Real Clear Politics, Live from the Democratic National Convention

there is really almost Universal loathing of the division and the degree to which the parties play on those divisions and you heard Barack Obama really turn the end of that speech into the old Obama there's not a red America or a blue America there's a United States of America isn't that hopelessly naive I mean it it may be naive in how people vote I agree with you it is not naive in how people feel and what both Obamas did last night is start especially Michelle with feelings Michelle didn't say let me make a structured argument to you about talk about her mom talked about her mom she talked about the decency of the people who raised us all and how they saw the world and they may have been uh oppressed and uh blocked off in certain ways but they didn't complain they went ahead and got on with it and they didn't whine about their problems right they helped themselves and especially others and their children and in those actions found meaning right I mean this is universal language of the kind Donald Trump doesn't understand and again I think that I think the Democrats have done a brilliant job of bringing their Coalition together but their Coalition is 49% % M maybe right and and and Trump's is maybe 45 and then there's a few percentages in there and maybe the Democrats could squeak it out with what they're doing right now but if they do what Obama suggested if they do what I think Clinton is going to suggest I think they have a chance to to at the very least ensure get that extra oomph to ensure a victory and maybe more cannot afford a crap speech tomorrow night no she's got a she and and you know she's coming after all these powerhouses right who s and all these forers who sort of and I don't know if you picked up on this Paul but like something about not being in office anymore and not being at the White House anymore you know the Obamas were a little different they were they just came across differently they're more relaxed I mean they're rich right I'm not mad at them about it you know but be rich be rich happy people but they don't they lost acostic Edge that they used to have sure they don't have that anymore anyway she's coming in with a bit of a costic edge because she's she's not only in office but seeking office so she so anyway but what I'm saying is that there there will be a contrast and um I I feel like this this legless momentum that the Democrats are enjoying is is tenuous and and it's and and a mistake and just would blow it up yeah yeah one of the things uh that Michelle about said yesterday which was really smart talking to her base saying they're going to make mistakes and if you sit there and you whine and you ring your hands and say oh my God I need need Perfection you know you're useless please get over it um they are going to make mistakes and it is a nice Edge um I don't think anyone who tells you they know who's going to win right now is is fooling themselves in you this is we don't know who's going to the people who are going to decide this election do not know themselves if they're going to go vote they're not even paying attention they're not listening to us right now and if they tell you as a pollster yes I'm going to vote November they don't know no and they can't even Bank on it yeah they don't know what they're going to do so it really is unknowable and I I imagine that people listening to us right now can't even imagine if they don't know someone like that no no you're you're they they your audience is absolutely going to vote oh they probably already voted yeah right right and remember you know the Voting is not in in November the voting starts next month yeah yeah so uh this campaign season at least for the Democrats is literally a matter of weeks I'm with you though about the speeches and and I think you and I have talked about this before in your capacity as previously writing State of the Union speeches St for me State of the Union and Convention speeches are the best political speechmaking you really get to see what people are made of I co-authored President Clinton's speech at the 2000 convention also ah and and that was an experience because because um as I wrote about in the in the magazine last week um there's really only been four three times now four with Biden where a a president spoke at the convention of where the his vice president was the nominee right a third of all vice presidents have become president but only four times has a president spoken at the convention of where the vice president was a nominee and each time there were tensions between the president and the vice president right Ike didn't even mention Richard Nixon's name that's how uh delicate it was um you'll remember George HW Bush came out and talked about wanting to be Kindler and gentler that was to get out from under the harsh reputation of reaganism and they didn't the Reagans didn't like him not really not really I mean the speech Reagan gave was a brilliant speech I went and reread it it it is it is really something um and it worked he he was reelected um and then obviously with Clinton and Gore there was Major tension right there which I found myself right in the middle of um but you know Bill Clinton like Reagan gave a speech and I think like like Biden gave a speech that was a full Ren uh recitation of his administration's accomplishments but also put vice president Gore at the center of it and made a case for Gore and and you know you can ask why Gore didn't win Gore will say it was Monica Linsky most of us Al Gore yeah I think it was Al Gore you know not on his record or maybe he did win we don't even know there's that there's that the Supreme Court decided he wasn't going to win but so so you know uh uh the vice president uh Harris got a good send off from Biden um he got you know fantastic setup from uh uh Michelle and and U many others Brock Obama and tonight she's going to hear we're going to hear from President Clinton and we'll see we'll see what he does Paul glis editor-in chief of Washington monthly former speech writer for President Clinton you can follow him at glis thank you so much Paul thank you for having me great to see you'll miss you tomorrow oh yeah have fun though thank you take care to here we don't want to be the people that like scw up fully hydrated drinking beer all day [Music] kidding does it the just get louder yeah okay I hear you fine okay it's so nice to see you in person yeah no kidding so where where do you guys produce from DC DC yeah we're right over by CNN okay yeah I spend lots of time hanging out in that neck of the woods M thank you so much so any fun fun guests today any deep dark secrets no secrets revealed I have uh Terry mcauliff coming up though I think after you the rundown is so it because people maybe can't get in or secur tough M all right here we go and the man himself Jeff Duncan was Georgia's 12th lieutenant governor he joins me now hi Governor how great to uh great to be here I got to tell you you stand out a little bit In This Crowd you do yeah it's not CU I'm real tall or anything I think I might be the only Republican in this room right now if there's others here no worries yeah oh we had um U mayor Giles in your seat yesterday talking about giving a preview as big speech and we know Adam kininger is going to be speaking later this week yeah you're not alone here yeah you know somebody asked me yesterday they said are you surprised that there's any Republicans here and I said no no this this whole fever's kind of been been going at it since hours after the 2020 election it's just not a lot of Republicans are willing to get out in front and say it in public and that makes me a little bit angry but it is what it is right I'm just they're getting swatted and threatened and their kids are getting death threats I get it I fit in all those categories unfortunately I'm sorry yeah because it's politics and it shouldn't not to be all highminded and Squishy about it but shouldn't it just be a debate of ideas rather than death threats and swatting well I we're kind of getting a taste of ran medicine in that we're not solving a whole lot of problem s our political system the left or the right right I don't want to say anybody's got to run on this show here uh it's uh it's you know we're not solving any problems we're racking up debt we got geopolitical issues we've got economic concerns I mean this stuff is stacking up and until we get an adult in the room that can show up and just steady um you know kind of lead with a steady hand we're gonna have problems but you think that could be KLA Harris yeah you know look I'm gonna talk to the convention tonight and I'm going to say I don't agree with 100% of her policies I'm I'm a lifelong conservative but I do think she's a steadier hand to lead this country than Donald Trump ever could be yeah yeah indeed um and you know we Democrats are making much about his his uh negative rhetoric today he told Hugh huitt that our nation is going to hell seems dyspeptic to me it seems a little bellicose yeah you know look this is all even the strongest supporters of Donald Trump have to admit that KLA Harris and the Democrats have done an unbelievable job the last four or five weeks transitioning from a horrific moment in that debate uh and transitioning quickly behind KLA Harris the fundraising the the just everything uh has got them in a position where they have a legitimate chance to win this thing and for me as a lifelong Republican I hope they win and then I hope we go figure out how to get our game back in in play as Republicans and to maybe go back to the old days of what the Republican party used to be that you and I have talked about yeah I I mean look I've Got This Acronym called My Pet Project I've mentioned it to you before policy empathy and tone I mean the ultimate winning strategy if we would have had a candidate other than Donald Trump that would have been able to talk about the policies around the economy and around you know international issues and the border and then use some empathy to kind of build the tent and use a tone that invites and encourages this would be we'd be up by 10 points right now but we're not because we got Donald Trump who's a boat anchor on every election he's ever touched you uh you didn't spend that long in public office were you in the state ledge before State Rep for 5 years and then I was the lieutenant governor for 4 years MH I mean it's that's a good time but did you ever think you'd be speaking to a democratic convention I mean it's such a fish on a water story yeah I told my wife the other night I don't remember this being on our