Modern party conventions are usually sophisticated, carefully staged events. And despite the difficulties of keeping to the schedule and the unusual way the presidential nominee was selected, this year’s Democratic convention in Chicago was no exception.

At the convention, Democrats tried to put their best foot forward by talking about Kamala Harris’ qualifications and character, their economic plans and issues where the party enjoys broad public support, such as abortion rights and health care.

But what they don’t address – the issues and areas they have largely tried to avoid, at least so far – says as much about their electoral strategies and weaknesses as what they do highlight. Here are three notable omissions amid the party extravaganza.

Four years ago, amid mass protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, the Democratic Party – and the nation as a whole – engaged in a sometimes lively debate about institutional racism and the portrayal of American history.

While many establishment Democrats avoided aggressive calls to “defund the police,” most joined in the discussion about how America could take steps to address what they see as the destructive legacy of slavery in the nation’s businesses, classrooms and government, including by promoting DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion.

More recently, the issue of transgender rights has become a driving force within parts of the Democratic coalition – especially in light of Republican efforts to restrict or prohibit children from receiving gender-specific care.

None of these issues have received much attention so far at the Democratic National Convention. Early Monday, there was an emotional tribute to the civil rights movement that culminated with the wheelchair-bound Jesse Jackson – who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1980s – taking the stage. But DEI and other measures received scant coverage.

“DEI has become a kind of dog whistle code” used to undermine minorities in positions of power, says Shavon Arline-Bradley, president of the National Council of Negro Women, which organizes voter canvassing in swing states.

“Our country was founded with the goal of giving opportunities to all men and women. But today we hear nothing of that because many people do not want to alienate a certain group of people who are afraid of that.”

The aim of this party conference was to alienate as few potential voters as possible.

And while the right to abortion was the daily focus of the party conference, the question of transsexuality – the other currently explosive social issue – was largely ignored in the national television program.

Ms Arline-Bradley warns that if we do not talk about issues of equity and inclusion, the problems will persist.

“We should talk about it because this party is the most inclusive and diverse party,” she said. “Show it, activate it and live by these values.”

The last Democratic convention in 2020 was held largely virtually – in empty halls and television studios – due to the Covid pandemic. When thousands of Democrats gathered in Philadelphia in 2016, the cracks within the party were clearly visible.

Supporters of democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, who finished second to Hillary Clinton for the nomination this year, repeatedly disrupted the event and organized protests around the convention hall.

The party was divided on issues such as universal health care and free college tuition, and more broadly on whether Democrats should rely on the support of deep-pocketed donors, big business and what Sanders called the “corporate oligarchy.”

Those divisions still exist. Mr. Sanders gave a speech on Tuesday night denouncing the corrupting influence of money in politics. But immediately after his speech, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who boasted of being a billionaire, and venture capitalist and former American Express CEO Ken Chenault spoke. The big tent was, at least for the moment, filled with obvious differences of opinion and policy.

Another current point of contention within the party is the US’s military support of Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza. Thousands of demonstrators demonstrated outside the security area of ​​the party congress, but the fierce differences of opinion received little attention in the party hall.

Sanders won applause when he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and Joe Biden caused a stir when he said in his speech on Monday that protesters were “right” when they said there had been too many civilian deaths.

But all this is a far cry from the speeches of 2016, when some attendees at the antiwar congress booed former four-star general John Allen and former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta during their speeches.

Immigration has been a test of strength for Democrats since the number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border began to rise at the start of the Biden presidency. Republicans blame administration policies for the historic increase in border crossings, and the flood of new arrivals – many of whom were brought to populous Democratic cities by conservative governors – is straining public services.

The Harris campaign seems to be aware of her vulnerability on the issue. One of the first TV ads blamed Donald Trump for killing a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year and praised Harris’ success in pursuing “transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers” during her tenure as California’s attorney general.

But immigration seems to be an issue the Harris team prefers to talk about in 50-second TV spots rather than from the stage in Chicago. The issue has been raised a few times here and there, but compared to the 2020 convention – when Donald Trump’s hard line on immigration was at the center of the attacks – the silence was conspicuous.

According to reports, this could change on Wednesday evening, as several speakers will address the issue.

• EASY GUIDE: Everything you need to know about voting
• ANALYSIS: Three ways Trump will try to end Harris’ honeymoon
• EXPLANATION: Where the election could be won and lost
• FACT CHECK: Trump falsely claims Harris crowd is fake
• VOTERS: What Democrats think of Tim Walz as vice president