SALT LAKE CITY — If Democrats showcased their “rising stars” and old guard on Tuesday, the party brought out their starting lineup, dominated by women leaders, for the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday.
The evening’s speakers included Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. The evening ended making history with Sen. Kamala Harris of California accepting the party’s nomination as vice president and running mate to presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Highlights:
- In her remarks, Harris celebrated powerful women in the U.S. history for helping her build her own career. Then, she went all-in on family, talking about how her family helped her grow and succeed. She capped her speech by saying Americans will need to vote in the upcoming election to help build a better future for their families.
- Obama was not shy in his rebuke of President Donald Trump’s first term in office. He said Biden is ready for the challenge of leading the nation.
- Clinton and Pelosi spoke back-to-back, criticizing Trump and his treatment of women. They spoke after a video package about women’s rights.
- Early presentations detailed the party’s campaign positions on gun violence, climate change and immigration.
- Domestic violence, child care and voting were other major topics.
- Other highlights from the night included an emphasis on working class families, as well as how a Biden presidency would respond to the economic collapse in the wake of the pandemic.
Quotes of the night:
- “Democracy was never meant to be transactional. ... It requires an active and informed citizenry.” — Former President Barack Obama
- “There is no vaccine for racism, we have got to do the work.” — Vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris
- “It’s time to recognize that child care is part of the basic infrastructure of this nation.” — Sen. Elizabeth Warren
- “I did hope for the sake of my country that Donald Trump might show some interest in running the country ... but he never did.” — Obama
- “I wish Donald Trump knew how to be a president, because America needs a president right now.” — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- “Joe Biden’s faith in God gives him the courage to lead.” — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
- “We know when women succeed, America succeeds.” — Pelosi
- “I’ve known the darkest of days. ... But I have not lost my voice. America needs all of us to speak out even when you have to fight to find the words.” — Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords
- “Unless you’re Native American, your family likely came from somewhere else. Whether it was five years ago, or 200 years ago. Whether it was by choice, or by bondage.” — Actress Kerry Washington
Vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris goes all-in on family values as she accepts nomination
Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination for vice president of the United States, making history as the first Black woman to assume that role on a major party’s ticket.
- Harris talked about her mother, who worked “around the clock” for her family. Harris said her family was taught to be “proud, strong, Black women” and to know and appreciate their Indian heritage.
- “Family is my husband, Doug. ... Family is our beautiful children. ... Family is my sister. Family is my best friend, my nieces and my godchildren.”
- Harris also spoke about racism and justice in the country, as well as the coronavirus pandemic.
- “There is no vaccine for racism, we have got to do the work.”
- “This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other ... And let’s be clear— there is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work. For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. And for all of us.”
- “Our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes, and they will ask us: where were you when the stakes were so high? They will ask us: what was it like? And we will tell them, not just how we felt, we will tell them what we did.”
- “So let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves and a commitment to each other.”
Obama says Trump hasn’t met the challenge of president, and Biden is ready
Obama began his speech by addressing the inherent flaws of the original Constitution, like allowing slavery and limiting voting, but that it provided a north star to help America “realize our highest ideals.”
The former president said the current chief executive has not risen to the challenge of leading of the nation.
- “I did hope for the sake of my country that Donald Trump might show some interest in running the country ... but he never did.”
- “He’s shown no interest in putting in the work ... no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
- “Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job, because he can’t.”
Obama went on to say that Biden and Harris were ready to lead.
- “For eight years, Joe was the last person in the room whenever I made a big decision.”
- “He has the character and experience to make us a better country.”
- “Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world. ... Joe knows the world, and the world knows him.”
- He continued a consistent theme of urging Americans to “get involved and vote.”
- “Stay safe. God bless,” Obama concluded what had been one of the longest speeches of the convention.
Child care will be top priority under Harris-Biden
Warren spoke from the early childhood education center in Springfield, Massachusetts, hitting several notes about child care.
Universal preschool and funding for childcare would be among the BIden and Harris priorities, she said.
- “We can build a thriving economy by investing in families and fixing what’s broken.”
- “It’s time to recognize that child care is part of the basic infrastructure of this nation.”
- “Now, I love a good plan, and Joe Biden has some really good plans.”
