Takeaways from the third night of the Democratic National Convention

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CNN
 — 

Democrats are betting that inside the American citizens is a deep want to go away behind the bitterness of a decade dominated by former President Donald Trump.

And so, on the get together’s conference Wednesday night in Chicago, a “pleasure” technique — portraying Vice President Kamala Harris because the candidate who can transfer the nation ahead — was on full show.

Former President Bill Clinton mentioned Harris brings “sheer pleasure” to the 2024 race. Oprah Winfrey urged Individuals to “select pleasure.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg contrasted Trump’s “darkness” with the model of politics provided by Harris and her working mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — which he mentioned “simply feels higher to be a part of.”

The message underscored how quickly the 2024 presidential race has developed since final month’s exit of President Joe Biden — whose marketing campaign had been constructed round dire warnings that electing Trump would jeopardize democracy itself. Harris hasn’t deserted these warnings, however has rewrapped them in a extra forward-looking message emphasizing themes of freedom and pleasure – and Democrats paired it with a celebration.

Singer John Legend and drummer Sheila E. performed Prince’s “Let’s Go Loopy.” Stevie Marvel carried out “Greater Floor.”

And as alumni from the Mankato West Excessive Faculty soccer crew, which received a state championship with Walz as an assistant coach, strode on stage in jerseys that now not match, a pep band blared the varsity’s combat track.

“Thanks for bringing the enjoyment to this combat,” Walz instructed the group.

Listed below are six takeaways from the DNC’s third evening:

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz speaks at the United Center during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 21, 2024.

A second of this magnitude was new for Walz. Previous to his choice as Harris’ working mate, not solely had he by no means delivered a high-stakes speech in entrance of a nationwide viewers — he’d by no means even used a teleprompter.

So in a conference full of former presidents, congressional leaders, celebrities and extra, Walz opted to be one thing else totally.

He’s a two-term governor and a former congressman, however he leaned into earlier parts of his resume: Highschool instructor. Soccer coach. Hunter. Neighbor.

He used his speech to make the case that Democrats are the get together of freedom.

“In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the alternatives that they make. And even when we wouldn’t make the identical selections ourselves, we’ve obtained a golden rule: Thoughts your individual rattling enterprise,” Walz mentioned.

Walz touched on Harris’ coverage positions on points reminiscent of well being care, abortion rights and homeownership. And he did so in populist tones at occasions paying homage to the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone.

“After we Democrats speak about freedom, we imply the liberty to make a greater life for your self and the folks you like. Freedom to make your individual well being care selections. And yeah, your children’ freedom to go to highschool with out worrying about being shot lifeless within the corridor,” Walz mentioned.

“That’s what that is all about: The accountability that we now have to our youngsters, to one another and to the longer term we’re constructing collectively by which everyone seems to be free to construct the sort of life that they need.”

Nonetheless, essentially the most memorable second of Walz’s speech may need come when he mentioned the fertility struggles he and his spouse, Gwen Walz, confronted.

“Hope, Gus and Gwen, you might be my whole world, and I really like you,” he mentioned, naming his daughter, son and spouse.

Gus Walz stood up, tears streaming down his face, and applauded his father.

Younger left the stage as Neil Younger’s “Rockin’ within the Free World” blared by means of the United Middle. Younger had personally allowed the Harris marketing campaign to make use of it — notable as a result of 4 years earlier, he’d sued Trump’s marketing campaign to cease it from doing so.

People watch Oprah Winfrey speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21, 2024.

If different Democrats led a generational change Wednesday evening, speak present legend Oprah Winfrey linked the historic dots — portraying Harris as emblematic of “the perfect of America.”

She instructed the story of Tessie Prevost, who died final month, and three different Black ladies who confronted hate and harassment when, as 6-year-old ladies, they started the desegregation of New Orleans elementary faculties in 1960.

Drawing the connection to Harris, the “New Orleans 4,” Winfrey mentioned, “paved the best way for an additional younger woman who 9 years later turned a part of the second class to combine the general public faculties in Berkley, California.”

Now, she mentioned, Harris is poised to make historical past.

“Quickly and really quickly, we’re going to be instructing our daughters and sons about how this little one of an Indian mom and a Jamaican father, two idealistic and energetic immigrants — immigrants — how this little one grew as much as turn out to be the forty seventh president of the USA,” Winfrey mentioned.

“That’s the better of America,” she mentioned, as the group erupted right into a “U-S-A” chant.

She invoked the Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who in a 2021 interview with Tucker Carlson complained that the USA is being run by “a bunch of childless cat girls who’re depressing at their very own lives.”

“We aren’t so totally different from our neighbors, Winfrey mentioned. “When a home is on hearth, we don’t ask concerning the owners’ race or faith. We don’t marvel who their companion is or how they voted. No. We simply attempt to do the perfect we will to avoid wasting them. And if the place occurs to belong to a childless cat girl — nicely, we attempt to get that cat out, too.”

‘For the folks’ vs. ‘Me, myself and I’

Invoice Clinton, who former President Barack Obama as soon as dubbed the explainer-in-chief, framed the election as a selection between Harris being “for the folks” or Trump being “about me, myself and I.”

“I do know which one I like higher for our nation,” the previous president mentioned.

