DNC chair Jaime Harrison on Biden's speech, impact on the Democratic Party

Summary

In this convention speech, President Joe Biden expresses his deep commitment and gratitude to the American people, celebrating Kamala Harris as his running mate and the next generation of the Democratic Party. Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison discusses the convention's success, Biden's reception, and Harris's upcoming media appearances to clarify her policy stances. The conversation highlights the importance of party infrastructure in mobilizing support and turning enthusiasm into Election Day action.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ President Joe Biden delivered a convention speech that was a defense of his record, a love letter to the country, and a celebration of Kamala Harris as his running mate.
• 🎉 Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison expressed satisfaction with the convention's first night, highlighting the support and love shown for Biden.
• 🕒 Despite the convention running late, Biden's speech was well-received, with Harrison noting that the delay was due to the enthusiastic applause for the speakers.
• 🏆 Biden's speech was outside of prime time, but Harrison assured that Biden was not upset and felt the electric love from the audience.
• 🔄 The convention aims to clarify Kamala Harris's positions and policies, as a recent CBS News poll showed that over a third of voters are unsure about her stance.
• 📢 Harrison mentioned that Harris will be doing a major media interview to further clarify her positions and policies.
• 📅 The Democratic party has been building its infrastructure for over three years, which will be crucial in mobilizing new volunteers and ensuring voter turnout.
• 🌐 The party's infrastructure will help convert online excitement for Harris among younger and digital voters into real-world action on Election Day.
• 🎤 There is speculation about Beyoncé's possible appearance at the convention, with Harrison hinting at her presence through the mention of her songs being played.
• 🎖️ Harrison emphasized the importance of the convention in telling Kamala Harris's story and what she stands for to the American people.
• 🚀 The convention is seen as an opportunity to energize the Democratic base and prepare for the upcoming election.

Q & A

What was President Joe Biden's message in his convention speech?

President Joe Biden's message was a defense of his record, a love letter to the country, and a celebration of Kamala Harris as his choice to lead a new generation of the Democratic Party.

How did Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison describe the first night of the convention?

Jamie Harrison described the first night as a success with a series of hits featuring superstars of the Democratic Party and culminating with President Biden's speech.

Why did President Biden's speech run late?

President Biden's speech ran late because of the extended rounds of applause for each speaker, which resulted in the president being outside of prime time.

How did President Biden feel about his speaking slot being outside of prime time?

President Biden was overjoyed and felt the electric love and support from the audience in the room.

What is part of President Biden's legacy according to Jamie Harrison?

Part of President Biden's legacy is handing the administration over to Kamala Harris and ensuring her victory in the fall.

What is the purpose of the Democratic convention according to Jamie Harrison?

The purpose of the convention is to tell the story of Kamala Harris, who she is, what she fights for, and who she is fighting for.

Why is it important for Kamala Harris to do major media interviews?

Major media interviews are important for Kamala Harris to clarify her positions and policies to the public, especially since many voters are not yet familiar with her stance.

How does the Democratic Party plan to turn online excitement for Kamala Harris into real-world action?

The Democratic Party plans to use its established infrastructure to absorb and utilize the influx of new volunteers, putting them on the ground to knock on doors and make phone calls to ensure voter turnout.

What is the significance of the infrastructure built by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over the past three and a half years?

The significance of the infrastructure is to support the party's efforts in battleground states, ensuring a strong presence on the ground for campaigning and voter engagement.

Is there a possibility that Beyoncé might appear in the convention arena?

While not explicitly confirmed, the hints given by Jamie Harrison suggest that there might be a chance for Beyoncé to appear, as her songs have been played during rehearsals.

How did the interview conclude regarding the possibility of Beyoncé's appearance?

The interview concluded with a playful exchange, suggesting a 'maybe' or a 'yes' to the possibility of Beyoncé's appearance, leaving it open for speculation.

Outlines

00:00

🇺🇸 President Joe Biden's Reflections and Support

President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to the American people for their support over the past 50 years during his convention speech. His address was a combination of a defense of his record, a heartfelt message to the nation, and an endorsement of Kamala Harris as the leader of a new generation in the Democratic Party. Democratic National Committee Chair Jamie Harrison shared his thoughts on the event, emphasizing the excitement and appreciation shown for Biden in the arena, despite the speech running over time.

