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Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders were the headliners on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, but a woman from San Francisco most people have probably never heard of may have stolen the show.
Kristin Urquiza of San Francisco gave an angry denunciation of President Donald Trump while sharing the story of her father Mark Urquiza, who lived in Arizona and was a loyal Trump supporter before he died of COVID-19.
"He had faith in Donald Trump. He voted for him, listened to him, believed him and his mouthpieces when they said that coronavirus was under control and going to disappear," she said. "My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that he paid with his life."
Mark Urquiza died alone in the ICU after seeing his daughter for the last time over FaceTime.
Former EBay CEO Meg Whitman, who was once the Republican gubernatorial nominee in California, said, "Donald Trump has no clue how to run a business, let alone an economy."
Senator Bernie Sanders appealed to progressives, warning of growing authoritarianism.
"Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfs," said Sanders, urging his supporters to vote for Joe Biden. "Many of the ideas we fought for, which just a few years ago were considered radical, are now mainstream. But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is re-elected, all the progress we made will be in jeopardy."
Despite a few technical hiccups and slow moments, Democratic reviews for the virtual convention were mostly positive with short segments keeping the pace brisk.
Michelle Obama’s keynote speech also attracted rave reviews from Democrats for its calls for empathy, action and her stark warning of what the president’s reelection would mean for the country.