At times it seemed more
like a celebrity A-list party or Grammy Awards ceremony than a political event
as the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago entered its third day.
Wednesday evening was capped by Minnesota governor, former school teacher and
football coach Tim Walz officially accepting the party’s vice presidential
nomination, but not before a star-studded lineup appeared on stage to talk,
perform or both.
Motown icon Stevie
Wonder and singer Maren Morris performed for the United Center crowd, while
Grammy-winner John Legend and Sheila E performed Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”
Kenan Thompson, a “Saturday Night Live” alum, did a spoof on the Republican
Party’s “Project 2025” book, and television and film star Mindy Kaling spoke
several times.
But the biggest crowd-pleasing moment was when talk show host Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance and delivered an impassioned plea to support the Kamala Harris – Tim Walz ticket.
"There are people who want you to believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe,” Winfrey said. “Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024, and common sense. Let us choose common sense over nonsense.”
Winfrey said the American way is to support your neighbor regardless of political affiliation, and if that neighbor’s house is on fire, you respond. But she added a dig aimed at recent comments made by Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance.
“If the place happens to belong to
a childless cat lady, well, we try to get the cat out too,” Winfrey said.
Former President Bill Clinton was a
keynote speaker for the evening and although his voice was noticeably hoarse
and weaker than many people remember, he managed to get some laughs from the
delegates.
“I just turned 78 two days ago and
the only personal vanity I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald
Trump,” Clinton said.
Clinton has attended every
Democratic National Convention since 1972 and told the crowd that elections are
the greatest job interview for the greatest job in the world, and the people
get to do the hiring. While on the subject of jobs, Clinton referenced Harris’
work as a server at McDonald’s when she was a teen.
“I will be so happy when she enters
the White House because she will break my record for the president who spent
the most time at McDonald’s,” Clinton said.
Clinton said that Harris “knocked
it out of the park” when she chose Walz as her running mate, and former U.S.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who served with Walz for 12 years in Congress,
described him as someone who can work both sides of the political aisle.
The convention went completely
silent just once during the evening, when Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg,
parents of Gaza hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, talked about their ordeal in
trying to get their son back.
Following a speech by U.S. Senator
Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, who said of Walz that “in Minnesota we love a dad
in plaid,” one of Walz’s former students introduced him by bringing members of
his state champion football team on stage, many wearing their original jerseys.
Walz came on stage amid a waving audience sea of “Coach Walz” signs and called the vice presidential nomination “the honor of my life.” He thanked the crowd and running-mate Harris “for bringing joy to this fight.”
Walz admonished that his Republican opponents should “never underestimate a public school teacher,” and said of GOP efforts to control reproductive rights, “We’ve got a golden rule in Minnesota, mind your own damn business.”
Walz and his wife Gwen feel
strongly about the issue because they needed in vitro fertilization to conceive
their daughter, whom they named Hope.
As Walz gave the delegates a
football-coach-style pep talk about the upcoming election, he reminded them
that it will be a hard-fought battle that will require all of their energy.
“But there’ll be time to sleep when
you’re dead,” Walz said.