05:01

🗳️ Biden's Speech and Its Impact

Jamie Harrison, the Democratic National Committee Chair, discussed the implications of the convention running over time, which resulted in President Biden's speech being delivered outside of prime time. Despite the timing, Biden was pleased with the overwhelming support he received. Harrison also touched on the importance of the convention in highlighting Kamala Harris's platform, addressing concerns that a significant portion of voters are still unfamiliar with her positions. He assured that Harris would continue to engage in policy discussions and media appearances in the coming weeks.

Keywords

💡Democratic Party

The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, typically associated with progressive policies and a diverse coalition of voters. In the video's context, it is the party hosting the convention and supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as their presidential and vice-presidential candidates, respectively.

💡Convention

A convention in this political context refers to a large gathering of a political party's members to select candidates, set policies, and promote party unity. The script discusses the Democratic National Convention, where Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are being celebrated and defended as the party's leaders.

💡Joe Biden

Joe Biden is the 46th President of the United States and a central figure in the script. He is described as having given his heart and soul to the nation, and his speech at the convention is a key event, highlighting his record and his support for Kamala Harris.

💡Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States and a focal point in the script. She is presented as a new generation leader of the Democratic Party, with the script discussing her upcoming media appearances and the need to clarify her policy positions to the public.

💡Jamie Harrison

Jamie Harrison is the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and he is featured in the script discussing the convention's events and the party's strategy. His role is to provide insights into the party's operations and the significance of the convention.

💡Infrastructure

In the context of the script, infrastructure refers to the organizational structure and resources of the Democratic Party, including staff and volunteers on the ground in various states. It is crucial for mobilizing support and turning excitement into votes during elections.

💡Prime Time

Prime time is a term used to describe the time slots with the highest viewership, typically used for important speeches or events. In the script, it is mentioned that President Biden's speech was outside of prime time due to the convention running late.

💡Policy

Policy in this context refers to the positions and plans that a political candidate or party supports. The script discusses the need for Kamala Harris to clarify her policy positions and the importance of the convention in doing so.

💡Media Interview

A media interview is a conversation between a journalist and a public figure, often used to communicate messages and clarify positions. The script mentions that Kamala Harris is planning to do a big media interview to further explain her policies and positions.

💡Volunteers

Volunteers are individuals who offer their time and effort to support a cause without payment. In the script, the surge of new volunteers signing up to support the Democratic Party is highlighted as a positive development for the party's ground operations during the election.

💡Election Day

Election Day is the day on which voters cast their ballots in an election. The script discusses the importance of turning online excitement and support for Kamala Harris into real-world action by showing up to vote on Election Day.

Highlights

Joe Biden delivered a heartfelt defense of his record, expressing gratitude for the support of the American people over 50 years.

The speech was a celebration of Kamala Harris, signaling her role in leading a new generation of the Democratic Party.

The Democratic National Committee chair, Jamie Harrison, praised the success of the first night of the convention, highlighting the support for Biden.

Despite running over time, the audience's enthusiasm and rounds of applause were seen as a positive indication of support for Biden.

Biden was moved by the overwhelming love and appreciation he received during the convention, reinforcing his connection with the party.

Harrison emphasized the importance of the convention in telling the story of Kamala Harris, particularly for voters who are not familiar with her positions.

There is a focus on introducing Kamala Harris to voters through the remaining days of the convention, highlighting her values and the causes she champions.

Harrison mentioned that Harris recently revealed aspects of her economic policy, with more details to be shared in the coming weeks.

Harrison confirmed that Harris will participate in a major media interview soon, aiming to increase her visibility.

The Democratic Party has been building infrastructure in battleground states, preparing for the election with dedicated ground teams.

There has been a significant increase in new volunteers in key states, with North Carolina seeing 12,000 new sign-ups in recent weeks.

The party's infrastructure is positioned to effectively utilize the influx of volunteers for election efforts.

The convention's atmosphere was energized with music and cultural symbols, like Beyonce's song 'Freedom' playing during rehearsals.

Harrison teased the possibility of a surprise appearance by Beyonce during the convention, adding to the excitement.

The anticipation around Harris and the overall convention is aimed at translating online excitement into real-world voter turnout.