bingo card when I back her to run for office for the first time not knowing a thing about politics but you know this Journey's taken us all kinds of places I could kind of felt the tsunami of Donald Trump coming during his four years in office and then when 2020 hit in the election it was a absolute confirmation that he was wrong to the country and a threat to democracy and we've been pot committed to this journey of trying to get this party back in gear but no I did not see this coming but you know what if this is what this moment in time calls for me to do so be it uh Trump loves a convert so do the Democrats yeah I often I this sounds like a joke but it's seriously I got a 14-year-old who's been a republican longer than Donald Trump has and he loves it when I say it too that's fantastic is he looking forward to voting someday yes yes he is I've got three boys 228 and 14 so it is a live wire in fact I'm leaving here going to Dublin Ireland to watch my middle son play football for Georgia attack against Florida State in Dublin Ireland on Saturday oh that's have you been to Dublin I have not my wife and one of my sons is on their way right now oh God you're going to love it so they're going to watch the uh they're going to watch the convention from the air uh so we'll we'll hopefully they have some sort of connection you know I had the UK Ambassador on earlier uh um Karen Pierce and she was talk she's she's at the convention and she went to the one in Milwaukee too and she was talking about they show it on TV in England our conventions but they don't have anything like that there but there people are very interested I mean I think the whole world's wanting us to get this right I mean outside of a handful of countries I mean if we don't get this right uh their their Futures are in Jeopardy too right how we create economic trade with Asia how we deal with Ukraine how we deal with all the overall European picture I mean these are massive issues that if we just get a reckless fool to show up every day whenever he wants and do whatever he wants we have a problem on our hands that will show up each and every day in every one of these issues how is the race still so close with what you just described uh you know I I I think I've been talking about this for three plus years I think it's a 45% and 45% on each side no matter what happens hell or high water they're going to vote D or R this 10% in the middle is is actually persuadable I think they're hard to pull I think that's the grouping that doesn't want to be honest until they walked in that box I think they finally have a little bit of air cover the biggest excuse I heard when I first endorsed Joe Biden as a republican was he's too old and they had a legitimate issue with that I don't have a defense to that the debate confirmed our our worst fears and now they don't have that excuse anymore I think you're going to continue to watch these states break more and more towards kamla Harris uh and that 10% the middle is going to become more defined tell me about your state great state of Georgia because it looked like Trump had a loot on it now it's more he he was a runaway freight train before the uh conell Harris twist of fate uh and almost over overnight two things happened one the race got a lot closer between him and KLA Harris and then two he came down there and just did what Donald Trump does in b-rated one of the most conservative and best govern governors in our state's history at least modern history and because he just can't help himself he's he's a petulent child and uh so look I think now you look at this it is Razor thin margins on either side I do think Georgia probably does end up breaking for Tom Harris because Donald Trump's going to keep being Donald Trump and Georgia doesn't really truly like the Donald Trump mhm yeah interesting but they weren't going to go for Joe Biden no it was a tough sell uh I certainly have heard a lot more folks from around my inner circle that have said hey this is an easier pull to swallow as a republican now that conla Harris is in there so what we we'll see how it breaks which is interesting because I don't I don't think it's ever an easy pill for Republicans to swallow you know on on issues of Life economy things like that I don't think it's ever really easy yeah and you know look I I hope to doing this with you at the RNC in 2028 right I hope to be a voice of influence in the for the Republican party we got a lot of work to do between here and there and one of these steps is beating Donald Trump proving that he is a loser by nature and figuring out who's going to be the next group of individuals to lead the party forward have you been here all week Governor I got in yesterday and like I said I'm leaving early tomorrow to go to Ireland I've got a really good excuse It's a Long Way from Chicago to Ireland by the way but there's probably a direct flight though not the I or maybe not that I could afford there's that what so have you been hitting parties I know you got to do a lot of CNN no I haven't done any parties uh I did some CNN work last night went ate by myself at a little Italian restaurant in downtown Chicago got to bed early got up early like an old kin you I was having begging people to open up the coffee machine before they were ready to open this morning because you just needed that coffee and what was it like 5:00 a.m. and you were out yeah and I'm just trying to figure out time zones right I don't know where I'm at we're in Central TI Governor yeah thank you for that reminder I'm late for my speech I got to go just kidding uh so so again you tonight what can we expect a message directly to those Republicans and independents that are watching at home and and by the way there's going to be millions of Republicans and Independence watching hoping to see something that gives them some air cover uh to do something and that's I'm simply going to focus my message directly on them I I don't need to tell anybody anything you know to talking about of voting for uh Donald Trump in this room they're already set uh but this is to this is a message and it's just to say look Let's uh let's be Americans in this election not just because I vote for KLA Harris doesn't make me a Democrat just makes me a patriot Jeff Duncan he was the 12th lieutenant governor of the great state of Georgia he speaking tonight from the convention uh what a pleasure to see you thank you so much for here thanks take care all right uh quick break and I'll be back at former massachusett Governor Deval Patrick you're listening to sirusxm that was fabulous thank you no no I really appreciate you're coming on it's you really add a lot to the show yeah me too thanks we're up in a Sky Box I I anchor all night so I know yeah I had because they serve drinks up there no no good guess though hi oh of oh all right we got to talk about that we got to talk about that [Music] no it's it's a mess it's a whole thing but I know I know it lacks digity been I've been flying around all week okay The Beekeeper will be joining us you want him over here or you want me to move over no no no you stay okay now is it a th women or 1K women a th women a th okay you can stand if that's isier okay totally fine I know that leir that a bad match got it got it okay well thank you so much for being with me and just a reminder if you want to chat with me and share with me your thoughts about what you're seeing and hearing from the convention you can find me on Blue Sky it's a Twitter knockoff and it's free and bonus no Nazis so go ahead and join and you can find me there at Julie Mason I'm so pleased to welcome to the show shaia Cherry Donaldson she's founder and executive director of a thousand women strong it's a national organizing hub for black women built by black women we're going to be joined in just a few minutes by Deval patrickk former governor of Massachusetts but while I have you here to myself tell me about your organization oh thank you so much for having me today my name is shakia t Donaldson and in 2020 um after being an organizer since I was 19 I've done the doors I've done canvasing all of the above I was working for a program that saw the labor or the the results of the labor right oh we knocked a thousand doors oh we we s 10 10,000 postcards but nobody was talking about the actual organizing that was behind all of that labor and all of that work and particularly honoring the legacy of black women organizing in this country we have been at the Forefront of every major movement in this country saved democracy I would say we try from time to time we try so um did you find you had a knack for that kind of organizing I did so I said I was I I was a Rabel Rouser in high school I was an activist what I was an anti- activ New York City um I came from a union family which for wara war irq M it's not a popular war no no not at all and so uh to see that progression then go to school uh travel the world come back and then um wait travel the world why how for so went to Korea to teach English in 2008 wow uh because I I graduated in the middle of a global recession they get a lot of black women in Korea they do not they do not but there is a kinship in a community because of black expats from the Korean war ah interesting while they did not get a black a lot of black women teachers there was a fondness and a and a I would say a kinship around black American GIS that came help CL for South that must have made it nice yeah it was so I was there for two years then I went to Australia and got my Master's Degree yep at the University of Sydney and then did you love Sydney I did it was amazing it is amazing um and then I came back and went straight to the South working for the children's defense fund and Maran R Edelman who's the founder of Mississippi Freedom Summers and so coming back into this work I knew that I was bringing a level of experience and a little a broader out uh view of the world I guess I would say um about how we get to shape our democracy organizing um when I first started with such a resistance we're fighting against we're fighting back we don't like what they're doing so we're fighting but in this season and why I wanted to create a thousand women strong it's because we could fight to create right in fight in the affirmative right right for something not against something it must be total Swit we don't even have to know what it is yet to have it you know we don't have to have it down perfectly to know that we are striving for something bigger and better but you knew that it worked I knew it worked and you knew how to put it together oh yeah oh yeah and so we were all at home I mean really in 2020 so