The Democratic and Republican national conventions this year may as well have been for different countries.
Although the two parties typically have different messaging and contrasting overall vibes during their conventions, their dramatically different approaches this year laid bare the canyon-sized divide between them.
The Democratic National Convention, which concluded Thursday night, exuded vitality, optimism and competence. The Republican National Convention in July leaned on fear, anger and falsehoods.
"We have so much more in common than what separates us that none of us, none of us, has to fail for all of us to succeed," said Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Her aspirational address was a strong contrast to Republican nominee Donald Trump's 93-minute acceptance speech, which was full of self-pity, meandering asides and references only his die-hard fans would understand.
This is a preview of Michael Steele's latest article. Read the full column here. For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch "The Weekend" every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC.
