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CNN Live Event/Special
Tim Walz Accepts Democratic Party Nomination For Vice- President; Bill Clinton Seeks to Lift Up Kamala Harris in DNC Speech; Interview with Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA); Interview with Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO); Playing Cornhole with "Pod Save America" Hosts. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired August 22, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:31]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, AMERICAN HOST AND TELEVISION PRODUCER: Let's all choose Kamala Harris.
STEVIE WONDER, AMERICAN ARTIST: Oh, you know, we need Kamala Harris.
REP. HAKEEM JEFRRIES, MINORITY LEADER OF THE U.S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Donald Trump is like an old boyfriend, been there, done that. We're not going back.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: A man who once had the honor to be called in this convention, a man from hope. We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: Donald Trump, rants about law and order as if he wasn't a convicted criminal running against a prosecutor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Minnesota, we trust a coach who turned a team that was zero and 27 into state champions.
TIM WALZ, U.S. DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It's the honor of my life to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States. We've got something better to offer the American people. It starts with our candidate Kamala Harris.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Well highlights from night three of the DNC as the clock strikes midnight right here in Chicago, the delegates say the slipper fits the coach.
I'm Laura Coates inside the United Center with CNN continuing coverage of this historic convention in an arena that has seen some of the greatest players of all time. Tonight, they want you to focus on the coach, their coach. Minnesota
Governor Tim Walz, the flannel wearing former teacher and veteran Minnesotan walked out on that stage to accept his party's nomination as the vice president.
Forget the similarities between the Midwest Princess Hat make way for the Midwestern dad. And as proud dads do, you know what he began by doing, telling his kids he loved him, that's his son, Gus, becoming emotional after hearing his dad say those words while standing on the biggest stage of his life.
For many walls came out of nowhere, and we Minnesota tried to get offended when you think that the GPS says nowhere when you go to Minnesota, but another day. But for many people, even a governor and former congressman, seemed unfamiliar when Kamala Harris picked up the phone and called the Minnesota Governor and asked him to run with her, told the governor of the home of the Golden Gophers that they were, in fact, underdogs, and tonight, Walz delivered that message in a way some say only a former high school football coach could.
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WALZ: It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal, but we're on offense and we've got the ball. We're driving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team. Kamala Harris is top. Kamala Harris is experienced, and Kamala Harris is ready.
Our job, our job, our job, our job for everyone watching is to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling. One inch at a time, one yard at a time, one phone call at a time, one door knock at a time, one $5 donation at a time.
We got 76 days. That's nothing. There will be time to sleep when you're dead. We're going to leave it on the field.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: All right, I guess no sleep is coming to the rest of us joining me now CNN political commentators, David Urban, Karen Finney and Jamal Simmons, and senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Molly Ball.
OK, so he already told us, none of us are sleeping. We're all alive right now. And you know what? This United Center was alive. It's been alive and, frankly, a palpable energy for the last three days. But now the coach took to the field this being, of course, United Center.
By the way, wasn't there a show once called Coach? It was Minnesota State, a fictional, actual university?
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Yes.
COATES: Well, this coach is now a nominee.
FINNEY: Yes, he is. He did a beautiful job.
[01:05:00]
I mean, it was a wonderful night. Again, a lot of joy, a lot of talking about Kamala talking about our vision as Democrats, where we want to go from here. Obviously, having worked for him, love to see Bill Clinton, but you know, Coach Walz, I think his son almost stole the show.
COATES: That was very sweet.
JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Even David urban. Appreciate it. Crying son.
DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Don't go there. I'm not. Look, I like -- look, it was a good night, right? Bill Clinton is an icon to politics. Interestingly, though, I'm not sure that the Democratic Party of Bill Clinton same Democratic Party of today, a little bit different --
COATES: In what way do you feel --
URBAN: Well, I think it's, you know, Bill obviously, it's a lot more progressive than when Bill Clinton was around. Bill Clinton's more of a DLC kind of Democrat, more traditional blue dog, if you would, you know, existing more.
But it still was a big night for Democrats. A lot of energy in the room and look, you do what you have to do. These are base events that motivate the base. Was the base motivated? Yes. And so people are going to have to leave here and look, I like the coach's analogy. You're down three still, right? That's what I think you are. You're down three.
Kamala Harris has had the best 32 days. 33 days now, in a few minutes right of campaigning, and she still, you're still down. And I've heard this cautionary tale from Hillary Clinton, from Barack Obama, from President Clinton today, and from the coach like Donald Trump is no joke like now, we got to go out and fight the fight and win. So it's tough. It's going to be tough.
