Aug. 21 (UPI) — During the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Kamala Harris officially became the 2024 Democratic nominee for president with Tuesday’s ceremonial roll call, as former President Barack Obama was greeted by his former first lady Michelle Obama and a standing ovation before paying tribute to President Joe Biden and urging “Americans to fight for what we believe in.”
“While I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama, I am feeling hopeful,” Barack Obama said to open his keynote address, “because this convention has always been good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible.”
“Because we have a chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her. Someone who sees you and hears you and will get up every single day and fight for you. The next president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris,” Obama shouted, as he reflected on the 16 years since he accepted the democratic nomination for president.
“Looking back, I can say without question that my first big decision as your nominee turned out to be one of my best and that was asking Joe Biden to serve by my side as vice president,” Obama said to loud cheers. “We became brothers for eight pretty tough years.”
During his speech, Obama credited Biden with the “world’s strongest recovery” after the COVID-19 pandemic and for doing “the rarest thing in politics.”
“Putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country,” Obama said. “History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy in a moment of great danger and I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend.”
“The torch has been passed,” Obama went on. “Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. And make no mistake it will be a fight,” Obama warned. “This will still be a tight race in a closely divided country. A country where too many Americans are struggling.”
Obama spent much of his speech touting Harris’ accomplishments and blasting Trump’s “weird obsession with crowd sizes” as the DNC crowd roared. Obama also blamed Trump for the border crisis and the loss of women’s reproductive rights.
“He wants you to think that you’ll be richer and safer if you give him the power to put those other people back in their place,” Obama said, calling it “one of the oldest tricks in politics.”
“We have seen that movie before,” Obama said in reference to the Republican presidential nominee, “and the sequel is usually worse.”
Obama turned his attention to Harris, who he said “will not be focused on her problems because she’ll be focused on yours.”
“As president, she won’t just cater to her own supporters and punish those who refuse to kiss the ring or bend the knee. She’ll work on behalf of every American. That’s who Kamala is. And in the White House, she will have an outstanding partner in Gov. Tim Walz.”
Obama touted Harris’ plan to get more young people into homes, to provide affordable health care and to give more Americans access to a college degree.
“But she also knows that college shouldn’t be the only ticket for the middle class,” Obama said. “In this new economy, we need a president who cares about the millions of people all across the country who wake up every day to do the essential, often thankless work.”
Much of Obama’s keynote address was spent promoting civility and unity.
“When we uphold our values, the world’s a little brighter. When we don’t, the world’s a little dimmer and dictators and autocrats feel emboldened and over time we become less safe,” Obama said. “America can be and must be a force for good: discouraging conflicts, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change, defending freedom, brokering peace. That’s what Kamala Harris believes and so do most Americans.”
Michelle Obama sees ‘hope’ comeback
Earlier, Michelle Obama walked out to a standing ovation and loud cheers, calling it the “contagious power of hope” and urging the crowd to “do something!”
“Once again being on the cusp of a brighter day, the chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division and hate that have consumed us and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation,” Michelle Obama said. “America, hope is making a comeback!”
The former first lady paid tribute to her late mother, “the woman who set my moral compass high.”
“My heart compelled me to be here because of the sense of duty I have to honor her memory and to remind us all not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future,” she said.
“Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart. They shared the same belief in the promise of this country. That’s why her mother moved here from India at 19 and why she taught Kamala about the obligations of justice,” Michelle Obama said.
“She knows that most of us will never know the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth,” Obama said about Harris. “If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead.”
“We don’t get to change the rules so we always win,” she added.
“If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator to take us to the top,” the former first lady said in a reference to Trump. “Who’s going to tell him that the job he is currently seeking might be one of those Black jobs?”
“As we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt. Let us not forget what we are up against,” Michelle Obama warned. “This is going to be an uphill battle. We cannot be our own worst enemies.”
Emhoff tells about pride, faith in Harris
Second gentleman of the United States Douglas Emhoff, and husband of Vice President Harris, was introduced by his son who said, “We look forward to dad becoming the first, first gentleman of the United States.”
Emhoff opened his speech with how much he admires the vice president, before sharing more about himself.
“I’m so proud of how you’re stepping up for all of us. But, that’s who she is. Wherever she’s needed, Kamala rises to the occasion. She did it for me and our family,” Emhoff said. “She’s ready to lead. She will be a great president we will all be proud of.”
“I worked hard. And I love being a lawyer. I still get to be part of the profession by teaching students at Georgetown Law School,” Emhoff said, adding that he got married, had two children and “unfortunately went through a divorce.”
Emhoff said a client in 2013 set him up on a blind date with Kamala Harris, adding that he left a rambling voicemail for her early one morning.
“By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail and she makes me listen to it on every anniversary,” he quipped.
“She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies, just like my parents taught me to. She likes to see people do well, but hates when they’re treated unfairly,” Emhoff said, adding that “she comes to synagogue with me for high holiday services and I go to church with her for Easter.”
“Kamala has fought against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate her whole career. She encouraged me as second gentleman to take up that fight which is so personal to me,” Emhoff said.
“Kamala is as tough as it comes,” he added. “With your help, she will lead with joy and toughness, with that laugh and that look, with compassion and conviction.”