Although Clinton’s affect inside the get together has waned within the greater than 23 years since he left workplace, no Democrat has been capable of replicate his attraction to White working-class voters who’ve slipped away from the get together since Clinton’s heyday — a actuality that makes his once-every-four-years look on the conference an anticipated second.

He touched on Harris’ positions on housing and well being care insurance policies, and he credited Democrats for job progress. However for essentially the most half, Clinton used his speech to forged Trump as self-obsessed and Harris as a clear break from the drama that encompasses the previous president.

He mentioned Trump “principally talks about himself.”

“So the following time you hear him, don’t depend the lies. Depend the I’s,” he mentioned. “His vendettas, his vengeance, his complaints, his conspiracies.”

Former President Bill Clinton speaks at the DNC on August 21, 2024, in Chicago.

Within the Democratic Social gathering, it’ll quickly be right here.

Whereas the principle job of the get together’s conference is to propel Harris into the autumn with momentum, this 12 months’s gathering in Chicago has additionally served as a generational hand-off.

A number of of the get together’s growing older figures — together with Biden, Clinton and his spouse, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton; and former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi — acknowledged the twilight of their affect and the emergence of recent faces.

Invoice Clinton — who at 78 is keenly conscious that he has lived longer than his father, grandfather and great-grandfather — instructed the group Wednesday evening that he’s been to each Democratic Nationwide Conference since 1972 and has “no concept what number of extra of those I’ll be capable of come to.”

“However right here’s what I would like you to know,” he mentioned. “Should you vote for this crew — if you will get them elected and allow them to carry on this breath of contemporary air — you’ll be happy with it for the remainder of your life. Your youngsters will likely be happy with it. Your grandchildren will likely be happy with it.”

Evoking reminiscences of the 1992 conference in New York the place the Hope, Arkansas, native was first nominated, he mentioned: “Take it from the person who as soon as had the dignity on this conference to be known as the person from Hope: We want Kamala Harris, the president of pleasure, to steer us.”

Clinton additionally praised Biden, saying that voluntarily relinquishing political energy will improve his legacy. He was adopted on stage by Pelosi, essentially the most highly effective girl in American political historical past, who performed a job in ushering Biden apart for Harris.

Pelosi, 84, had in fact already facilitated a generational change on Capitol Hill. She stepped apart as Home Democratic chief in 2022 and was changed by New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who’s 30 years youthful.

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin on stage during the DNC in Chicago, on August 21, 2024.

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the dad and mom of Hersh Goldberg-Polin — an Israeli-American who was kidnapped by Hamas whereas attending the Nova music competition on October 7 — shared their “anguish and distress” Wednesday in one among  the evening’s most poignant moments.

“Since then, we stay on one other planet. Anybody who’s a dad or mum or has had a dad or mum can attempt to think about the anguish and distress that Jon and I and all of the hostage households are enduring,” Goldberg-Polin mentioned.

The 2 mentioned they’ve met “quite a few occasions” on the White Home with Biden and Harris.

“We’re all deeply grateful to them,” Jon Polin. “We’re additionally profoundly grateful to you, the tens of millions of individuals in the USA and everywhere in the world, who’ve been sending love, assist and power to the hostage households. You’ve saved us inhaling a world with out air.”

Acknowledging the deaths of civilians in Gaza, Polin additionally mentioned that “there’s a surplus of agony on all sides” of Israel’s conflict with Hamas.

Their feedback got here as Democrats grapple with stress over US assist for Israel’s conflict with Hamas and the civilian casualties which have resulted. Progressives’ criticism of Biden on the difficulty led to campus protests and “uncommitted” votes in some states’ presidential primaries this spring.

About an hour earlier than the household spoke, Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of the Uncommitted Nation Community, mentioned he welcomed the hostage dad and mom’ speech – however pressed once more for a Palestinian-American voice to be given the identical time.

Hours later, Uncommitted obtained the information that their request for a talking spot had been denied, and members reacted by staging a sit-in exterior the United Middle. They held banners that mentioned “Arms embargo now” and “Not one other bomb,” urging an finish to US navy provides for Israel’s conflict effort. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar briefly joined the group.

Retired US Capitol Police Officer Sgt. Aquilino Gonell speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, on August 21, 2024.

Although Harris has put her personal spin on the Democratic message since changing Biden atop the ticket, the theme that had been on the core of the president’s reelection marketing campaign — defending democracy — stays key.

Aquilino Gonell, a former US Capitol Police sergeant, mentioned that Trump “summoned our attackers” who rioted on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Congress was gathered to depend electoral faculty votes.

Gonnell, who immigrated to the USA from the Dominican Republic when he was 12 and served within the Military, mentioned that Trump “betrayed us.”

“We officers risked the whole lot to guard harmless folks. We have been overwhelmed and blinded. I used to be assaulted with a pole hooked up to an American flag.”

Democrats made the revolt, and Trump’s broader effort to overturn the 2020 election outcomes, a give attention to Wednesday evening.

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a Republican, and Olivia Troye, a former nationwide safety adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, additionally took the stage in Chicago.

“To my fellow Republicans, you aren’t voting for a Democrat; you’re voting for democracy,” Troye mentioned. “You aren’t betraying our get together; you’re standing up for our nation.”

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