I started to organized women right where we were on our couches I pulled money out of my own account and did a digital campaign over 30 ,000 women signed up between September and November toward what end what was the pitch but are you here to build a more beautiful future for you and your family that was it that was the pitch are you are you here to build a more beautiful future for you and your family sign up learn more and and then um the the runoff came home we are uh me and my many of my team are uh alumni of ABS 2018 so when the Georgia runoff came for off off from warock home I wrote my first field program under the organization wow and in six weeks we knocked over 40,000 doors that's amazing you we've been talking this week about how door knocking seems quaint and oldfashioned and low Tech but it is so effective tell us about your experience D for sure uh this year we're expected to have over a thousand canvassers across our eight states which include Pennsylvania Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Alabama Texas and Michigan we are we are slated to knock over 600,000 doors and talk to over 1.2 million people it is our primary uh form of voter contact it is all paid programming because again in 2020 everything got highlighted as hazardous work and you know someone going and putting themselves out and having to know the pitch and and know what they're talking about in their Community it is paid work it is or organized labor and so um so we're honoring that and and hiring black men and women across the country to work directly in your community to mobilize the vote have you found in your recruiting that people want to get involved they want oh an opportunity oh yes and when you say here's an opportunity they're like I've been wanting to get involved I'm not going to hold you that September I mean that that Sunday afternoon at 2:30 when when I called it the Beyonce moment of politics well stop okay but like everybody was on my phone like it was a it was a switch people were disengaged people didn't feel called to participate um and what they saw but then when it all shifted I mean we have hundreds of volunteers now I I bet signing up for House Parties postcard parties um what else doing Tex banking right like yes we have some yes we have things to do yes come help come in help let's do it the organization is called a thousand women strong we're talking with shaia cherry Donaldson she's founder and executive director so this is your first convention it is it is so I was at home four years ago it was virtual but I was watching from home like everyone else and um I just couldn't have imagined being here today four years later head down doing the work um and now we're in we have an opportunity to uh expand our mission and our voice and like build our capacity we're currently in eight states by 2026 we plan to be in 18 um so this is our opportunity to meet partners that that were fostering new relationships so is politics I mean I know what you were doing before seems sort of politics adjacent but this is elected office work is it kind of different uh I say so there are three prar strategy right so there's elected officials getting good folks elected that believe in our policy uh supporting sustainable lifechanging policy that electeds can then get done but then it's also the Community day-to- Day right the 365 and people use the example because you know I come from an old school but if if you know how to get a stop sign in your community you know how to get a president elected that's such a great point it is the exact same skill set it really is so um so by working in community 365 on on community sustainable issues or even again you don't always have to be fighting against something but a a Community Vision watching that come into life then people are able to translate what they're doing locally into the national or even Statewide broader frame that's so interesting all right so so tell me what you're doing here so uh this week we're hosting a series of events with black women um from across the country and and and the collective and several other leaders um to make sure that we are still raising money it is 75 76 lost track of the tracker 75 days left oh yeah could be like a thousand I don't know no the countdown is real but uh so we're here raising money and getting the word out about why door knocking especially in this season we feel all the energy we feel all the excitement but it has to be transferred directly on the ground into the work so uh excited to to be here all right the man has joined us s sir a little bit but you know what Shaquille was holding it down Deval does always does former two-term governor of Massachusetts current David R gurgen professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School also a gentleman farmer and a beekeeper I got to throw that in Governor it's so nice to see you how are you see you I'm very well welcome breathless trying to try to get around this this shind dig is no small thing right and these are probably people a lot of people you haven't seen in a bit um in many cases and therefore if there isn't a way to get through I I was saying to uh who with me that I I forgot my hat I should have had my hat to the line no I just people wanted to say hello all right uhhuh yeah uhhuh it's nice how are you wonderful to see you she's doing meaningful work imagine me about it yeah a thousand women I mean that seems you're kind of lowballing it seems like more than a thousand I got to think when creating it I said what is a critical mass what does it feel like when when you see something coming and you know you cannot ignore it and I said you've ever seen a thousand black women come at you at the same time all everyone talking at once and and and it and to me it embodies what it can be from local um to National in relational organ organizing right cuz you can organize a th people in your town or a th people in your county it doesn't have to always be multi Multistate or federal work right so I do think in creating power in a critical mass you don't need a million people can you get a thousand and Governor I have to think that the kind of groups that we're talking about like a thousand women have huge impact they do and um they do Beyond politics I know we're talking about politics but there is such a hunger I think we all have as human beings and maybe especially in these times for a sense of community and connection there's a profound loneliness and U disaffection that an awful lot of people uh feel it expresses itself in politics and ways Julie you and I have talked uh about before I don't think the political Dynamic is actually Democrat Republican so much as it is inside or outside and mostly you see this right when you're knocking door shaia and most people feel left out and left behind so when somebody comes and says don't just you know I'm knocking on your door to get you to vote in the next election cycle but I'm knocking on your door to help build a relationship that lasts and we're going to do stuff Beyond gov getting out the vote we're going to do stuff in between Cycles we're going to do stuff to figure out how we Advocate once we win with our elected officials for the stuff we need in this place or how we do stuff with the business Community the Civic community and I think the operative Point here is community and why I think this work is so critical and it seems often when when people are knocking on doors they're asking uh the resident what do you care about like what's important to you and and and and you're taking notes and you're going to follow up and this person's concerned about housing and you're right and that's like follow up exactly so then next time you you you going into the Housing Authority for something you know exactly who to call and say you cared about housing and we're working on this housing initi would you like to join us would you like to help us would you like to learn more at capacity so right it comes directly to the persons what they need and what they care about not the not the other way around and it's I think you know you're listening for consensus points you know you you hear about housing over here and the price of groceries over there and then housing in the next four houses and to start to get us s you know housing is it's a thing it's thing right and maybe it's not showing up in polls but you're hearing about it anecdotally that's right the other part that I don't think shows up in in polls I'm not a pollster and I'm I'm I'm a little skeptical I love pollsters but I'm a little skeptical of uh of polling methodology there is it turns out and I will say this from personal experience there's actually electoral power in the gesture shown and the respect shown by asking just shown up and ask M you don't it's you may not be asking for a vote but just showing up well and Governor doesn't not go back to your point about the vast loneliness that's right people feel ignored and overlooked and you go to them and say what do you care about right and it's like someone's been waiting to ask them right right or they're surprised you know just it's like sometimes I'm not sure let me think about it but tell me about you and then the organizer starts to make a just like human beings do just make a con and that becomes uh over time at its best a relationship of trust that relationship of trust then has to be stewarded and cared about and treated itself as a as a thing to respect and not something to exploit and it can be it can turn into and again I say this from personal experience when I was running uh the first time in in Massachusetts into real political power turning that into organization is the Big Challenge right now because there's a lot of enthusiasm people want to be asked they're they're interested in being asked turning it into organization is a is a thing is a is a project against the clock right now I love the way you talk about it Governor you make me a Believer and I you know I don't believe in anything know to Patrick from a two- chm governor of Massachusetts current David R ggen professor of the practice of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School shaia Cherry Donaldson founder and executive director of a thous women strong it's a national organizing hub for black women built by black women where can people find it online if they want to get involved yes all of our handles are 1K womenstrong on all social media platforms and our website is www.k womenstrong docomo to take a break and Terry mall if joining me if you like stay with me I'm Julie Mason this is serious XOne com [Music] Governor how are you nice to see you I'm