Iraq snapshot
Thursday, August 22, 2024. Day three of the convention found the momentum building.
After watching the Obamas last night, that was some epic fire, wasn't it? Some epic fire. We're now so fired up we can't wait to leave here and do something. And what we're going to do is to elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States.
I am so honored to have been asked to speak on tonight's theme about what matters most to me, to you, and all of us Americans: Freedom. There are people who want you to see our country as a nation of us against them. People who want to scare you, who want to rule you. People who'd have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe, that there's a right way to worship and a wrong way to love. People who seek first to divide and then to conquer. But here's the thing, when we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us.
In the words of an extraordinary American, the late Congressman John Lewis, he said, "No matter what ship our ancestors arrived on, we are all in the same boat now." Congressman Lewis knew very well how far this country has come, because he was one of the brilliant Americans who helped to get us where we are. But he also knew that the work is not done, the work will never be done, because freedom isn't free. America is an ongoing project. It requires commitment, it requires being open to the hard work and the heart work of democracy. And every now and then, it requires standing up to life's bullies.
I know this.
I've lived in Mississippi, in Tennessee, in Wisconsin, Maryland, Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, California -- California and sweet home Chicago, Illinois. I have actually traveled this country from the redwood forest -- love those redwoods -- to the Gulf Stream waters. I've seen racism and sexism and income inequality and division. I've not only seen it -- at times, I've been on the receiving end of it. But more often than not, what I've witnessed and experienced are human beings, both conservative and liberal, who may not agree with each other, but who would still help you in a heartbeat if you were in trouble. These are the people who make me proud to say that I am an American. They are the best of America.
And despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbors. When a house is on fire, we don't ask about the homeowner's race or religion. We don't wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out too. Cause we are a country of people who work hard for the money. We wish our brothers and sisters well, and we pray for peace.
We know all the old tricks and tropes that are designed to distract us from what actually matters, but we are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery. These are complicated times, people, and they require adult conversation. And I welcome those conversations because civilized debate is vital to democracy, and it is the best of America.
Now, over the last couple of nights, we have all seen brave people walk onto the stage and share their most private pain. Amanda and Josh, Kaitlyn, Hadley -- they told us their stories of rape and incest and near-death experiences from having the state deny them the abortion that their doctor explained was medically necessary. And they told us these things for one reason, and that is to keep what happened to them from happening to anybody else. Because if you do not have autonomy over this -- over this -- if you cannot control when and how you choose to bring your children into this world and how they are raised and supported, there is no American dream.
The women and men who are battling to keep us from going back to a time of desperation and shame and stone-cold fear, they are the new freedom fighters. And make no mistake: They are the best of America.
I want to talk now about somebody who's not with us tonight: Tessie Prevost Williams. Was born in New Orleans, not long after the Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. That was in 1954, same year I was born. But I didn't have to head to first grade at the all-White McDonogh 19 School with a U.S. Marshal by my side, like Tessie did. And when I got to school, the building wasn't empty, like it was for Tessie. You see, rather than allowing McDonogh to be integrated, parents pulled their kids out of the school, leaving only Tessie and two other little Black girls, Gail Etienne and Leona Tate, to sit in a classroom with the windows papered over to block snipers from attacking their six-year-old bodies.
Tessie passed away six weeks ago, and I tell this story to honor her tonight, because she, like Ruby Bridges, and her friends, Leona and Gail -- the New Orleans Four, they were called -- they broke barriers, and they paid dearly for it. But it was the grace and guts and courage of women like Tessie Prevost Williams that paved the way for another young girl, who nine years later became part of the second class to integrate the public schools in Berkeley, California.
And soon and very soon -- soon and very soon -- we're going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic, energetic immigrants -- immigrants -- how this child grew up to become the 47th President of the United States. That is the best of America.
Let me tell you this: This election isn't about us and them.
It's about you and me and what we want our futures to look like. There are choices to be made when we cast our ballot. Now, there's a certain candidate that says, if we just go to the polls this one time, then we'll never have to do it again. Well, you know what? You're looking at a registered independent who is proud to vote again and again and again. Because I'm an American, and that's what Americans do.
Voting is the best of America.
And I have always, since I was eligible to vote, I've always voted my values. And that is what is needed in this election, now more than ever. So I'm calling on all you independents and all you undecideds. You know this is true. You know I'm telling you the truth, that values and character matter most of all -- in leadership and in life.
And more than anything -- you know this is true -- that decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.
And just plain common sense. Common sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can give us decency and respect. They're the ones that give it to us.
So, we are Americans.
We are Americans.
Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual, because that's the best of America. And let us choose optimism over cynicism, because that's the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution. Let us choose common sense over nonsense, because that's the best of America.
And let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday. We won't go back. We won't be sent back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back. We're not going back.
We're not going back.
We're not going back.
So, let us choose. Let us choose truth, let us choose honor, and let us choose joy! Because that's the best of America.
But more than anything else, let us choose freedom.
Why?
Because that's the best of America.
We're all Americans, and together, let's all choose Kamala Harris!
There were many strong speakers yesterday but I think Oprah was the one who stood out the most. The theme was "A Fight For Our Freedoms." Actress Mindy Kaling hosted the night and looked very elegant and stylish -- something you didn't see at the RNC -- and there were great musical performances by Maren Morris and John Legend and Sheila E. And Stevie.
Tim Walz is running for vice-president, but for a while on Wednesday night, it felt like he was campaigning to be the nation’s high school football coach.
Before he spoke, roughly a dozen of the players on the team he helped coach to a Minnesota state championship decades ago ran on stage, some wearing their old high-school jerseys, bouncing to the blasting horns of a marching band.
