DNC Mini-sode: Loranne Ausley, Lauren Harper Pope, and Senator Sarah McBride

welcome to another special DNC minisode of an honorable profession I'm Rachel the producer of this podcast this morning host Debbie Cox Bolton and I caught up with folks on the ground in Chicago including former Florida Senator lauran Oley welcome pack co-founder Lauren Harper Pope and Delaware state senator and Congressional candidate Sarah McBride they each reflect on the convention talk about their favorite speakers and what they're looking forward to on the last night of the DNC enjoy ran Oley so fun to see you this is New Deal alumni ran Oley from Florida how's it been so far oh my gosh it's just amazing it's so good to see old friends and as you know I have my 26-year old niece here with me so I'm living convention through her eyes and it's just it's just amazing okay you were in the hall we were in the hall together last night lots of I thought amazing moments what was your favorite homel last night I think my favorite there's too many to mention but the one that's most um sitting with me right now is we can sleep when we're dead we have so much work to do line and and I need to sleep right now yeah but I you know keep I keep listening to governor wals and knowing that with have so much work to do but there's just so much energy and enthusiasm and um I know we can do it yeah I love that I'm gonna tell you my favorite moment too which is one there's a lot of favorite moments of walls the football team yeah I mean the sun I mean there the one is not getting mentioned so I want to mention it I loved um the former lieutenant governor of uh Georgia the Republican right line that said if you are a Republican and you vote for kamla Harris this election it does not make you a Democrat it makes you a patriot wow I thought that was like I want to get that line somewhere on camera because that to me was like I got chills but the whole night was amazing so what are you most looking forward to tonight I'm just we're going to go early to be able to sit and just camp out and just be a to be there for every to be every see everything and be a part of it again with my niece who this is her first political event and she her enthusiasm gives me hope for the future it's like soaking up the enthusiasm the energy it feels different this time we you and I together have been to too many conventions it would Age us but this just feels different it does so it's exciting and it's been great to be able to reconnect with all my new deal folks you know that's part of that's that's why we come we have a network and a family and we have an opportunity connect and go back and do good things yeah I love it thank you for talking to us thank [Music] you Lauren Harper it is so fun to see you it's good to see you as well Debbie so Lauren is of course our friend and partner from the Welcome party co-founder director um here in Chicago yes how how are you feeling generally three we're three days in almost almost done right right I'm feeling great I'm feeling great I have had a great time this week it's been so nice to see you and Helen and so many of our friends here on the center left um we are an awesome Coalition here and I think we had a lot of good events this week that kind of show our prowess and our growth and uh just like the message that we're trying to get across um it's been a great week yes this is not your first convention it is my first convention yes and this was so this was your first night on the Flor last night yes okay it was a big night lot Happ coach walls yeah how did you feel it how was it you know I felt awesome it was it was such a fun room everyone was so like you know joyful as the word of the week right it was a joyful room I was excited to hear from um friends like Olivia Juliana Governor West Moore was awesome speaker I mean not speaker almost speaker hopefully Hakeem Jeff was great um uh Cory Booker one of my favorites was awesome like it was just it was a beautiful night and I think it really helped us remember that we have a lot going for us and um we have a a bright future um should we decide to do things the right way yeah so welcome party has been instrumental in trying to make Democrats a big 10 bringing people in who haven't always been Democrats been Independents maybe for Republicans people who just you know and calling out the welcome M for them so we heard from a lot of Republicans yesterday I think we're going to hear from Adam kinger tonight which I'm super excited about I'm I'm happy to see that but you've been doing this for a long time that must make you really happy to see that kind of big tent approach it was wonderful I think uh you know everyone in the convention hall doesn't need to be convinced necessarily but there are literally millions of people who are either undecided voters or who are moderate Republicans who are fed up with magga extremism and they really really really want Common Sense pragmatic leadership in the White House top down um and I think that having Republicans there and people who are appealing to swing voters and appealing to Independent voters is like literally critical right if we're going to be the party that stands up for what's right then we have to be able to reach people who may think slightly differently than us on the issues conservatives are welcome in the Democratic party and we need to make sure that people know that I could not agree more what are you most looking forward to tonight final question oh man well I'm actually leaving tonight soble to watch it on TV uh maybe from some airport actually yeah but no I mean I I'm excited said tonight let's go there oh man that's a great question so I mean we've been putting out uh Comm moderate digest every week and so you know trying to uh draw the most amazing moderate moments from her messaging and um I want to see her also um you know appeal to the Republicans in the country who are um willing to vote for her and want to just make sure that they can earn her or she can earn their vote um and so you know I want to see her really lean into like this is a a unified nation and we have a big problem um in