great how are you no it's this one is oh we're doing that one okay all right yes are in the [Music] house oh great Safara yeah yeah Terry mcalli joins me now he was the 72nd governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia as Governor he focused on equality for all Virginia enhancing quality of life and building a new Diversified economy that made Economic Opportunity a right not a privilege wow Governor how are you doing great to be back so very here I'm ready to go right you've got an Entourage I got two of my daughters oh nice Mary Sally mlla hi yeah um uh so much to discuss how how have you been experiencing the convention so far you into one or two of these before I believe 13 oh man this is number 13 I've ched a couple of these things chaired the National Party honestly Julie I've done this going back to 1976 usually our one of these events usually we have to spend one or two days coming together the waren factions from primaries and Tack F fights zero zero this year um since K's gotten into the race she's raised about 525 million which is is probably double or triple anyone has ever know the history of our party she's got 500,000 Grassroots activists have signed up in 28 days it's unbelievable people are fired up in this Arena and and still uh very worried about Trump should be is you know I'm the ultimate Optimist you know but I I go back to many your listeners are so young but I go back to 2000 abore won that election they took it and they worked hard and they went down to Florida and shut polling County boo in you know Hillary won the popular vote in 2016 I remind you Democrats in the last eight presidential elections have won the popular vote in seven of the eight but we haven't gotten the prize we got to win Michigan Wisconsin Pennsylvania put that right there but now we got Sun Bel States open Arizona Nevada we got Georgia North Carolina I would rather be us than them because it's electric right now people are excited they don't want to vote through Trump as an extreme agenda but you're right it's it's going to be close and if people like sit back and say oh you got to engage you got to knock on doors you got to make phone calls donate 18 bucks whatever it may be get in the game I love her I've known her uh when she was vice president she was governor I was a big Pro jobs Governor I would talked to her about building the middle class building small business she's smart she's tough but she's a load of fun and contrast that to the Wacker we got on the other side who you know is convicted criminal I mean it is what it is an extreme R back women's rights and and I dealt with Chum I was governor I was chairman of the national Governor Association I would talk to him about infrastructure this that he'd always agreed never do it I was governor during Charlottesville when I spent a half an hour on the phone with him that day begging him to go on TV and condemn and I said Mr President use the words white lossless in neonazis Julie not a difficult thing to do he promised me he'd do it I waited 4 and a half hours and he came out and said there were good people both sides the man has no moral core and you lost someone close to you as I recall yeah yeah I've known him forever you know he's a Democrat his whole life this whole thing was a charade um you know I think Bon and Miller and Roger Stone got to him said Hey in 15 we're going to build a wall and we're going to make maget great we're going to take this from Reagan and you know he's a Salesman and he's good at it and he just goes out and sells the product I believe president has to have a moral core there as Governor I fought for things sometimes people were happy unhappy but I did what I believed was right let the chicks problem what they make you know I'm the first governor to perform a gay marriage after the historic moving I was governor of Virginia I was created a record mon of jobs I restored more Fon rights in any governor in the history of our country uh for some people that was popular others it was unpopular it was the right thing to do Trump doesn't do what he thinks is the right thing for the country he does what he thinks the right thing for him really you know there's there's no end of Democrats dumping on Trump and I and I get it but he's still I mean so this new polling from The Economist today Harris 46 Trump 43 the half the country still loves the guy or is at least going to vote for him yep and it's a good question I've thought a lot about this over and over again because I mean I mean convicted Fon and you can go through all this other stuff but as president he didn't do anything to help the people I mean he did a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans didn't do anything for the middle class he didn't do an infrastructure Bill he didn't do anything on Healthcare he spent his time you know got us out of the Iranian deal which now Iran is what day two month from having a nuclear weapon we have no inspectors to do this he SP his whole time bear hugging the North Korean dictator so you could question why I don't know if it's Trump if Trump is not a vessel for people who were just feel disenfranchised and you know it's a hard thing and that's why I'm excited about K I think she'll bring people together you know I travel I think I was in 26 countries jully last year there is nothing like coming back to the United States of America we are the greatest nation on Earth and I'm proud my dad was the Army captain my son was a marine Captain they fought for this country we are the greatest nation everybody loves us around the world we've got to stop this division in the country oh you're a republican so I don't like you or you're a Democrat we got to get past that we got to get back to the United States of America we are the greatest we're the greatest economy in the world people Ukraine I've been to the front line I was one of the first people to go to the front line after the invasion I met with the soldiers I met with the folks in Kia but for America they wouldn't have a country today they love us right and what happens tomorrow yeah you know uh the GOP ticket has has not committed to Future funding for Ukraine well and I got to tell you and I'm going back over in September the idea that for three months we did not give them the Republicans would not give them ammunition I know as a fact I talk to the folks all the time over there the damad has gone to the Ukrainian Army them back this is a country that was invaded by a dictator a de democratically elected country attack we're either a superpower or not and we need to defend these folks I got to tell you A lot of people love this shorter campaign I do too you doo yeah I've always said I've always liked the British system you know make it short and I like it like if you don't like what you got throw them all out right give everybody power and if you don't like it then toss them all out at the end of the day right and then we'll have another one in a few months right yeah and so you know listen I've been very close to pres bid for no and forever I had him at my house uh on June 18th I raised 8 million bucks for him at 650 people one day in the yeah I sold it out and then boom the debate and you know yeah and then we went to this really tough time with the hand ringing and the bed waiting and the you must have been worried though I was but I was always optimistic at the end of the day that things would actually work out and I thought to myself you know got to a point with the polling data the president was always going to do the right thing but a 100 day campaign Is Not a Bad Thing M right it's uh enough time to introduce yourself not enough time for people to get sick of you right but I mean if she wasn't doing well in the polls it wouldn't seem like enough time yeah I listen I still I always believed that President Biden was going to win really I always did yeah listen juli the end listen we had a pathway had to be Michigan Wisconsin Pennsylvania Nebraska too we 270 that's what we have to be I remind everybody that he was 303 last time he added uh you know Nevada and Arizona to it so we we're fighting over about a million people in those three states who were undecided today so we just had to make the argument people didn't want to vote for Trump but we got to make a compelling argument about lifting women's Reproductive Rights lifting people up not getting by but getting ahead that's what this convention is about Terry Mccalla oh what's hey I got to wrap it up thank you so much everyone uh thanks to Patrick F and Johnny Foster Real C politics coming up next I'm Julie Mason thanks for listening that's Fant of Sally Sally didn't with punches was great that was fantas [Music] I'm stand there just around do whatever you want yeah we're going to be here for an hour hello sing in there oh yeah usually I put Tom next to me so I can tap him are we live live so we're live streaming this on our website so anything career ending good to know yeah that's that could happen at any time a good point that it is live all the time yes who's that so many people how are you you know I looked I got so many people on the show that I thought maybe I would just not do the Clips today and I just I just saw them like right before I went on but thank you okay okay and hey Emily you're the unheard Washington correspondent correctly perfect thank you uh Emily J jashinski she's gonna spell your name her name for you right now it's j s h i n s k y and it's the unheard is u n h e r d correct yeah thank you yeah yeah that's your that's and he's yours okay that's brutal it's the 20th correct everybody get that yeah is it the see still got yes face Wednesday August oh my God oh my God oh speaking of have you seen yeah have you seen all these memes now of her real rough there she is everybody look smile all right here we go welcome to realair politics for Wednesday August 21st I'm Andrew Walworth I'm joined by RCP president and co-founder Tom beon washhington bureau chief Carl Cannon White House reporter Phil wigman and and unheard Washington correspondent Emily jashinski and we are coming to you live from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago where the weather has been spectacular but Tom the big story today uh at least one of them is not here uh it's elsewhere and that is that Robert Kennedy Robert F Kennedy has suspended his presidential campaign and he will address the country on Friday and he may even endorse one of the two major candidates uh what effect do you think it'll have and what are you makeing it well I mean this is a huge development and the reports are he's going to endorse Trump and we just did a video