Democrat Convention: Joe Biden courts the John McCain vote as left-wingers banished

The second night of the Democratic National Convention was a targeted pitch by Joe Biden for the votes of moderate Republicans. And, with suburban American fence-sitters watching, every effort was made to keep a lid on the party's radical left.

During two hours of carefully choreographed zoom speeches the words "Black Lives Matter" were uttered only twice, and in passing, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the firebrand democratic socialist congresswoman, was given just 97 seconds of air time.

Instead, significantly more prominence was devoted to Mr Biden's decades-long friendship with John McCain, the late Republican senator.

A lengthy and slickly produced video called "An Unlikely Friendship" was narrated by Cindy McCain, Mr McCain's widow, over a montage of the two men hugging and joking.

Mrs McCain told how they had travelled around the world together, and recalled family picnics in the Biden garden.

"They would just sit and joke. It was like a comedy show, sometimes, to watch the two of them," she said.

Mrs McCain also recalled how, when Donald Trump tried to repeal Obamacare, it was her husband, "Joe's friend", who "saved Obamacare by crossing the aisle".

That action, voting with a flamboyant thumbs down, made Mr McCain one of the most frequent targets for Mr Trump's wrath, even after his death.

But it also made him a lightning rod for Republicans who have soured on the president.

If any such Republicans were watching the Democratic Convention waiting to be convinced, then they were left in no doubt about John McCain's thinking.

The video ended with emotional words he spoke to Mr Biden several years ago, calling him a "good guy" and thanking the Democrat for his friendship.

It was the last thing viewers heard before the keynote address, given by Jill Biden.

Another prominent Republican, Colin Powell, George W. Bush's former secretary of state, was also given a long slot to endorse Mr Biden.

He said Mr Biden, as opposed to Mr Trump, understood military families after "sending his beloved son off to war, and praying to God he would come home safe".

Moderate elder Democrat statesmen, including Bill Clinton and John Kerry were also featured prominently.

Throughout the broadcast, the subtext was: "Don’t worry Middle America, Joe Biden is not radical. He won’t ban hamburgers and make you drive electric cars."

Ms Ocasio-Cortez had initially been banished and not selected to speak at all, along with others from the party's left wing. But her Twitter following became enraged.

Her eventual remarks were pre-recorded, restrained, and seemingly vetted for anything too offensive to suburbia. She was positioned in front of four large US flags.

If she was really thinking that Mr Biden was a Republican stooge, then Ms Ocasio-Cortez hid it well. Although, pointedly, she did not mention his name once in her brief speech.

It was clear, however, that the Democratic party has learned from the bitter divisions that continued to dog it after the moderate Hillary Clinton beat democratic socialist Bernie Sanders to the nomination in 2016.

This time a truce has been declared between Mr Sanders' supporters and Joe Biden. For the moment the left are happy to stay in the background and let Joe Biden court the votes of disaffected Republicans. But the truce may only last until the election. After that, win or lose, Mr Biden may struggle to keep the lid on.