- “We stay in this fight so that when our children and our grandchildren ask what we did during this dark chapter in our nation’s history, we will be able to look them squarely in the eye and say: we organized, we persisted and we changed America.”
2016 nominee Hillary Clinton urges people to vote and not sit out election
Clinton spoke from her home in Chappaqua, New York, about the importance of voting early and not sitting out the next election. She pledged strong support for Biden.
- “I wish Donald Trump knew how to be a president, because America needs a president right now.”
- “Look, this can’t be another woulda-coulda-shoulda election. If you vote by mail, request your ballot now and send it back right away. If you vote in person, do it early. Become a poll worker. Most of all, no matter what, vote.”
- “Vote for law enforcement purged of racial bias that keeps all our streets safe. Vote for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Because Black Lives Matter.”
- Clinton said Joe Biden “knows how to keep going, unify and lead.”
Speaker Pelosi speaks on the power and importance of women
In a short video introduction, Pelosi said she never expected to run for elected office. But after her children — five in six years — grew up, she was urged to run for Congress. Pelosi went on to become the first female Speaker of the House.
The importance of women and diversity was the theme of her speech.
She said the Democratic majority in the House is now the most diverse majority in history.
“Our diversity is our strength,” she added. Pelosi went on to speak to the strength of women in America.
- “We know when women succeed, America succeeds.”
- “Who’s standing in our way? Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.”
- “We will remember in November, and we will elect Joe Biden as president.”
- “Joe Biden’s faith in God gives him the courage to lead.”
She said Democratic majorities in Congress would fight for women and children’s health care.
Focus on economy and working families
A video package showed working families whose businesses were directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent downturn of the economy.
- The video featured restaurant and shop owners and an Iowa farmer, who said they felt alone under Trump’s leadership.
- Speakers in the video talked about the “day to day” battle created by the pandemic and how the trade deal with China has hurt agriculture.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis introduced the video, saying how Biden worked to help struggling families and how Harris has helped Americans who have lost their homes because of the pandemic and other disasters in California.
- Solis said Biden and Harris will bring back supply chains to America and support climate change. They will afford child care. “That’s how we build back better.”
- Solis said “no one, no one, is going to be a stronger than our next president Joe Biden.”
Harris wants Americans to have a plan to vote
Harris kicked off the evening, welcoming viewers, before her longer speech that concluded the event — encouraging them to have a plan to vote this November. Her comments came amid a pandemic that forced state election officials to ramp up mail-in voting, while Trump and the Republican Party are pushing against expanding mail-in voting, claiming it will invite voter fraud.
But Harris said Republicans have another motive in limiting the ability to vote during a pandemic.
“When we vote, things change. When we vote, things get better, When we vote, we address the need for all people to be treated with dignity and respect in our country.”
Former Congresswoman Giffords speaks out against gun violence
The first segment of the evening was dedicated outlining top issues for Biden’s campaign: preventing gun violence, addressing climate change and immigration reform.
Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, that killed six others and injured a dozen others.
“I’ve known the darkest of days,” said Giffords. “But I have not lost my voice. America needs all of us to speak out even when you have to fight to find the words.”
- “(Biden) was there for me, he will be there for you too.”
- “Join us in this fight. Vote, vote vote.”
Giffords’ husband Mark Kelly, retired NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy combat pilot — is running for the U.S. Senate in Arizona. Polls put Kelly at around a 7-point lead over Republican Sen. Martha McSally. Democrats hope a Kelly victory in November would help them recapture the Republicans’ narrow Senate majority.
Climate change, race and immigrations were also policy issues Democrats addressed Wednesday.
“Unless you’re Native American, your family likely came from somewhere else. Whether it was five years ago, or 200 years ago. Whether it was by choice, or by bondage,” said actress Kerry Washington, Wednesday evening’s host.
Immigrant family guest speakers then told the story of how their families had been separated or they’d lost the opportunity to become citizens because of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, to include the controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
“E pluribus unum” — out of many, one — has been a recurring message this week.
Musician Billie Eilish sends a message to a younger generation
Eilish — a musician of a younger generation — preached to her fans about the need to register to vote so they can support Biden. She then performed her song “My Future.”
- “You don’t need me to tell you things are a mess.”
- “The only way to be certain of the future is to make it ourselves.”
- “You don’t need me to tell you things are a mess. Silence is not an option and we can’t sit this one out.”