on on RFK and analyzed his role in this race right now and you know prior to K haris becoming the nominee I think there were a lot of disaffected Democrats that were parked in RFK land and after she sort of became the nominee a lot of them came home and so he was actually his presence in this race uh was actually hurting Trump more and if you look at these big seven Battleground States right uh two of the states Trump actually got a little bit of a boost when RFK was on the ballot in in Nevada and North Carolina Trump already has a little bit of a lead there two of the states uh where Harris has little leads in Wisconsin and Michigan she got a little bigger boost but it was it was Arizona and Pennsylvania where Trump currently has uh leads of like 2/10 of a percent and I think 1/10th or two10 of a percent in both those states are rfk's presence on the ballot ballot took that state in favor of kamla Harris so if he's gone and if he endorses Trump and and the majority of his supporters uh migrate to Trump that's good news for Donald Trump that that will give him a boost and in a race that is this close it could be decisive it's a big deal and we have confirmation that U you know RFK is expected to endorse Donald Trump for the Dynamics that that Tom just laid out there it could be something that could tip this race obviously K doesn't have a ton of support but at the margins it's significant um the folks who sort of made this deal happen uh were Tucker Carlson and and Don Jr they were the emissaries of the Trump V campaign who are reaching out to RFK Jr and it became an easier cell to bring him on board when uh President Biden stepped aside for uh vice president Harris um part of the reason why is of course you know as Tom pointed out uh that the sort of you know voter profile for a RFK voter but they're much more likely to um you know vote for a trump or Rance over someone like Harris or walls given his sort of background Tucker Carson is an emary of the Trump campaign is that Don Jr is but Tucker Carlson well em happen Emily jinsky welcome to the show what do you make of the today's news well thanks for having me I agree it's a huge development with what Tom said and Tucker may not be a for normal the Trump campaign but he is very good friends with uh don Jr so you can sort of understand how that world was pushing a certain narrative to the RFK junor Camp um and they've actually even shared donors I mean people like David saaks have held fundraisers for both guys so it makes sense what's very interesting to me though is what this means for Robert F Kennedy Jr's future as a politician it's possible he's secured some type of deal for a cabinet position we don't know yet for a zar position we don't no yet it secretary probably FDA the idea of him getting confirmed by any Senate is somewhat laughable actually laughable because indeed we are all laughing but um it just it's hard to um it's it's hard to understand exactly what happens with RFK Jr down the road because his candidacy was actually built on the double hater vote and that means hating not just Biden or the Biden campaign but the Trump campaign he was super critical of Donald Trump not draining the swamp and that's basically gone and I don't know how he ever makes that case again in his future yeah well this is a leg just twist of the Kennedy family Saga included bears and a lot of interesting things this time around but Carl uh give us your perspective well Bobby Kennedy Jr you know he doesn't probably have a future in elected politics but he did a past in elected politics his father you know was Senator from New York and finding presidential candidate when he was in California in 1968 his uncle was President United States but he had never saw public office before and this idea that the first thing you run for as President worked for Donald Trump it hasn't work for anybody else I guess Dr eyes now I want to say one quick thing about this we leing out the personal Dimension so Bobby Kennedy comes from a family of Democrats but I was thinking of you know there was a great reason magazine uh cover St years ago and a debate between Republicans and Dem between and Libertarians and the question before asked was who should you vote for if you're not going to waste your vote you're going to vote Democrat Republican and had a Democrat who made the case was Terry Michaels the Simon a i figet him was the Republican person but they interviewed Matt Stone um the kind of one of the yeah coauthors of South Park he's from B carado there're you know famous Stoners and and he said something like um I think this was D he said man you know I I hate Republicans CU but I really freaking hate Democrat and didn't say fing and so this is how this is where Rob Kennedy ended up and the reason is because the Democrats went out of their way when they were convinced early in the year that he was going to hurt Joe Biden they slamed him publicly and privately they want the court to try and prevent him for getting on the ballot they did all these things to th and undermine his campaign while claiming to be the party for democracy and I think he just became very disgusted with the whole democ crit Nicole Shanahan uh his VP candidate gave this Curry interview where she talked about that it was really remarkable I mean we kind of news in this stuff but she said they even planted people inside their campaign to cause disruptions to it sounded like to basically fake uh you know create legal problems for them alleged improprieties or whatever I mean they really she said you can't even believe the links that they went to to sabotage their campaign and you know and she invested tens of millions of dollars in in this campaign so I think there is a lot of bitterness at the way that they were treated and the Democrats in their effort to protect Joe Biden ended up driving RFK into the arms it looks like of Donald Trump and but Phil there were reports earlier this week that uh Kennedy was in conversation with the Harris campaign about maybe trying to get a position in her Administration so is a have you heard that same rumor B does that cast any uh light on you know what he's really trying to get done here maybe he was making the rounds come B yeah from what I've heard thus far there haven't been explicit conversations about anything approaching a quid pro quo I think that uh the um most likely scenario is this personal frustration and personal anger at the very brutal rejection by the Democratic party it wasn't just an argument on ideology or on sort of differences of policy instead it got pretty personal pretty quickly and so I think after uh six or seven months of that it seems that RFK junr has made his choice and and he's going to throw in with Republicans and Emily so we think he's going to speak on Friday uh one of the reports I heard was that that was designed in part to sort of try to take some of the air out of the uh bump that uh the Democrats were expecting out of this convention does it change the race at all in your view significantly I I actually really think it does because all of the polls and you guys know this as well as everyone uh show basically a close race right now you know you can get in all the nuances but what we know is it's tight and that means you're fighting over margins in s States and so that really matters ask Hillary Clinton about Jill Stein today and you'll hear exactly why that really matters so if if you can convince a significant chunk of RFK Junior voters not to stay home and also to vote for Donald Trump because RFK Jr is himself making that pitch as a longtime Democrat as a Kennedy Democrat uh Trump is as good as Aesthetics as anybody and he understands probably even better than the Kennedy campaign has but you make of the Kennedy brand and if if Robert F Kennedy Jr can get out there not talk about vaccines or Bears or whatever and just say I'm a longtime Democrat and I can't stomach Democrats anymore so I'm voting for Trump that's more powerful than I think a lot of people realize so Emily thinks that Bobby Kennedy will join the ranks of Ross perau and Ralph nater these spoilers who the Democrats still they're Nash their teeth and they even think of they could have from my point of view I just as a person I'm s of saddened that Cheryl Hines will not be first lady that's true Cheryl Hines the actress is married to RFK Jr and she would have been a fantastic first but I think we agree on that but you're listening to real C Politics on SiriusXM I'm Andrew R we going to take a quick break and when we come back we're going to talk about the polls a little bit so don't go away we'll be back in just a second was the wrong way no no no okay are are you hearing all kinds of background noise more than usual right now I am okay I think what we're hearing is the professional we're inside they to get closer just physically I saw that I heard you what can you do what can you do try to get her off screen out of the stream still the Thunder a prophet is not appreciated in his own home thank you thank you casting a shadow over me I know I'm sorry El I know bringing in all these historical examples getting compared I know thank you Carl I was waiting for someone to do it felt inevitable so we start with poles you come and then we'll talk about Michigan the capital of the KKK Mich what's the name of that it's been how how okay the polls right so it's the economist youo po Ras has a couple swing Staters oh I I'm pretty sure there's I was going to start with that might ask you about the general uh General Congressional poll to just what that means one important uh yeah I like yep closer okay how about that do that better do you need me to speak up a little bit more well we don't want that very interesting 30 seconds guys see welcome back to real CL politics I'm Andrew Walworth and I'm joined by RCP president and co-founder Tom bavin Washington B Chief Carl Cannon White House reporter Phil Wagman and unheard Washington correspondent Emily jinsky she's not unheard she's from unheard we hear her loud and clear uh and we're coming to you live from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and to this Israel through politics we keep an eye on the polls what's new in polling especially I'm looking at this economist yugov poll yeah it's a they only release a five way number um and so that has it's immediately irrelevant which is yeah will be on Friday pretty much so but at this point what's interesting is so the the difference between the two-way and the five-way there had been a difference there it's basically trunked to nothing right she's up 1.5 in the two-way and 1.6 in the five way so we should just say