FINNEY: What I do love though about what we've seen over the last couple days, because, remember, a convention is really a narrative arc over four days, our party is big enough for a Bill Clinton, for a Michelle Obama, for Coach Walz, for Stevie Wonder for, you know, I forget the name of the DJ who I love so much.
SIMMONS: Cassidy. DJ Cassidy.
FINNEY: DJ Cassidy. Right. And I think that's part of what we're trying to show here, is that this is a very diverse party, and you heard tonight from Tim Walz, something you've heard over and over again, it's OK that we're different. We don't -- we can be -- we can disagree without being disagreeable, which was an old colonism, right? That it's all right, that we're different, and we may have -- we can disagree, and yet there's still enough for everybody.
SIMMONS: We're better because, I'm sorry, we're better because we're different, not just it's OK, right? Karen, you make the good point.
FINNEY: Yes.
SIMMONS: But we're better because of it. And this is the part about America. We can compete with any country in the world, David, because we've got the best people in the world from all over the planet. They come here, they fight through they have to fight through to be able to get there. But there's a party in our country that doesn't want them here.
URBAN: Oh come on.
SIMMONS: That says you can't -- you don't get to come and that you come --
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FINNEY: So we're going to do mass deportation.
(CROSSTALK)
COATES: Wait, I want to here from --
SIMMONS: From an asshole country that you don't even get to come legally.
URBAN: No, no.
SIMMONS: That's what the last --
COATES: I want to hear from both -- hold on a second. Just so we know this must be a good but we had Stevie Wonder earlier. I want you all to feel your part time lover all the way ribbon in the sky. I need to have some more --
SIMMONS: I just want to sign see deliver this election.
COATES: Look, first of all, Stevie Wonder, known fact was my very first concert. So my musical track. I want to hear from Molly quickly before I go back on this point.
SIMMONS: Sure go ahead.
COATES: Because this is the issue when we talk about those parties, and there is the middle class, one of the big unifying moments of both parties seeking to have that coveted base as well more broadly. I want to listen for a second Molly to what he had to say, Coach Walz's, as they say, about the middle class, and what he thinks Kamala Harris as president could do for them. Listen.
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WALZ: If your middle class family or a family trying to get into the middle class, Kamala Harris is going to cut your taxes. If you're getting squeezed by prescription drug prices, Kamala Harris is going to take on Big Pharma. If you're hoping to buy a home, Kamala Harris is going to help make it more affordable. And no matter who you are, Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: The economy, stupid, right? Did he make the case? Or is this a reality or a vibe check?
MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, WALL STREET JOURNAL: It was more vibes than it was details, but that's been the theme of this whole convention. I mean, I think to Karen's point, we've seen a sort of progression over the course of these three nights, where the first night centered around Joe Biden was very much about what's being left in the past.
The second night, everybody here obviously loves the Obamas, but they are themselves kind of a nostalgia act, and we didn't see a lot of the new talent of the party until tonight, and so this felt like the first night that was really about the future, where the Democrats were really pitching it forward where you heard from a lot of rising stars in the party, right.
[01:10:00]
The governors who are so promising, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg. So this is really about the future of the party, the bench of the party, and culminating in Coach Walz, who, as you said, is such an unknown quantity to so many Americans.
But I think you could really see in that speech what Kamala Harris saw in him, why she picked him, when there wasn't an obvious political calculation for it, but because of that regular guy appeal.
So to your question, was he giving a policy laundry list? Was he doing a Bill Clinton speech where he tells you the 10 points of the platform over and over again for an hour and a half? No, he spoke for 17 minutes. It was tight.
SIMMONS: It was tight.
BALL: But it was about being your neighbor. It was about being relatable. For a Democratic Party that a lot of people worry is out of touch with regular folks, particularly in Middle America, this was about saying to people, if you are from a small town, if you are someone who just wants to live your life and be left alone, this is a party that can speak to you as well.
COATES: Well, there's a interesting moment. Of course, here we are in Chicago we focused a lot, obviously, on the hometown welcome for the Obamas. But, I mean, this is Oprah's town. I mean, it's Oprah --
BALL: I was on, Laura, when she came out I swear to God you could feel the floor.