Transcripts

for 50

years like many of

you I've given my heart and soul our

nation and I've been blessed a million

times in return the support of the

American

people that of course was President Joe

Biden last night in a convention speech

that was a defense of his record a love

letter to this country and a celebration

of kamla Harris his choice to lead a new

generation of the democratic party

Democratic National committee chair

Jamie Harrison joins me now for more on

last evening Mr chairman thank you very

much for being here thank you so much

for having me to I appreciate it uh look

the scheduling ran long yeah Joe Biden

did not give a short speech did you

learn any lessons about how to do this

on night two oh well listen I'm

Overjoyed at how night1 went I mean we

had as we said hit after hit after hit

we had some amazing superstars of our

Democratic party and then it C

culminated with the president of the

United States and so we're pleased with

with how things went we we Overjoyed at

the love that Joe Biden got in this

Arena and part of the reason why we ran

a little late is because every single

person got rounds of Applause for what

they were saying it's time it it is time

for us to make sure that we put a line

in the sand that we're fighting for our

freedoms and our rights in this country

the result of those Applause moments uh

and going over time was that Joe Biden

the president sitting president leader

of the party at this moment he was

outside of prime time and I'm curious

have you spoken to him how did he feel

about his speaking slot was he upset

that it ran late oh the president is is

Overjoyed I got a chance to spend some

time with him last night um and he I

think the love that he felt in this room

was was you know it was just electric it

was so important for him to feel uh that

people love him so much they adore him

and they are wanted to thank him for his

selflessness uh the years of service to

this great nation and also to our party

part part of his legacy is handing the

administration over to KLA Harris making

sure she wins in the fall we had a CBS

News poll recently that found that more

than a third of Voters don't know what

the vice president KLA Harris stands for

and you can understand why this is an

unusual year you've got a candidate that

everyone's cheering for and folks don't

yet know all of her positions how are

you going to clear that up well that's

why you have conventions it's three days

that we have left and you're going to

hear the story of kamla Harris uh who

she is what she fights for uh who who

she's fighting for uh and we're looking

forward to telling that story and I

think people got a little some of the

sense last night and it we continue to

get more sense of of what that is and

who what her story is uh tonight and and

in the future days no policy section on

the website it's been pointed out she's

done no major press conferences no major

media interviews does she need to break

that streak as soon as this is over well

we know she did do a big policy uh

debrief the other day when she ruled out

some aspects of her economic policy and

she'll continue to do that over the

course of the next uh the next few weeks

and and and of course when she's here on

the stage on Thursday but is she going

to do a big media interview is she going

to sit down with people can I be that

person she she's already said that she's

going to do a big media interview um and

uh we know that she's going to and it's

going to be fantastic okay I'll take

that as an agreement that she will be

appearing on CBS there's a lot of

excitement online for KLA Harris how do

you take that excitement among younger

voters digital voters and turn it into

real world action showing up on Election

Day well this is where having an

infrastructure in the party comes into

play this is the thing that I'm so uh

Fort we're so fortunate that Joe Biden

and K har for the last three and a half

years have been really dedic working

with me to build the infrastructure of

the democratic party you know we uh we

in all of our Battleground States we've

had people on the ground for well over a

year we these are the same people who

work the midterms in 2022 and so now

with this Rush of new Volunteers in one

state I think in North Carolina 12,000

new volunteers signing up in the last

few weeks our party infrastructure can

absorb that and utilize that put people

on the grounds knocking on doors making

phone calls so that we can win there a

very very important Mr chairman we've

been listening to rehearsals here from

our perch in the stands Beyonce songs

have come come on a couple times the

Washington delegation had Beyonce hat on

there were some Cowboy comma sashes I'll

leave the interpretation to all the

symbols to other people but the question

I think that lingers is Will Beyonce

herself be in this Arena at some point

this week well every day she's in here

singing Freedom so well at least we hear

it across the

intercom okay all right that's not a no

Mr chairman Jamie Harrison thank you

very much glad Gail uh Jerica I'll send

it back to you on that note sounds like

a

maybe that's what it sounded like to us

Tony what it sounded like to me that

sounded like a yes that sounded like a

yes to me Tony we shall see we shall see

we will absolutely see