the five way includes the three RFK Jr Joe Stein and Cornell West who are they're now polling like at zero or less than one% for the most part um so that's you know that is what it is we had some other swing state plls came out rasmon uh came out uh earlier with some polls and Wisconsin basically the same thing very tight race uh a point or two here there um we also just got a poll uh from New Hampshire which shows that race a little bit closer than I think people you know it was close when when Biden was the nominee then we got some polls that were I think seven points this is a five-point lead for Harris 52- 47 there was a Poland Virginia that came out the other day that had her up three there so again that was uh those are still kind of kind of just barely on the radar if if this is a euphoria that Fades I think those States we're going to have to you know really keep an eye on on those um and the other interesting thing are the Senate polls right we had a poll uh Democrats continue to do very well in these Senate races except for the only one who's who's who has not done well is John tester in Montana he's he's behind uh he's trailing in every PLL that's been taken since June since Tim she he became the the Republican nominee basically all these other Senate candidates in Arizona and Nevada and Wisconsin uh Michigan they have never trailed in a single poll that's been taking this entire cycle I was just looking at the other day shocking actually even when Trump was going up five six seven points to some of these states Tim uh John tesser is the only other than West Virginia but we're not really killing that uh the only incumbent who's facing a real Challenge and he is he is up against it and if tester loses and the Republicans pick up West Virginia everyone expects 51 votes 51 votes there you have it so um you know I the other number I was looking at there is the the generic Congressional number uh I think that was another Yugo pole 5247 just tell our ERS what is the generic Congressional number and does it really matter well so this is a question that every poster asks and it they say basically if the election were held right now today would you vote for the Republican or Democrat no names attached that's why it's called generic and it just gives you a sense of of how in Congress yeah for the yeah for congress um and it just gives you a sense of how the public and voters are viewing the two respective parties it is a number that uh doesn't have a lot of relevance like a lot of polls you know the further out you get but as you get closer to the election it does it does have more and more relevance because it'll tell you if one party or another is surging or Sinking that's that's an indicator uh that you know their candidates both at the top you know the presidential level but also in Senate and House level are are probably headed for a good night and we'll win a lot of these like and where are we on that where is that right well the new uh Congressional uh the Congressional from Yuga which came out was 5247 for the for the Democrats rason came out with one that had Republicans up five in our average right now Democrats are up 310 of 1% so basically tied interesting so well Emily I want to ask you about uh this town of how uh in Michigan um Trump was there yesterday uh making an appearance and he talked about a bunch of things mostly about crime um but the um Harris campaign came out and uh criticized him for going there and called This Town the KKK uh capital of the state of Michigan um this was from Melissa Bradley uh who is the Michigan communications director for the campaign um and she uh criticized him for rallying in that town that town happens to be represented by a Democrat happens to be a democratic congresswoman happens to be running for Senate in that state so what do you make of that and you're telling me that the Democratic party has ties to the KK historically no no no of course I mean it's just ridiculous to smear anybody at this point with the KKK Association when this town has Democratic representation they have uh presumably like every little town in America good people that are really sick of exactly what Democrats are doing here and what's interesting to me is how flippant and Casual the campaign strategy was to just go with word association because of some random historical fact about Howell you know that you have some like DC staff are Googling how Michigan and coming up with this Association yeah this time we got them um and it's just you know they're are real people and they're are real communities who are behind this and I'm not sure that it's productive I mean if anything it seems counterproductive in a big swing state like that where people in the area around are going to what are they talking about nobody wants that Association people take pride in their communities so it it seems like a pretty pretty like obvious error yeah this it's also offensive Andy yeah the party of inclusivity don't forget this one college campus this would be called othering the Democrats are now othering white people in Michigan I can't quite figure out who they're aiming this at um and I would point out as the Trump campaign pointed out Joe Biden went to this same town in 2021 as president and there wasn't a story you can Google KKK Biden and oh you will not find a hit well you will after today yeah but um you know it's the hypocrisy of it and the just just how nasty it is this is the this is the politic of Joy yeah Will joyously smear you and slander you it was a lazy hit and it was also counterproductive because uh Harrison walls set Trump up for a spike he walks away from the podium after he gets that question you know that there was a uh Democratic Flack in that reporter's ear encouraging them to ask this sort of thing and he asks the reporter well who was here in 2021 the reporter begrudgingly answers Joe Biden I mean this is the type of thing where uh Trump can say Democrats are crying wolf once again look at how ridiculous this is and in in this instance it seems the facts are are on his side the difference of course is that when Biden was there and how Michigan in 2021 he was uh stumping on the inflation reduction act Trump was talking about policing and uh there sort of a another news hook in this Mad Libs which was that there had been um you know a racist demonstration in mon yeah so if Trump had mention inflation they Democrats would never bother that's again does it have any resonance in the at the senate race uh level because this is Alissa slackin District she is now running against Mike Rogers she's ahead in the RCP average by about four points she's one of those Democrats who doing pretty well time but um can be I would think to sort of leave any town for that matter uh racist and this is all Bas I should say there is some historic uh PR find this there was a grand dragon from Michigan who lived there and 10 year 20 years ago coule decades ago I think he had a meeting there or something and that is that's the Genesis of this whole story time yeah I I'm not sure how much hay uh Mike Rogers will be able to make of that I I haven't seen what Alysa if she responded to this or is I commented on it I'd be shocked if she didn't kind of you know just trying to avoid it and and not get involved because to the point she's going to need a lot of those voters if she wants to win in November and um so it would be kind of a tough Bank Shot maybe for for Rogers um especially if she doesn't engage so I doubt it'll have much impact on the center level wrong and Trump's message there was about K uh was that is that a JG whistle that Mr over here I don't know you know think talks about crime everywhere it goes um so are these people here at our convention Chicago they say crime's way down how come Republicans even talk about crime um you know and there's members in the audience there who've been carjacked recently some of them in Congress who turns out that the FBI has stopped collecting crime statistics and Reporting you know the police departments in these three biggest towns in America don't report the dated to the FBI the the best the best data on crime says that crime isn't down but these politicians here they're talking about what's working for them and Trump trump is running he is not running a joyful campaign he's running a campaign he's trying to scare the B Jesus out of people so he's going to talk about that anyway this is why this was so confusing because when you try and argue that the mundane is malicious then the next time there is something that Democrats really want to take Trump to the carpet on you can handwave it away and they already have plenty of material I'm not certain that this was the lay that they expected be Emy this is you don't work for me I I wish you I hope you do at some point but I I told I've told my young reporters since since Trump came on the scene in 2015 if there's ever a politician in the Civic life of this country that you don't have to exaggerate what he says mischaracterize what he says lie about what he says take out of context when it says it's Donald John Trump and yet they keep doing it well yeah and it it does end up having you know there's this like substantive question where you end up inflating these definitions to the point where serious accusations have less meaning because people trust them less so that's a serious problem but even just politically it is so deeply aggravating to people in Michigan that people who voted for Barack Obama who spoke here yesterday went out and voted for Donald Trump like that's based on some of these smears that's how much it resonates this is a guy who did he said Mexicans were rapist in his first public speech as a presidential candidate uh he's he called a Judge who ruled against Mexican he's not racially sensitive but he's not a guy you have to exaggerate you have to smar whole whole towns to get Trump you just quote Trump well Emily we've only got a little bit time left with you because we have to take off but you're recovering closer reporter uh in your own job and I'm just wondering and got a few minutes left to how do you view the politics of Joy this and what does that mean to you so I've gone back and forth on this I think two things can be true one this is actually not 2008 but two it is still pretty lit like this is definitely a party people here definitely are energetic about kamla Harris which isn't fake for a lot of people it's not fake it's almost cathartic like they're projecting their relief that they don't have to vote for Joe Biden onto kamla Harris who just a month ago just shortly over a month ago they were concerned wouldn't be good