COATES: It was over sound. I'm just saying, I mean, she spoke tonight, and when she spoke, she was taking the stage to make the case against Trump to persuadable voters as well, which is a part that needs to happen if you're talking about outside of the convention at all. Listen what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: I'm calling on all you independents and all you undecided, let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday. We won't go back. We won't be set back, push back, bullied back, kicked back. We're not going back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: And David, I mean, you know, there is a group of Republicans who are disenchanted that's being nice when it comes to the Trump- Vance ticket. They have been for quite some time. There are older Republicans who think they can't recognize the party at all. And so you've got Democrats and Republicans trying to appeal to the persuadable.
Does this convention or the platform as it is right now make you a little nervous as a strategist about how to course correct?
URBAN: No, not at all.
FINNEY: People say --
URBAN: No, listen. No, listen.
COATES: I try to say --
URBAN: Here's the honest truth. People say, how do you feel? And like, actually feel pretty good after reading the convention. Listen, James Carville once famous, and I'm just talking about Pennsylvania, because that's all I could talk about, right, with any many sense of authority.
Carville described Pennsylvania as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with Alabama in between. There wasn't a whole lot of this convention appeals to people from Alabama. Kaitlin Collins is here. So that's fine.
URBAN: OK. My point being is, you know, the coach is there a little bit try to be coachy, right? But there's not a lot of bad lot of Bass Pro guys out here, right? A lot of Bass Pro on that stage. This party needs a little more Bass Pro if they're going to win those people over. And that's what I didn't see them.
To Molly's point about, you know, can you speak to those people in Middle America? We'll see if coach can speak to those people. That's his mission. That's what he's got to do if you're going to win. Because you got to expand that base. You know, Trump is everyone said it's going to be a tough race. It's going to be a tough race.
And so, again, after the biggest 32 days in political history of having a great first start, we're still dead heat. Leaving here tomorrow, it's going to be a dead heat on Friday. Excuse me. And you know, today we had, listen, the economy had a terrible jobs report today, right? The downward estimate of close to a million jobs that weren't created during the past year in the Biden-Harris administration.
Gina Raimondo and asked about it today. She wasn't familiar with it. She's a Secretary of Commerce. Right? Unemployment at 4.3 percent the highest it's been since 2021. 11 percent credit card defaults, the highest it's been, and I think, since 2009.
So the economy isn't great, and people feel that in their pocketbooks at home, and we're going to leave here with this great sugar high and this hope, and then people going to have to pay their bills. And so it's going to be tough. It's going to be a tough race.
FINNEY: But what we know is, at the end of the day, it is going to be obviously, about a choice, but a choice about who do you trust? Who do you trust is going to be the person who will help continue to try to lower your costs, who sees you and understands those kitchen table challenges, and that's part of what Democrats are trying to talk about.
And look, I think President Clinton made a really important point. Donald Trump talks about himself over and over and over again. He has money. He's not hurting. I mean, he did a whole event in front of groceries. He ever in a grocery store. So he gets told about it. Maybe he talks about it. But again, I think part of what this convention is. And part of what I think the next 70, almost five days is going to be about is who can you trust to be the person that's going to get up every day think about you, think about how to lower your costs.
[01:15:10]
And also, by the way, don't be afraid of people who are focused on the middle class, who want to bring you health care.
URBAN: But your point, Karen, remember, it's a vibe election, right? Because you pointed out, Molly, there weren't a lot of specifics in this, right? And so, Kamala Harris and the team's going to have to fill in specifics as they move forward. They, you know, it's a little light on specifics. So far, it's been a vibe election.
And the vibe about the Trump years was, Trump years are good for my pocketbook. It is good for my pocketbook. That's the vibe. Sure enough.
COATES: Go ahead. Real quick.
SIMMONS: Real quick. What are the the Trump specifics?
FINNEY: Thank you.
URBAN: Trump specific, sorry.
FINNEY: Mass deportation.
URBAN: No, no, no, no, no, no.
FINNEY: No. Sorry.
URBAN: This about the economy are, I'm going to cut regulation. We're going to increase energy production. You like what we did before? When you when I was president, we're going to do it again. What does your pocketbook feel better? People looked at their 401ks, there weren't brackets around them. They felt better. It was a vibe they felt. That's exactly what they're feeling --
SIMMONS: So essentially when a Trump is a vibe --
URBAN: No, no, I'm just saying --
SIMMONS: Democrat he was.
URBAN: No, no, I'm saying the vibe still too, Jamal. Yes.
