Dear Commons Community,

NBC News is reporting that the Democratic National Committee is postponing its summer convention in Milwaukee over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

The four-day convention, set to take place in Milwaukee beginning July 13, will take place the week of August 17.

“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention,” Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said in a statement. “During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of health care professionals and emergency responders.”

“I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November,’ he added.

The decision comes after former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential frontrunner, said the convention would have to be postponed at least until August.

“I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July, early July. I think it’s going to have to move into August,” Biden said in an interview with NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”

I hate to be pessimistic but even August might be too early.

Tony