facing you know trumpism again um and I think that if we can uh if she can for that matter appeals to people in a way that is empathetic and vulnerable and compelling and really welcoming then I think we'll be able to win over a lot more voters this November I agree so fun to see you always good to see you Debbie I appreciate [Music] you Sarah McBride it's so nice to see you in Chicago it's so good to see you what beautiful weather beautiful weather and I want to talk to you about the convention but first let's just talk about for people who are not aware this is the most one of the most exciting Congressional races in the country our new deal leader friend Sarah MC CDE running in Delaware uh you've done an amazing job when you win you'll be the first transgender person in Congress and it is uh I just feel like there's so much excitement about this convention in general but like the whole feeling of Hope and change to borrow a phrase from a while ago um it feels that way right so first how's the race going let's let's let you get a plug in for that no talk sure well I uh as you mentioned am a new dealer and the new dem's endorsed candidate for Delaware's open congressional seat which is currently represented by a new Dem Lisa blunt Rochester who's going to be our next United States Senator and I am running with her support to to fill her big shoes in the united in the United States House of Representatives after two terms in the Delaware State Senate as a new dealer where I've helped lead the effort to pass paid family of medical leave expand access to health care and protect reproductive Freedom uh and this convention I mean you you you said it in your opening comments I haven't felt this excitement I haven't felt this way as as an American since 2008 yeah and what I've been saying is is Hope and history is in the air you can feel it the energy the excitement is palpable and uh of course as a delawarean I am so proud of our favorite son for the selfless and patriotic decision he made to usher in a new generation of leadership and help re-energize the part I mean he deserves credit for what we're experiencing right now as does our amazing ticketa Harris and Tim Walls I think what you're seeing at this convention um is a message from the Democratic party that all are welcome yes that that we are a a big tent that we welcome everyone and that whether you're a Democrat an independent a republican of conscience that you are welcomed in our Coalition of joy of Hope of optimism and of opportunity for everyone exactly right I'm glad you brought up the president I because I just I've been a little disappointed about it feels like the Press is kind of trying to make something here of something about like how this went down or you know divisions within the party I just wanted my take and you're from Delaware is I mean of course it was it was a you know heartbreakingly hard decision to make but it feels like I mean he made a decision that was very consistent with who he is and has been his entire distinguished career as a public servant which was he thought looked him to see what he thought was right for the country and he did it um willingly he did it with you know with with Grace and uh you know and patriotism and I I just am not seeing the kind of Divisions people want to make in the media about this well first off I I think that point is is so excellent and I haven't talked about this publicly yet but I have never seen a better example of a media constructed narrative and an effort by the media to construct The Narrative I mean the number of interviews I've done with print reporters because on TV it's it's all live the number of interviews I've done with print reporters where they're asking me about this and they're clearly asking with this agenda and then they don't use any of my quotes because I don't give them the quotes that they want that conforms to their pre-existing narrative um the party is United and that includes the Delaware delegation we are energized and excited for this ticket we are proud of Joe Biden look there's no question that the that the conversation was difficult for the party to have amongst itself it it was a difficult conversation because it had significant Stakes no person was going to make that decision overnight and it was Joe Biden's decision to ultimately make and he made a decision that put the country before himself something that Donald Trump's never done that's right and it it happened in a pretty brief period amount period of time and so I think you know obviously it it was difficult but the last several weeks have reinforced that Joe Biden made the right decision to re-energize the party to usher in this new leadership and pass the Baton to Kam Paris and and I think everyone in the in that arena is deeply grateful and proud of Joe Biden for that decision and for his lifetime of service and his transformational presidency totally agree 100% so let me finish with this question what you've been here all week and he's been exciting he been electric what are you most looking forward to tonight well I I think if the energy in the room is any indication from the previous three nights tonight will be a a level of energy an excitement that I probably never experienced in a physical space before um I'm excited to to have KLA Harris go on that stage and talk about her own story and what what moves her and drives her to do this work her vision for this country but I'm excited to take the energy the joy and the hope and the history that will be just so present in that Arena and use that as the energy for myself in the next several weeks to make sure sure that we win our race but more importantly frankly that we win up and down the ballot yeah absolutely well I'm we're all excited to get you to Congress excited what we're going to do after we leave here with what will be 75 days left I think uh and so thanks for talking to us for a minute thank you thanks for tuning in to this special minod to hear the latest on what we're doing on the ground at the DNC this week follow @ New Deal leaders on Instagram Tik Tok and X we'll see you next time on an honorable profession