Obama offers fierce, fervent endorsement of Harris

CHICAGO >> Former President Barack Obama delivered a fierce address to cap the second night of the Democratic convention Tuesday, urging his party and all Americans to reject the divisive leadership of former President Donald Trump and to put Kamala Harris in the White House to “restore America as a force for good.”

By presenting the former president on the second night of the four-day convention, Democrats continued to drive home themes not unlike the ones that pushed him to the White House in 2008, offering optimism and youthful vigor in the face of what they described as the Republican Party’s attempt to stoke fear and mistrust.

Obama spoke after a hip-hop, rock and soul music-orchestrated ceremonial roll call of the states, which celebrated Harris’ ascension to leadership of the Democrats, just one month after President Joe Biden declared that he would not seek a second term.

The former president spoke fervently in favor of a political ally, Harris, who nearly 17 years ago, as San Francisco district attorney, stepped forward to support Obama’s then-longshot bid to overtake Hillary Clinton, on his way to winning the Democratic nomination and then defeating Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to become the 44th president.

Obama capped an evening that also featured former first lady Michelle Obama and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the marquee speakers working to present the Democratic ticket as the true representatives of average Americans, against a Republican opponent they insisted was looking out only for his wealthy friends, and for himself.

Obama lashed out at the man who replaced him in the White House as a sad and distracted megalomaniac whole time has passed. He and the crowd laughed along as he scoffed at Trump’s “weird obsession with crowd sizes.”

He compared the Republican to that “neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day.”

“From a neighbor that’s exhausting,” Obama said. “But from a president, that’s dangerous.”

Obama upbraided Trump as someone who would grant another tax cut “that would mostly help him and his rich friends.” Meanwhile, he said Trump had been an obstructionist, working to block an immigration reform bill supported for a time by congressional Republicans, until Trump objected that would have solved the overcrowding at the U.S. Mexico border.

The only reason for Trump insisting his party block the bill, Obama said: “Because he thought solving the problem would actually hurt his campaign.” When the audience at the United Center responded with resounding boos, Obama responded: “Don’t boo. Vote!”

The Democrat called his successor’s divisive style “the oldest trick in politics, from a guy whose act, let’s face it,has gotten pretty stale. We don’t need another four years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have all seen that movie before. And we all know that the sequel is usually worse!”

The Democratic faithful again erupted in applause and laughter.

The former president followed his wife, who he acknowledged was a very tough act to follow.

The one-time first lady delivered a ringing call for a restoration of hope and a rejection of the divisive politics of Trump in a prime-time address to the Democratic National Convention and a national television audience Tuesday night.

Obama had the audience laughing and roaring in approval, as she sang the praises of “my girl,” Harris, whom she called “one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency…and one of the most dignified.”

The reference was clearly to Trump, as were a series of other zingers from the former first lady, who derided the Republican, saying it was time to “vanquish the demons of fear, division and hate have consumed us.”

In perhaps a sly reference to Trump’s launch point into the 2016 presidential race at Manhattan’s Trump Tower, Obama said: “If we see a mountain standing before us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator to take us to the top.”

Earlier, Democrats delivered a rollicking vote of the states orchestrated by a DJ spinning rock, hip-hop and soul as their national convention here celebrated the nomination of Harris as the Democratic candidate for president.

The raucous roll call included appearances by entertainment celebrities such as film director Spike Lee, actor Eva Longoria and hip hop star Lil Jon, with Harris appearing on the second night of the Democratic National Convention via a video link from Milwaukee, where she was rallying with voters in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

“We are so honored to be your nominees,” Harris said, with vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, at her side. “This is a people-powered campaign, and together, we will chart a new way forward.”

As leader of Harris’ home state, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had the honor of announcing the last votes of the evening and singing the praises of his longtime ally and putative rival. The televised voting came weeks after the Democrats held a “virtual” roll call, to assure Harris was the party’s official nominee in time to appear on the ballots in all 50 states.

Interviewed by CNN shortly after the vote, Newsom called his longtime friend and at least theoretical rival a “next level talent” who, as the presidential nominee, “has a chance to shine.”

Newsom admonished his party to not be complacent because of apparent momentum.

“We’ve got to stay on the offense every single day and in every single way,” Newsom said. “No one, no one’s denying what’s on the other side. But look, no one’s also denied the choice. This is daylight and darkness, and the contrast couldn’t be more acute.”

In a warm if slightly goofy speech with frequent references to Harris as the “glue,” Emhoff highlighted Harris’ personal side, describing his and Harris’ blended family and their love story.

A video montage showed pictures of Emhoff and Harris in their early dating dates cozied up at the Hollywood Bowl, cooking together in their L.A. kitchen and side by side at Harris’ vice presidential inauguration in 2021.

“Next, he is going to make history again as the first first gentleman,” Cole Emhoff said when introducing his father.

Emhoff recounted how he and Harris met on a blind date that he worried he had butchered by leaving her a long voicemail. The two will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on Thursday when Harris officially accepts the nomination.

“As I got to know her better and just fell in love fast. I learned what drives Kamala,” Emhoff said.

“And it’s what you’ve seen for these past four years and especially these past four weeks: She finds joy in pursuing justice.”

Harris, who had just wrapped up a rally in nearby Milwaukee, had just landed in Chicago in Air Force Two when Emhoff’s speech began, the senior campaign leaders in the front cabin cheering “Doug! Doug! Doug!” The plane circled the tarmac for about 10 minutes so that she could finish watching his speech.

Early in Tuesday’s proceedings, the convention heard admonitions from scions of two Democratic presidents that Harris will carry on the legacies of John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.

Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s grandson and a close relative of potential 2024 spoiler independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told thousands of delegates gathering for their party’s national convention that his assassinated grandfather is his “hero.”

The youngest child of Caroline Kennedy said, invoking the words of JFK: “The torch has been passed to a new generation, to a leader who shares my grandfather’s energy, vision and optimism for our future.”

Jason Carter, 49, compared the humility of Harris and his 99-year-old grandfather, who is in poor health, but hoping to vote for the vice president this fall. “She knows what is right, and she fights for it,” Carter said. “She understands that leadership is about service, not selfishness.”

The audience also heard from a series of Republicans and former Trump allies, who depicted him as mean-spirited and callous to the needs of everyday people.

Perhaps the most powerful testimony came from onetime White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who described herself as a former Trump “true-believer,” forced to reconsider her loyalty after observing his behavior outside the public eye, including times when he would mock his supporters as “basement dwellers.”

On one visit to a hospital, with people dying in an ICU, Trump cared only that his show of concern was being captured on camera, Grisham said, when, in fact, “he has no empathy. No morals. And no fidelity to the truth.” She said Trump used to tell her: “It doesn’t matter what you say, Stephanie. Say it enough, and people will believe you.”

(Rainey and Pinho reported from Chicago, and Miller from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Seema Mehta, in Chicago, contributed to this report.)