Illinois Sen. Duckworth warns on IVF
Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who lost both of her legs while serving in Iraq, walked out on stage earlier in the evening with the help of protheses to a standing ovation to discuss what IVF has meant in her life.
“I went to war to protect America’s rights and freedoms so I take it personally when a five-time draft-dodging coward like Donald Trump tried to take away my rights and freedoms in return, especially when it concerns my daughters.”
“They would never have been born without access to reproductive care because after ten years of struggling with infertility, I was only able to have them through the miracle of IVF,” Duckworth said.
“If they win, Republicans will not stop at banning abortion, they will come for IVF next,” Duckworth claimed. “Stay out of our doctors’ offices and while you’re at it, out of the Oval Office, too!”
Schumer, Sanders urge broad support
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York was the first speaker of the night, as he called on Americans to elect Harris and Walz to the White House, but to also elect a democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.
“I worked with Kamala Harris when she was Senator Harris. I saw a leader who was fearless, who stood up for middle class families like the one she was raised in,” Schumer said.
“She will lead America forward into a brighter future, but she can’t do it alone. She needs a democratic majority in the Senate of the United States. A democratic majority to create good-paying jobs and lower costs, to defend a woman’s right to choose, to deliver for communities back home,” Schumer added as he attacked Republicans for their “extreme agenda.”
“As the highest-ranking Jewish official in American history, I want my grandkids and all grandkids to never, ever face discrimination because of who they are,” as he attacked Donald Trump for “pedaling anti-Semitic stereotypes.”
“Let’s elect Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and a democratic majority in the Senate and keep the torch of freedom burning bright for generations to come.”
While Schumer focused on abortion rights and the Senate, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders reminded the convention hall of COVID-19 in 2020 and the economic downturn in his speech Tuesday.
“That was the reality the Biden-Harris administration faced as they entered the Oval Office,” Sanders said. “A nation suffering, a nation frightened and people looking to their government for support.”
“And within two months of taking office our government did respond. We passed the American Rescue Plan that provided $1,400 for every man, woman and child in the America working class,” Sanders added.
“We guaranteed health care coverage to tens of millions of Americans through one of the largest expansions of Medicaid in history,” Sanders said.
“By the way, we cut childhood poverty by over 40% through an expanded child tax credit,” Sanders claimed. “Thank you, President Biden. Thank you, Vice President Harris. Thank you, Democratic Congress.”
Sanders also promised to “tax the rich,” “take on price-gouging,” “expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision,” and “increase social security benefits for struggling seniors.”
Sanders also called for socialized healthcare, higher wages and better education, while taking on big pharma and big oil.
“We need to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee healthcare to all people. It’s a human right, not a privilege,” Sanders said. “We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage.”
“Abroad, we must end this horrific war in Gaza,” Sanders said to a cheering crowd. “Bring home the hostages and demand an immediate cease-fire.”
Illinois Gov. Pritzker roasts Trump
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker took the stage next and spent much of his speech attacking former President Donald Trump.
“Donald, hasn’t been in a grocery store since his first bankruptcy,” Pritzker claimed. “Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich. But take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is only rich in one thing: stupidity.”
“Americans don’t want to be forced to drive 100 miles to deliver a baby because of a Draconian abortion law shut down the maternity war. Americans want the hope of giving birth through IVF, not the fear that it might be taken away. Americans with LGBTQ kids don’t want them facing discrimination at school because the state sanctioned it. Americans want to go to their neighborhood grocery store and not have to worry about some random guy open-carrying an AR-15,” Pritzker said.
“And if Americans are Black or brown, they want to get promoted at work without being derided as a DEI hire for the sin of being successful while not White,” Pritzker said. “It’s not woke that limits economic growth, it’s weird.”
Roll call
To start the night, the Democratic National Convention held its ceremonial roll call to officially name Kamala Harris the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.
“As a reminder, our nomination was made official on Aug. 6, upon the certification of the virtual roll call. This roll call will reflect those results,” Jason Rae, Democratic National Committee secretary, announced at the start of the vote.
Democratic convention planners transformed Tuesday’s roll call into a raucous rally for the nominees, with the prime-time session featuring a DJ on the stage with lights and the music of Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac and Snoop Dog.
The ceremonial roll call took place with 57 delegations, comprising more than 4,000 DNC delegates from American states and territories, unofficially casting their voice votes to nominate Harris as the party’s nominee for president and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential nominee.
After the roll call, Rae announced, “I am thrilled to reaffirm Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States,” before introducing Harris who was in Wisconsin for a rally.
“The delegates at the Democratic National Convention, well they just completed their roll call and they have nominated Coach Walz and me to be the next vice president and president of the United States of America,” Harris announced to the crowd in Milwaukee. “We are so honored to be your nominees.”
The DNC’s main programming for the evening started at 6:30 p.m. EDT, or 5:30 p.m. CT. Tuesday’s events wrapped up much earlier than Monday’s emotionally charged night, which featured President Joe Biden and even a surprise stage appearance of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Serving as DNC hosts at United Center in Chicago for this week’s convention was Republican commentator Ana Navarro on Tuesday. Actors Kerry Washington will host Wednesday and Mindy Kaling on its last day Thursday. That’s when Vice President Kamala Harris will give her highly anticipated acceptance speech as the Democratic Party’s official presidential nominee.
