Tuesday night had a powerhouse of speakers at the Democratic National Convention. Two of the most compelling speakers, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and former first lady Michelle Obama, played an effective, unique role. Neither is a career politician, and neither has run for elected office. And yet, they delivered Democrats’ message more effectively than many other elected politicians.
Emhoff’s role was to humanize Vice President Harris. He told stories of their personal life, including 📹 an entertaining story of how they met. 📹“Heyyyy, it’s Dougggggg.” He described his blended family, mentioning his divorce and Harris’s active role in their children’s lives. His ex-wife, Kerstin Emhoff, sat in the arena waving a “Doug” sign. He pitched himself as the all-American dad.
Former first lady Michelle Obama took a different, more fiery approach. Without mentioning former President Trump by name initially, she took several not-so-subtle shots at him. “Who’s gonna tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might be one of those ‘Black jobs,’” Obama said snidely, referencing a controversial comment Trump made during June’s debate. Fox News’s Brit Hume praised her speech as “just terrific.” CNN’s Anderson Cooper called her speech the “most powerful political speech [he’s] ever heard.”
And then there was Barack Obama: Former President Obama is a famously effective orator and arguably the most influential Democrat alive. And yet, The Hill’s Niall Stanage accurately pointed out that the only point of division among Democrats on Tuesday night was which Obama did better. He took a hopeful, more positive tone than his wife, with a few jokes sneaked in. (Like acknowledging he is “the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama.”) He also mocked Trump’s “weird obsession with crowd sizes,” eliciting roars from the crowd.
The big theme of the evening: An increasing narrative among Democrats is that Harris is working to help Americans while Trump is working to help himself. Think it’s an effective message? Let me know your thoughts.
🔎 Five takeaways from Night 2 of the Democratic convention, from The Hill’s Niall Stanage
Tidbit: Harris spent Tuesday evening campaigning in Milwaukee and traveled back to Chicago during her husband’s speech. Air Force Two circled in the air for around 10 minutes so Harris could watch her husband’s speech uninterrupted. 📸 See Harris watching on her iPad
💻 Watch Michelle Obama’s full speech
💻 Watch Doug Emhoff’s full speech
💻 Watch Barack Obama’s full speech