Once Mr Walz did appear, delegates in the packed arena waved signs that read “Coach Walz” – and the crowd chanted “coach, coach, coach!”
As this was Mr Walz's first significant opportunity to introduce himself to the nation, his speech was heavy on his personal story – his time as a football coach, of course, but also his upbringing, his enlistment in the Army National Guard, his work as a high-school teacher, and his service as a congressman and governor.
During parts of his speech his daughter Hope, 23, and son Gus, 17, were seen in tears in the front row of the arena. "That's my dad!" Gus mouthed as the television camera focused on him.
Tonight, during night three of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, two new videos aired: one featuring five of Governor Tim Walz’s former students from Mankato West High School and another featuring his fellow veterans, including those who served alongside him in the United States National Guard.
In these videos, the country heard more about Governor Walz’s record of military service and storied commitment to improving the lives of American veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Encouraged by his students to run for Congress, Walz has a long history of teaching and coaching in Minnesota and Nebraska.
Students remember how Governor Walz changed their lives:
Fellow service members highlighted Governor Walz’s record of military service and commitment to improving the lives of American veterans:
CHICAGO – For the second night in a row, the 2024 Democratic National Convention pulled in a mammoth TV and online audience as Americans across the country tuned in to see the excitement building behind the Harris-Walz ticket. The second night of the DNC featured an energetic celebratory roll call followed by a surprise appearance from Vice President Harris live from her rally in Milwaukee. Inside the hall, former First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama, and Democrats took to the stage to underscore the stakes of this election and make the case for the Harris-Walz ticket.
Democrats are meeting people where they are, making the convention available to Americans inside and outside the hall as we tell our story to the country.
Broadcast:
- On TV, the second night of the DNC averaged 20.6 million viewers across 12 networks.
- This is well above the second night of the RNC, which averaged 14.8 million viewers on its second night – and now for two nights in a row, the DNC has beaten the RNC’s ratings on TV.
Streaming:
- Across DNC/Harris-Walz online platforms, the first two nights of the convention were streamed by over 13 million people.
Digital Content:
- The convention garnered 55 million views on partner-created content on the second night – building on the 30 million views from the first night.
- The 2024 Democratic National Convention credentialed over 200 content creators with a cumulative reach of 169 million people.
“The second night of the Democratic National Convention showcased the enthusiasm and energy behind Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and their vision for the future,” said DNCC Senior Director of Communications Matt Hill. “There’s a simple reason why more Americans are tuning into the Democratic National Convention than Donald Trump’s MAGA convention: the American people believe in the Harris-Walz vision for a brighter future and they want to support a campaign built on hope, joy, and progress – not a campaign built on extremism, fear, and grievance.”
The first night of the DNC reached over 57 million people, and numbers from the second night show an audience well exceeding 81 million people. Tonight, Americans will get to hear directly from Governor Tim Walz about his commitment to fighting for our freedoms.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention is giving Americans more ways to watch and engage than ever before. The 2024 Democratic National Convention is being streamed on over a dozen platforms as a part of its efforts to reach Americans everywhere they are. For the first time in convention history, the convention is hosting vertical streams across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, in addition to the convention being streamed online on a variety of platforms including Amazon Prime Video, TV device apps such as Apple TV and Roku TV, and traditional television broadcasts.
Kennedy, whose national polling has crashed, refunded nearly $1 million to Nicole Shanahan, the Silicon Valley lawyer who joked she was picked to be Kennedy's running mate solely due to the size of her bank account. The repayment is even more notable given that the campaign only has $3.9 million on hand and the debt it owes nearly equals the money in its bank account.
According to the filing, Kennedy's campaign brought in just over $5.6 million last month and spent more than $7.2 million. Much of the money went toward trying to get Kennedy's name on ballots across the country, reflecting his recent legal challenges in New York and difficulty amassing enough signatures to appear on the ballot in key swing states.
Kennedy's campaign also owes roughly $3.5 million to private security executive Gavin de Becker.
Overall, out of 23 total school board endorsements made by DeSantis, five of his candidates won, 12 lost and six advanced to the November runoff.
Two years has been a political eternity for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In 2022, when DeSantis was at his peak political powers and openly flirting with running for president, he used his sway to start the process of remaking local school boards into much more conservative-leaning bodies. During the that year's midterm elections, when DeSantis won re-election by a historic near 20-points, he backed 30 school board candidates, and only five lost.
Now, DeSantis is on the heels of a failed bid for president that tarnished his reputation nationally, and the power of his endorsement in Florida appears to be waning. DeSantis backed 23 school board candidates who ran during Tuesday night’s primaries, nearly half of whom did not win, while six others were forced into runoffs.
DeSantis remains a popular governor in an increasingly red-leaning state that just saw Republicans take a more than 1 million person voter registration advantage. But the primary night losses are among the biggest in-state political headwinds he has faced in years.
DeSantis has become the first governor in state history to become so heavily involved in what have historically been considered sleepy and technically nonpartisan races.
"People want sanity. People want common sense. And people believe we should educate everyone," Long told The Associated Press. "The people have spoken."
“We sent a message across this state and across this country that governors, number one, should not get involved,” said Pinellas County School Board member Eileen Long, who won re-election Tuesday.
Long, a career teacher, fought off a challenge by a candidate backed by DeSantis and the local chapter of Moms for Liberty in a closely watched race in what’s historically been one of the state’s largest swing counties, which includes St. Petersburg.
Like at school board meetings across Florida, activists aligned with Moms for Liberty in Pinellas have taken to reading aloud explicit passages from books, equating certain teaching materials to pornography and labeling educators as “groomers.”
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