Is Joy The Ultimate Creator, Unifer, And Presidential Campaign Message? It Just Might Be...

If you didn't feel moved while watching the Democratic National Convention this week I can't talk to you. From the Obamas to Coach Walz to Oprah and VP Kamala Harris's acceptance speech, the pure, unfettered joy and determination emanating from the United Center in Chicago was nothing short of miraculous. 

From a marketing and communications perspective, the unified messages of joy, freedom, hope, and “when we fight, we win” spread by the Democrats exemplified exquisite timing and execution. All the speakers definitely received talking point instructions from the top, and they each delivered them with enthusiasm and patriotism—a characteristic that the Democratic party has been criticized for not exuding in recent years.  

From a personal and creative perspective, I’ve always taken self-help author Gabby Bernstein’s insights on joy to heart. She says, “Joy is the ultimate creator.” Combining this idea with the famous lyric from the rock opera Rent, “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation,” can lead one to believe that joy for all intents and purposes is a catalyst for peace. 

I see joy as the greatest reminder of our humanity and our oneness. Joy vibrates at one of the highest frequencies available to us and inside of us. In other words, joy gets sh*t done—and it's a hell of a lot better than the alternative—whether that's fear, despair, doubt, cynicism, or dread. And in this case, other than occasional jabs at Trump calling him, his obsession with crowd size and some of his MAGA tactics “weird,” so far joy isn’t doing anybody any harm. 

Now, is joy enough to win the presidential election? I don't think so. As the Obamas both highlighted in their speeches, this is going to be a tight race. According to Politico, on August 20, a poll commissioned by the Democratic messaging firm Navigator Research during the DNC showed that Harris and Trump essentially tied across the swing-state map. The poll also indicated that candidate characteristics that most influence voters’ preferences include whether a candidate is up to the job, has the right vision, and is a strong leader. The survey favored Trump. 

But let’s remember that in many ways, Harris didn’t officially begin her presidential campaign until last night. The Democrats have 74 days to win over the swing states and to articulate and amplify her policy plans and strategies. Can they ride the joy wave all the way to the White House? It’s too soon to tell. That being said, if these last few days have proven anything, it’s that Harris and Wolz have restored a collective sense of faith in humanity, patriotism, common sense, compassion, and dare I say political leadership that we haven’t seen since former President Barack Obama took office in 2009.