SIMMONS: Here's the reality. No, no, no, no. For weeks, we've been talking about the macro economy and jobs. You guys told us that stuff didn't matter. Now today, you want to tell us that that stuff matters, that the ball keeps moving.
Here's the reality. People are out here, people are out here tonight, and they know that Kamala Harris and Coach Walz care about them. They know that they care about their freedom. The one word you heard every single time tonight is about freedom. And Americans want to know that somebody wants them to be able to live their lives without having the government in their bedrooms and the government's home them what to do.
URBAN: I'm all about libertarian. I'm all about that. I love it. Come over.
SIMMONS: So your guy, Donald Trump.
COATES: OK, he invite him over. OK. During the break, these two are going to arm wrestle or braid each other's hair. One of those two things will happen. Stand by everyone.
Let's head right to the -- let's head right to the CNN/POLITICO Grill where Harry Enten has been holding down before. And Harry, I got arm wrestling in here. What's going on over there? I heard you caught up with the head coach at the high school football team for Walz was.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: I absolutely did. Let me just tell you, the vibe right now at the CNN Grill is to quote Buster Poindexter, hot, hot, hot. And earlier on today, I was able to catch up with that head coach of that 1999 state championship team, Rick Sutton, let's take a listen.
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ENTEN: Talk to me about how Tim Walz was as an assistant head football coach? RICK SUTTON, TIM WALZ'S COACHING PARTNER: Well, you see Tim on stage, you see Tim at any kind of events, and that's the Tim that I've always known, extreme energy, kind of guy that walks in a room and he's totally engaged with whoever he's in content a conversation with, just a guy that, as a coach was, you know, very much involved with developing relationships with players, which is extremely important.
ENTEN: Yes, you know, when I was played football as a youngster, I played baseball, you know, high school sports, we had players coaches, and then we had sort of tougher coaches. How would you describe Governor Walz as sort of a coach?
SUTTON: I think, like most of us, Tim was able to do both, if you had to put him in a category, I think more of a player's coach. As the head coach, I was more of the disciplinarian, you know, just kind of the roles that you take on. But, you know, Tim was able to look at and transfer based on the situation, the kind of coach they needed to be.
ENTEN: Hey, you guys want to state championship in 1999 I do believe?
SUTTON: That is correct.
ENTEN: That season didn't necessarily get off to the fastest of starts. How did it -- how did he deal with adversity, under pressure, when maybe things weren't necessarily going the way that they should have been?
SUTTON: One of the things that we talked about throughout that years as the season started poorly, was just staying the course, understanding that, you know, we had the potential to become a good football team, to maintain the positivity. And you know, that's one of Tim's biggest strengths, is his positive energy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENTEN: Just let me know when we're done. You know, let me just say this much. This guy knew a ton about football. I think Tim Walz knows a ton about football. And as a huge Buffalo Bills fan, my only real hope is maybe the two of them can team up and the Bills can finally win a gosh darn Super Bowl, maybe once.
The other only thing I will note, Laura Coates, is this is going to be a whole sports team hour. Stay tuned. Later on, I'm going to play a little bit of cornhole with the pot Save America Bros, you're not going to want to miss that one.
COATES: Are you kidding me? You get to do cornhole. Are you kidding me? I love it. There's actually a cornhole national championship I've watched on television in the we smilers the morning. Harry Enten, thank you so much. We'll come right back to you.
Look, as we mentioned, former President Bill Clinton taking the stage tonight to help usher in a younger generation for Democrats. Ahead, the message he wanted his party to hear and the shots he took at Donald Trump.
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CLINTON: The next time you hear him, don't count the lies. Count the I's.
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[01:23:17]
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CLINTON: From a man who once had the honor to be called in this convention, a man from hope we need -- we need Kamala Harris, the President of Joy, to lead us.
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CLINTON: Well, the 42nd president, Bill Clinton leaning on his folksy charisma during his speech at the DNC tonight. It was Clinton's 13th consecutive convention speech. He gave his first one in 1976 at just 29 years old.
But for this convention, sources say Clinton ripped up his speech after watching opening night on Monday, inspired by what he saw as joy and youth on display.
Well tonight, Clinton laid out in stark terms of choice before voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: So in 2024 we got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me, Kamala Harris for the people. And the other guy who's proved even more than the first go around that he's about me, myself and I.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Our panel is back with me. Let me go to you on Ms. Molly, because he has been portraying this split screen, as frankly, many of the speakers have between a Trump and a Harris, the idea of narcissism versus public service. Did he help to make the case?
