A virtual convention feels different, Murphy says

With the first of many events behind him, Gov. Phil Murphy thinks this year’s fully-remote Democratic National Convention has a different air about it, but the change isn’t as stark as it could have been.

“I was in and out of conventions I guess now for 20 years, not all of them, but most of them. This certainly has a different feel,” Murphy said. “I think it’s different, however, to be doing this in August with five-plus months of living with this pandemic.”

The Democratic National Committee has cut all in-person events from its convention, originally slated to be held in Milwaukee.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will accept the nomination from Wilmington, Delaware, but even that development hasn’t caused a huge stir.

“I miss the personal interaction,” Murphy said. “I think we all do, but if this had been in March and it was abrupt and it was a complete change of habit, I think it would be a different reality, but we’ve sort of all gotten used to this mode of communicating and getting together.”

Murphy will hold an outdoors in-person watch party for Biden’s acceptance speech Thursday evening.

“I still think they’ve done a great job — I’m not patting myself on the back,” Murphy said. “I’m a co-chair of this thing, but I think the DNC, the Biden camp, has done a great job sort of constructing each of the nights. Just really impressive, huge diversity.”