Jules Witcover, syndicated columnist

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sailed through the revamped convention process Tuesday night without a hitch, underscoring that his mission of ousting President Donald Trump remains his party’s prime objective in this most unorthodox of national election years.

Convention speakers featured former President Bill Clinton, as well as Biden’s wife, Jill, lauding the former vice president’s personal and disciplined qualities. The second night along with the first one emphasized the Democratic view that Trump is a serious threat to American democracy itself, in his authoritarian impulses and actions.

“At a time like this,” Clinton charged, “the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it’s a storm center. Instead, there’s only chaos. Our party is offering you a very different choice: a go-to-work president. A down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy.”

Jill Biden, a working college professor in northern Virginia, spoke from an empty classroom of her husband’s role in rebuilding his family with her at his side, after the loss of his first wife and infant daughter in 1972 car accident. “The burdens we carry are heavy and we need someone with strong shoulders,” she said. “I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours; bring us together and make us whole.”

She proceeded to review the story of how they met. After he spotted her picture in an airport advertisement, and after four rejections of his marriage proposals, uncertain she was up to the task of raising his two surviving young boys, they were wed with the boys at their side. At the close of her convention speech, her husband appeared unannounced to thank her.

Although Biden himself has a long record of foreign policy experience as a globe-trotting former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as vice president, the second night also showcased two former secretaries of state, retired Gen. Colin Powell and former Sen. John Kerry. The latter is rumored as a possible repeater in the job under a President Biden.

The second convention night continued the challenge to party organizers to fill the emotional gap left by the decision to pare down the quadrennial mass gathering to the imperatives of social distancing in the current health pandemic. An effort was made to breathe television audience interest into the traditional roll call of the states.

On-the-spot views captured delegates in local garb announcing their overwhelming votes for Biden as well as the relative few for Biden’s remaining nomination rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. At the same time, a diverse group of voters were presented boosting Biden, emphasizing his support among racial and ethnic minorities as well as among white voters.

In an obvious bow to the television network and cable news channels, the coverage included on the second night an hour-long opening segment allowing their regular commentators and analysts to weigh in with their usual observations of varying relevance.

Also, some outlets included paid Republican anti-Biden ads featuring the rival party’s assault on the old GOP’s whipping boy of “socialism,” a tired carryover from Joe McCarthy days. Will the coverage of next week’s Republican national convention similarly air Democratic anti-Trump ads, in the interest of equal opportunity as well as network and cable profit?

In all, the absence of the customary large, loud and raucous conventions of yore has not appeared to cause substantial detriment to the traditional presidential year extravaganza. Trump no doubt will miss the self-gratification of those days that may or may not come back after the pandemic runs its course.

But the hiatus has given Biden ample time to beef up his own campaign organization and craft its course for remaining time to the election, and he seems to be making the most of it.

Editor’s note: Jules Witcover’s latest book is “The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power,” published by Smithsonian Books. You can respond to this column at juleswitcover@comcast.net.