BALL: I think so. I mean, I think the old guy still got it, right. It was funny to watch. I was in the hall while he was speaking, and you could see the teleprompter at some point just stopped because he wasn't using it.
[01:25:05]
Now he was reading to your point when he ripped up the speech it must have been too late to get it on the prompter, because he was reading from a text that was on the lectern, but you could hear, you know, his voice isn't what it once was, and sometimes he was a little halting, and he'd get to that point in a sentence where you're a little on edge, and then he would see it through, and he would make the point. And so I think he really did bring that folksy appeal. He talked about
twice as long as the actual vice presidential nominee, but you can see why they're still having him speak at convention.
COATES: And in fact, Jamal, at one point he was mocking the relationship that Trump has with world leaders. Obviously, the presidency is going to be very important at a time when you're thinking about foreign policy, wars, invasions and beyond. Listen, we had to say.
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CLINTON: What are they supposed to make to these endless tributes to the late great Hannibal Lecter? I mean, President Obama once gave me the great honor of saying I was the explainer-in-chief. Folks, I thought and thought about it, and I don't know what to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: It's interesting, especially because as a woman who would be the nominee, there have been many who talk about how world leaders might view her. He's talking about the idea of the absurdity of the reference point. So this work?
SIMMONS: Yes, I think people think that this Hannibal Lecter thing is weird. It is odd.
COATES: Why (INAUDIBLE) tell me more.
SIMMONS: So listen, you know, I met Karen back when we both worked for Bill Clinton, when we were basically children and he cares about this stuff, about going around the world and the American reputation. And this is something that I think every other American leader takes very carefully.
And when you go back and you think about the Trump administration, you've got North Korea and Putin and these, you know, these odd relationships that the former president seem to have when the rest of us are interested in NATO and developing nations that we're trying to encourage to grow and expanding trade and opportunity, while the -- while Donald Trump wants to create trade barriers. It just seems like it's an odd mix for us to want to go back to a guy whose policies will take us in a bad direction.
COATES: When Biden took office, his famous statement was also Secretary of State Antony Blinken, we're back, right? He kept saying, we're back. We're back. This had some feel of that as well. Is this enough, though, strategically, to convince voters, particularly those who might be on the fence about where to direct their energy to one candidate or even the couch?
FINNEY: Well, I'm going to let the couch sit for a minute.
COATES: You know why? Go head.
FINNEY: Yes. Look, that's part of the case that Vice President Harris will make tomorrow night. She will have to lay out the she is the closer, if you will, right, and she is the person who's going to have to take the these last three nights culminated into not just all this excitement and the balloons that we can see up there that are ready to drop, but getting people to the polls.
And so look, I think the we are back argument is an important one, because I think most of the folks who believe in NATO and those alliances believe the world is safer when we're not aligning ourselves with Putin and North Korea.
COATES: What do you think, David, how does the foreign policy element serve or hurt the Trump campaign?
URBAN: So generally, people don't vote on foreign policy. I mean, election after election after election, poll after poll, nobody. Foreign policy is not in the top 20.
COATES: Even now?
URBAN: Even now, people don't care about the top 20 things. It's not there. Just look at the polling. And every poll doesn't show up anywhere, right? I mean, just does it factually, the economy. What I would say is, look, Bill Clinton did a masterful job. I think he's very good at what he does. I like the fact that he's his voice is a little quieter. I think people pay attention when you're not yelling at the top of your lungs. I think he was very persuasive to the things that he said.
I would say to the detractors about Trump's positions on those things, the response would be, there were no nuclear missile tests from the North Koreans. Thought I would Putin had previously invaded Ukraine and had stopped those four years of the Trump administration, no further incursions. Hamas and Hezbollah were not launching missiles into Israel at the time. Iran was kind of quieted. And so the world order was a completely, a little bit more peaceful though, in those four years of Trump administration.
Our NATO allies paid their fair share towards NATO. During the most recent Davos meeting, the NATO leaders looked around the table and said, look, Trump was right we need it. We need to pony up more. We need to pony up more than our fair share if we don't defend NATO. This was a Donald Trump saying this. These were NATO leaders saying we should be responsible for taking ourselves.
I don't think it's fair to ask people in any state in America to pay more than a NATO country is paying. If Norway is the richest country in the world, what trillion, $500 billion sovereign wealth fund, they're not meeting their NATO commitment. Why should we care?
