Convention , the party brought an abundance of flavor to what is often a bland and cheesy effort to bring entertainment to convention roll call votes. (Remember in 1996 when Democrats made America collectively cringe by awkwardly dancing to “Macarena” during roll call? Well, that —that didn’t happen this year.)

This year, DJ Cassidy served as the roll call’s MC, and he did a little something different for this year’s roll call by spinning a different song for each state and territory awarding their delegates to Vice President Kamala Harris. What came as a result looked and sounded less like a political event and more like a Black wedding reception…or a Black graduation party…or a Black church picnic…or a Black pep rally. Seriously, Cassidy kicked the playlist off with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” and it was still the Blackest thing I’ve ever seen happen on a convention stage since, well, save for Day 1 of the DNC when Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) sent an HBCU shoutout to Harris, which, of course, angered a certain former Fox News acolyte .

Just look at how Tennessee Rep. Justin Pearson took everyone to church during his state’s roll call, which was scored by Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”

Check out the Pennsylvania pep rally vibes.

The cookout vibes really came through when the DJ played Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” for Colorado, and when Cassidy spun Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” for Connecticut. Iowa delivered its delegate votes to the tune of Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” and Maryland came out to Aretha Franklin’s classic smash hit “Respect.” (NPR published the entire roll call track list in case you needed to add a few new playlists to your Spotify, or whatever.)

But we also have to talk about how the DNC took us to the early 2000s night club scene, especially in Georgia, where Lil Jon came through with a surprise appearance and reminded us why we call him the “King of Crunk” as he performed his hit “Turn Down For What.”

Meanwhile, California damn near reenacted Dr. Dre’s Super Bowl LVI halftime show with a medley of West Coast hits, which included Dre’s “The Next Episode,” Tupac Shakur’s “California Love,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright,” and Kendrick’s relentless summer anthem “Not Like Us.” (Somebody should probably check on Drake. He might just become a Trump supporter at this point.)

Naturally, the DNC roll call had social media bubbling with excitement.

Some of the fine folks on X noted that Democrats were unlikely to receive the same energy from artists whose music they featured that Trump received from the myriad artists who declared publicly and through threats of litigation that they do not want the MAGA Menace playing their music at the RNC or any of his events.

Speaking of the RNC, The Lincoln Project was just being diabolically petty when it compared video footage of the RNC roll call up against footage of the DNC jamboree.

Come on, y’all —we already knew the DNC roll call was to the RNC roll call what the cookout is to the company potluck where too many employees brought green bean-related dishes. They didn’t need to show us side-by-side video footage to emphasize it. (I’m glad they did though. Low-key, the video should have been much longer.)

Hell, even Meghan McCain was basically out here like: “Look, I know I’m supposed to be a conservative Republican super Karen and all that, but let me go on and hit this two-step to the DNC right quick.”

Yeah —it was a great night for Harris, the Democratic Party and everyone in America who knows how to clap on the two and four.

You can check out the full DNC roll call below.

SEE ALSO:

The Blackest DNC Takeaways As Biden Passes The Democratic Torch To Kamala Harris

Patti LaBelle’s DNC Moment Was More Than Just A Performance

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