Perspectives: Night Two of the 2020 Democratic National Convention

The first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention was about highlighting ordinary Americans, and the second night was about putting the spotlight on its leaders — the figures who dominated the party in decades prior and those who hope to take the reins in the decades ahead. It cast Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the people at the center who can serve as the bond — though other people did most of the talking, including, perhaps most notably, former second lady Jill Biden. She wove her family’s story...

After former first lady Michelle Obama's foreboding address Monday about the consequences of a second term for President Trump, and her urgent appeal that people "vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it," the second night of the Democratic National Convention focused on building the case for how Biden would restore a country struggling in an economic and public health crisis.

The main messenger — Jill Biden — delivered an intimate speech that wove together her career as an educator with her story about how her partnership with...