if Biden something happened to Joe Biden so it flipped on a dime and there's a lot of projection going on and maybe some of the enthusiasm will dampen but I do think that this is very joyous and I will say it's real Republicans would be wrong to dismiss that it's not real even though this is like the RNC very stage managed my one take on the difference between the RNC and DNC this the RNC feels like a political event the DNC feels like an entertainment event it sort of has more Hollywood gamor and and all of that you know I I think it was Benny Johnson or somebody I saw they were wandering around outside the convention hall and asking people you know you know do you like commis or what do you like about her what has she done and they like they couldn't name anything there's nothing specific about it it's all this sort of vibe it was all this as said relief and and because they were so down in the Dums for so long there's like this release of of you know anxiety and energy and all that but it's not based on anything specific that she's done or achieved um it's a really unique situation I asked one person that and their answer was well she's made good decisions like picking T walls like that's it a Tom's point right well uh the quick Vibes will continue here in just a minute I'm Andrew Walworth this is real politics I'm talking with RC president and co-founder Tom beon Washington bureau chief Carl Canon we've been talking with White House supporter F Wagman and unheard Washington correspondent Emily jinsky one of our favorites we're going to be back in just a moment don't go away you where's am she's supposed to take herot find her so you guys know Jim Freeman I come Freeman you's coming coming yeah she's for the last two yeah I a woman up here at all times hey Jim can you hear me yes oh good so you probably wonder what we're going to talk about uh yes uh uh we're going to talk about Obama and mhof okay from last night and so uh can you repeat that oh yeah and and that so that's sort of can you hear I can hear okay so we 10 minutes with on Obama and mhha from last night and then we're going to talk about the economic platform okay and young voters that's in this segment for so I want to ask you about the downward first Alama oh know I am not freaking number to me it is but I've been doing this here I don't I think you probably know what I know about that historically is that it seems like a big number and it's like is that I know that Goldman has an explanation for why it's not no sorry is that good yeah it's good do I have time take up my phone all right the it's in my black bag which Aaron would know yeah uh let me see how about I like we good in an Obama clip hey you know what how about that Obama segment it's says we have a broader idea of freedom that's what you were saying yes perfect uh thank you yeah so I'll just say you know I'll say something like President Obama also talked about Freedom he's a different it's a different kind of Freedom we were talking about yesterday and then introduce the clip and we'll do that right before you you speak yeah I'm going to leave Doug alone cuz that's a one clips and I want to hear from my guests so sometimes I'll just point to you okay and sometimes someone will ask you a question I mean but if you have something to say like yeah raise your hand or even just interupt we want it to be a conversation not a yeah interview exactly I think it's a barely contained only missing is the except for Carl cuz if Carl gets going you know the 10 minute segment it's over you're Carl Canon yeah sorry I I know you're writing I didn't see that was the hint that you gave me oh I know what that is I get my writing too thanks for joining us oh thanks good to be here thanks for having me and by the way we are live streaming on the website so even when we're on commercial break we're live okay on video too on video too okay so that's good to know okay sorry welcome back to Real Clear Politics on SiriusXM uh I'm Andrew wwor and I'm talking to car Canon Tom bavin my usual co- anchors here and we're joined by Jim Freeman from the W Journey journal and Addie vandre from whe fa politics and call uh yesterday we had a bunch of speeches including both the Obamas and dog mhof the future and perhaps the future first husband I guess um gentlemen there gentlem call if she wins so uh former first lady said this something wonderfully magic is in the air a familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for long you know what I'm talking about it's the contagious power of hope she added saying America hope is making a comeback and Barack Obama he talked about Freedom something we talked about yesterday uh but a different kind of message uh listen to this this is just a clip of him from last night let over a little bit well Andy so Andy I was listening to this last night and I thought wait wait a minute he listened they CH the speech rers listened to our program this is the exact point I we should give credit where it's too this exact point that Andy was making yesterday is that you know Republicans criticize the freedom agenda saying well you know they don't believe they believe in censorship how free is that but Andy made the point and it's right that it's those freedom to do things or freedom from things which is aing me and but there's the Democrats are saying first of all freedom from getting you know your kid mowed down by an AR-15 in school but also a freedom of thought it was a it was a I I thought it was a very sound explication of what of of modern liberalism and when we were walking you know here today in the K center I ran into to Van Jones and saw him too and he very thoughtful commentator on CN if you don't know who he is and he used to work for Barack Obama and he he tried he tried to line on me I'm sure he's been saying all day I said that what' you think he said Obama was great and uh so her husband wasn't bad either so he and I then in the scent we had to get over in the shade because we had such a spirited debate over who was better Barack or Michelle I was and and Barack Obama began his speech with a nice line self-deprecating humor you know I'm the only one stupid enough to go after Michelle Obama it was good as far as it went but the longer Obama spoke you remembered the magic of this guy as and I remember I was thinking listen let's just be honest Michelle's great but Barack Obama is the greatest oror in American public life right now he has been for a long time what's my reaction to the speech Jim what do you think uh no no criticism of the oration the oratorical skills uh this uh this attempted redefinition of Freedom um which uh used to mean the uh individual being autonomous uh now we're attempting to redefine it into government doing things for you and therefore setting you free I guess but it's pretty it's pretty tough to take this rhetoric and I I that line you played where Barack Obama talking about how his party and and he's about the freedom in how we worship this is a man who waged a yearslong battle against a group of nuns that are called The Little Sisters of the Poor and his government was determined to force them to buy contraceptives and other related services that their conscience dictated they not purchase so uh you know you what what meaning that any of these words have now when we listen to these speeches I mean it was classic Obama right he is amazing and and you know charismatic and all that and speeches always sound really good when you first hear them and then if you actually sit down and think about it for a second and sort of scratch the surface you're like wait a minute this is the guy who by hook or cook ped Obamacare right remember you can keep your doctor was declared the LIE of the Year okay pretty sure that Obama was supportive of this Administration when they mandated vaccines for all workers in the Federal government and fired them if they didn't get those vaccines how's that for Freedom so you know it's just it's it's it doesn't stand up to scrutiny it's like one of those it's it tastes good going down but it it's empty calories at the end when you think about the substance as Jim was just mentioning and the other thing is and this is the conundrum that that Democrats find themselves in you know Michelle Obama hope is making a comeback you know hope is making a comeback where's hope been for the last four years what is she actually saying hey Dy these guys are beating the out of me here can can you defend me yeah um I got you well I think what the Democrats are doing with this what Barack Obama was doing was is kind of a a reclaiming of freedom of Liberty I feel like these words that are in the Declaration of Independence have kind of been divided up among the parties right like Republicans get freedom and liberty and Democrats get the quality and that's what they've tried to run on and um maybe the Democrats are a little bit sick of that as far as Michelle Obama goes she was my highlight um I don't know maybe that's because I'm a woman but uh I thought what Obama said about having to follow her I I felt for him I felt for him because uh I thought she engaged the crowd in a way that you know in a more impressive way than he did she stared right into the camera um she was funny she was powerful and I kind of felt like the whole Arena had stars in their eyes and just a little bit wish that she was the one uh Prime Time Thursday night I believe that listen my um I think actually the most impressive speaker last night was not named Obama I thought Doug mhof yeah uh I I haven't haven't really seen him give a lot of big time speeches before and and he really did I thought a a great job of sort of humanizing their relationship and personalizing it and and yet getting across what he wanted to about KLA Harrison her character and and all that I thought he did it I was really really impressed with him I thought it was one of the best features I've seen all week what did you think Andy um no I thought ding him up was great I thought it was the sort of a defense of the blended family and humanized K Harris in a way um I thought so I thought it was I thought it was something uh jimy he did sort of he was introduced by his son and his daughter was uh in the in the hall as well she's a a model and an influencer I guess we're going to go an influencer in a second but uh were you uh did you get come fa from me uh you know I don't want to pick on him because I do think it's hard for uh people who don't do this for a living to uh talk about their family in a personal way in front of a hall full of people and Millions on TV so I I thought it it seemed a little awkward but uh but I I'm not