Intro WHILE ACCEPTING HIS NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT 12 YEARS AGO IN 2012. TO JOHN, WHO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS PLAYHOUSE DIRECTOR OF SPEECHWRITING FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA. HE NOW IS A COHOST OF THE POLITICAL PODCAST, SAVE AMERICA. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. AS A FORMER SPEECHWRITER AND CURRENT, TAKE US BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, A FEW HOURS BEFORE, HARRIS GIVES ONE OF THE BIGGEST SPEECHES OF HER LIFE? WHAT IS THE SPEECHWRITER GOING THROUGH? >> I KNOW WHO IT IS SO I KNOW WHAT IS GOING THROUGH. ONE OF MY FRIENDS FROM THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN. THEY ARE DOING LAST-MINUTE EDITS. I'M SURE THAT, HARRIS IS GOING THROUGH THE SPEECH WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS RIGHT. THEY PROBABLY PRACTICED ONCE OR TWICE. THEY PROBABLY DID A RUN THROUGH EARLIER THIS WEEK YOU PROBABLY WANT ONE MORE ON THE DATE OF THIS LEASE. THE DAY OF, IT IS KIND OF CALM. THE CRAZINESS HAPPENS OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO. >> YOU WERE SPEECHWRITER FOR OBAMA. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY YOU HAD IT EASY YOU COULD WRITE A GROCERY LIST AND HE WOULD MAKE IT SOUND LIKE PROSE. I KNOW YOU WORKED REALLY HARD. HOW DOES SPEECHWRITER FOR KAMALA HARRIS MAKE SURE THAT THIS SPEECH MEETS THE MOMENT? ESPECIALLY AFTER SHE HAS GONE AFTER SOME INCREDIBLE SPEAKERS ALL WEEK. >> CONVENTION SPEECHES ARE DIFFICULT FOR THE NOMINEE. THEY HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS TO GET DONE. OTHER SPEAKERS CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT AND THE NOMINEE. SHE HAS TO TALK ABOUT HERSELF. DEFINE HERSELF. TALK ABOUT HER BIOGRAPHY. TALK ABOUT HER RECORD. AND SHE NEEDS TO FRAME THE CHOICE. TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE Make it inspiring BETWEEN VOTING FOR HER AND DONALD TRUMP. THE POLICIES SHE WILL PUT FORWARD VERSUS THE POLICIES HE WILL PUT FORWARD. AFTER ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE INSPIRING AND YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT WITHIN 45 MINUTES. >> IS AT ALL? >> THAT IS ALL. I REMEMBER WHEN I WROTE THE SPEECH FOR OBAMA, WE FLEW TO DENVER FROM MONTANA. ON THAT PLANE WE HAD TO CUT 2000 WORDS FROM THE SPEECH. I'M NOT A GOOD FLYER. IT WAS BUMPY AND I WAS SWEATING AND CUTTING WORDS AND EDITING THE LAST MINUTE. IT IS A LOT. IT'S HARD TO DO. >> IS ESPECIALLY A LOT WHEN YOU ARE WRITING FOR A POLITICIAN LIKE BARACK , WHOSE RACE, HERITAGE, WAS OFTEN USED BY OPPONENTS TO MAKE HIM SEEM DIFFERENT OR SCARY. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT KAMALA HARRIS MAY HAVE TO CONTEND WITH AS WELL. HOW SHOULD SHE ADDRESS THAT IN HER SPEECH TONIGHT, IF AT ALL? Reclaim patriotism THE OBAMA'S TOUCHED ON EARLIER. >> IN HER SPEECHES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS SHE TALKED ABOUT PATRIOTISM AND HOW MUCH HE LOVES HER COUNTRY. THAT IS THE THEME OF THIS CONVENTION. FOR US, BARACK, WHEN HE WAS AT THE CONVENTION IN BOSTON, HE WROTE THE SPEECH HIMSELF, PEOPLE STILL REMEMBER THAT SPEECH BECAUSE HE WAS RECLAIMING PATRIOTISM FROM THE REPUBLICANS. DONALD TRUMP, WANTS TO PAINT KAMALA HARRIS AS THE OTHER. I THINK THAT HER JOB AND THE CAMPAIGN'S JOB IS TO SAY, NO. WE ARE JUST NORMAL PEOPLE. MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES. MIDDLE-CLASS UPBRINGING. THE SAME STRUGGLES AS EVERYONE ELSE. I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE WILL DO TONIGHT. >> TALKING TO ONE OF YOUR COHOST YESTERDAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE FOUR OF YOU FAMOUSLY CAME OUT THE DAY AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN'S Biden dropping out DISASTROUS DEBATE. YOU WENT THERE AND SAID HE PROBABLY NEEDS TO LEAVE THE RACE. THAT ULTIMATELY DID HAPPEN. THERE WERE SOME STRESSFUL WEEKS IN BETWEEN. A LOT OF DEMOCRATIC OFFICIALS WHO DID NOT AGREE WITH YOU AND WERE NOT HAPPY THAT YOU DID THAT. ARE YOU STILL IN TIMEOUT WITH SOME OF THEM? OR DO YOU THINK ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL? ? I HOPE NOT. IT WAS AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE. I BELIEVE THAT DONALD TRUMP REPRESENTS AN X ESSENTIAL THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY. THEREFORE, THE TOP PRIORITY IS TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP. I LOVE JOE BIDEN. HE HAS BEEN A GREAT PRESIDENT. WHAT WE SAW AT THAT DEBATE WAS NOT THE BEST CHANCE TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP. JOE BIDEN MADE THE DECISION THAT HAD TO COME FIRST AND HE MADE THE SELFLESS DECISION. IF PEOPLE WANT TO CRITICIZE US FOR, IT DID NOT BOTHER ME BECAUSE I FELT SO STRONGLY THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO WIN. IT DID NOT BOTHER ME AS MUCH. Harris camp I TALKED TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS ON THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN, THEY NOW GET IT. THEY ALL GET IT NOW. WE ARE UNIFIED. THE PROBLEM WITH POLITICS SOMETIMES, IT GETS VERY PERSONAL. WHAT IS AT STAKE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN ANYONE'S PERSONALITY. ANYONE'S PERSONAL FEELINGS. INCLUDING JOE BIDEN'S. HE AND THE PARTY RECOGNIZES THAT. >> IF YOU PICKED UP THE PHONE TODAY AND YOU CALLED JEN O'MALLEY DILLON, SHE WOULD FORGIVE YOU? >> I MIGHT SPEAK TO HER TONIGHT. TOMMY INTERVIEWED MICHAEL TYLER. I BELIEVE WE ARE INTERVIEWING DAN CANNON? >> DEMOCRATIC UNITY IS A GOOD THING. JOHN FAVREAU.