uh I'm not arguing with any of the content uh in terms of his description of his affection for his family and I'm sure it's genuine I just think is a as a TV presentation I probably for obvious reasons would think the Obamas are a little more effective a little more seasoned isn't entertainment attorney we should say so he does know a little bit about this and it's sort of like uh they're talking about the sort of dad Vibe through this convention did he did he give you that sort of positive dad Vibe yeah he did and I think they're trying to run on that that's like their whole thing with Tim Walls right is like hey look at this guy and his kids doing bunny ears behind him how sweet is this um yeah I I like the story about the voicemail I thought that was that was it was cute it was humanizing those those you miss the speech he he he talked about he first ask us out at 8:30 in the morning over the phone and he just and he left this bumbling voicemail Cas you missed the speech last night and she and she plays she makes them listen to it on their wedding on their anniversary every year the 10th anniversary which tomorrow which is coming out right but I actually thought Jim that was that was what was appealing to me about it is the Obamas are so good and they're so smooth and Camera ready and all that the fact that he was kind of awkward and it was you know made it authentic to me and I thought a little bit more you know real there's one important thing that they did though and we should mention it I I don't want to mention it we've mentioned it once on this show before there's this story that broke the Pressman touch it I don't think ABC's mentioned it um I don't know that the watching PR T have but that Doug H first marriage broke up when he had fair with their Nanny and she got pregnant and this is this is a thing if this was in Trump World we'd be reading it on the New York Times front page every day for six months i p did you that say that the devil stand but I thought they handled that in a really skillful way and also a very human way and I and they had the son introduced the father with and he said my family my parents split up when I was kid and it was tough and they went on and and explaining it that way and then point out that the families are now all close and they've gotten over it and he you know you found yourself thinking well you know every family has has trouble this I thought it was an exceeding every family has trouble quite like that well you never knocked up many Nal I'm just wondering why you know since since one of the you know basically they spent all of Monday sort of touting you know the abortion rights and the freedom I'm surprised that that wasn't more you know were more like celebrating that come too far yeah little too far but that's okay we Len part of some serious XM they do call her mam that was another we that that was sweet yeah anyway your politics on Sir XM I'm Andrew all we're going to take a quick break and when we come back we're going to talk more about what's going on here in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention it was sweet when the kids called her mama it was a little creepy when Drew Barrymore did that was so bad so bad so bad we're good baby we're rolling bring us a beer so Jim when we uh when we come back I'm GNA go to you about the um the platform Bernie Sanders connection you made add shade on Jer didn't he um I think the cre Creator Lounge is the only place in United Center you can get a coffee maybe backstage that's there you go good all right yeah we got yeah young voter yeah yeah cre um she's not trust a reporter on young things um what time are you coming back I think we coming back in about a minute um to what 50 what's our hey Jen can you give me the hard out I can't hear you 5630 I didn't he that is that 5630 5630 can you see I can can I can I should fast do another hour it helps out five people I was just going say you must be feeling like you haven't gotten to say two Haven you cleared your throat yet 10 you right Stars Chicago you haven't had chance to we were joking like last we sa minute for Henry the last I what look forward yeah should I talk about Henry's L yeah yeah please yeah but didn't he uh he knocked up the nanny no no what'd he do I'll tell you lat I should have remembered that from the story you told you were too busy laughing my eyes were glazed over by the stop absorbing any information I think we're live you know on our website I know are welcome back to real fa Politics on Series XM I'm Andrew rth we are coming to you live from the Democratic Convention in Chicago and I have with me Tom Deon Carl Cannon Addie vandrei and Jim Freeman from The Wall Street Journal old friend and uh yeah fre guest on the show so uh Jim I know you've been looking closely at the Democratic National uh committies platform uh what do you make of it and uh what does it remind you of it's a lot of government across the landscape of society and it looks a lot like the uh regular updates that Bernie Sanders puts out as chairman of the Senate health and education committee uh everything is broken in the private economy and it needs a government fix and an intervention and uh I think it raises the question of what is he doing here speaking at this convention as far as I'm aware he has never joined the Democratic party uh he is not their candidate uh he did not run this year and yet he was given a prime time speaking gig and I I think that tells you uh sadly of the influence even outside the Democratic party that he's exerting on not just the platform but I I think the agenda that you'll actually see uh enacted is K Harris wins and when you read that platform and you do you think the party is moving actually left from where it was four years ago I think it clearly has moved whether the we're sort of waiting for the pendulum to swing back you've seen it in in certain areas where Democratic politicians have learned not to say defund the Poli Poli anymore for example um but uh is it is it really uh moving back in a big way I talked to uh Dean Phillips today he's the Minnesota congressman who who challenged uh Joe Biden and he uh briefly if they maybe they him earlier he was saying that you need to replace Biden about a year ago um you know he might be the nominee today Gavin new be yeah a lot of things could happen but uh anyway so I was asking him about price controls and this is the incredibly destructive idea that's failed all over the world and created so much misery that uh unfortunately KLA Harris is is pushing now with her suggestion that we need a a new federal ban on price gouging whatever that means however they're going to Define what price is too high uh in the food industry which as you know has very low margins to begin with it's kind of an odd industry to pick to say people are profiteering what whatever that means but uh anyway so as Phillips he's against he said he would not have counseled Harris to go there um and I asked him how many people agree with you in this in this building um and he said among elected Democrats that are his colleagues he thinks about 80% of them know that it's not the right thing to do and he so he doesn't think it's going to come along but he wasn't sure because he said that there is a powerful Grassroots pressure uh to go to go left on issues like this and and uh he's not he's uh he's not entirely sure that they would withstand that so I think whether we get uh that policy which is impoverished people all over the world most recently and obviously in Venezuela or not kind of depends on how many Progressive leftist s up in the house and the Senate after this fall um Tomy this is the sort of War policy statement she made before this convention started uh and uh but I haven't heard a lot about it uh during the convention yeah it did it got terrible reviews even from you know the Washington Post and and a lot of folks across the board Obama's former Economist so it it kind of it got dropped pretty quickly and there were there were a lot of people suggesting oh this is never going to come law anyway so don't even worry about it you know this is just sort of campaign rhetoric which I guess on one hand is a good thing on the other hand is kind of you know not a great thing it's very cynical um and and the question is whether she actually believes it or not yeah um but it could go away pretty quickly well Addie you have been uh at the convention this is your first convention I think is it it is my first convention and what do you think um sensory overload very cool very exciting it's like Coachella for political nerds really that is good I always imagine Coachella would be more fun anyone story thr us uh on today's real protic I urge you to all go look at it's about uh influencers and how that they're getting better treatment than and the instain wretches of the past yeah there was a lounge here just for the influencers um she got in yeah would let you there we can't get in going on there okay so what I think is absolutely Ely crazy it's an untapped Market 15,000 caffeine addicted media journalists not one place you can buy coffee in United Center but there is free coffee in the Creator Lounge um tell tell them what cre tell us what creators are creators [Music] are people who have a following on social media Tik Tok typically typically Tik Tok because visual short visuals do really really well um there's kind of like either like Goa content some people dance some people do like really over-the-top animated um P impassion speeches stuff like that um so I guess the DNC posted a while ago on its website on its socials like hey come apply apply and and we'll give you um access so there are about 200 content creators influencers here at the at the DNC with like press access yeah well you're going have to wrap it up but uh talk about what's going on tonight thank you Carl you know you're supposed to I'm trying to get you to comment easy anyway we've got 30 seconds left what are you going to look for tonight well look Tim rolls is speaking tonight the vice president I one assumes he's on put been put on notice quit exact no no more new exaggerations about your personal story what I'm looking for myself is to Bill Clinton speech he I was with him here covering him in 1986 we accept the nomination for a second thing and he's going to this is his 10th straight convention yeah well that's going to be it for us this is real fa politics thanks for Ling we'll be back tomorrow night yeah know I was here got get send I want to send a picture to your dad came guess you get the terms hard Tov EXA B good tell your dad I'll send this picture but tell your dad mom at e