[01:29:43]
COATES: Well, we'll have to see how the voters view it. Do they look at this as the culmination, or do they look at this as the president of the United States dictating all the behavior we see around the globe. Really important conversation. Thank you to all of you. So much.
Listen, as we mentioned, Vice President Kamala Harris is getting ready to deliver the biggest speech of her political life. So what should we expect? Well, one of her allies joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So let's fight with conviction. Let's fight with hope. Let's fight with confidence in ourselves and a commitment to each other, to the America we know is possible. The America we love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That was Kamala Harris back at the 2020 DNC, accepting the vice-presidential nomination. At that point, that was the biggest speech of her political career.
The stage tomorrow will be even bigger when she addresses the entire nation, dare I say, the globe as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
Tonight CNN is learning that she spent today focusing on that speech, focusing on how the audience will receive and feel every line.
I want to bring in one of the vice president's allies Democratic Congresswoman from California, Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
[01:34:49]
COATES: Congresswoman, So happy to have you here. You've been in the audience watching all of this unfold. It is all leading up to her speech.
What do you think she needs to address to really seal the deal for the voters who already support her, but also bring in more to the fold?
REP. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-CA): Oh, I think she needs to just finish reintroducing herself to the country right. This is a woman who is the child of immigrants, a biracial woman, someone who's broken her own glass ceilings in my state of California.
Someone who is part of a blended family. This is a blended nation. I think she needs to talk about the hope and purpose of her candidacy, and of our fight for our freedoms.
COATES: We talk about introducing herself. There are those who are eager to hear more granular detail about policy. And then there are others who think about the introduction, meaning, one's identity.
And as a black woman that she is, there will be a huge focus and there still has been on her race, on her identity as it relates to that.
Should she lean in to those topics as well, or should she focus more broadly on the politics? Can you distinguish the two?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: She can do a little bit of both, right? She can talk about the diversity that is the party, the strength of our immigrant community, the fact that so many of us, I mean, the census says, you know, 13 percent of us identify as being biracial or multiethnic. Yes, she should talk about that. And let's celebrate it.
And then talk about the bread-and-butter issues that she has started to talk about on her campaign. Her economic plan talks about that, right.
Childcare, housing, medical costs. You know, those are the things that are weighing Americans down. And she's got a plan for that.
COATES: When -- in talking about the plan some praised her economic plan, others panned it. There is an expectation that as the part of the incumbent administration and as the nominee, she has got to have the details.
When you talk about Donald Trump, many look at him as being reactive to details that she gives, a double standard so to speak. What do you think she should do to, on the one hand, please those who want that specificity; and others who are looking at a more broad statement about policy.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Well, I think we need to go back to what Michelle Obama told us, right? No Goldilocks complexes here. No one is perfect and we are not waiting for us -- for her to have an answer to every single question.
The details are going to come. Who she's going to put in her cabinet that's going to come. You know, drilling down on some of the granular issues around policy, economic policy per state, that takes a while to unravel.
Right now, she's got to galvanize this country. We have to make the energy and the momentum coming out of this convention translate into action mobilization and then voting plans so that we can win.
COATES: One thing we heard from Oprah today was about the idea of the persuadable voters obviously, conventions are going to have a preacher and choir vibe.
But you got to go outside of that to get that 270. And that includes a large swath of America that might not be as covered in the national media.
But there are persuadable voters of Republicans and Democrats and those who might not want to participate at all in the elections. What do you think your voters or constituents want to hear and need to hear, to be persuaded that they've got to vote and vote, you think, for her?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Well, I don't know that they need to hear anything extra. I think they want to talk. And I think we have to listen. Barack Obama said that -- we have to listen, we have to stop wanting
to be oppositional. Instead let's find the opportunities, right, for common ground. And that only happens when you stop talking and you start listening to your neighbor.
Let them get all that angst out, and then they'll tell you what's really on their mind. And then you talk about the policies or the hopes and dreams, or how you can work together to achieve that.
But Democrats, we need to do more listening right now.
COATES: Well, many of us are listening to personal attacks against the vice president of the United States, and shell have a chance to in a choice of whether she wants to talk and address them. Should she?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: No, I mean I still think she has to keep it high. This is high level. She's a woman of integrity. I think she has to expose her vulnerability, her charisma, how personable she is and how she cares about each of us.
I mean, I have my own stories about her checking in on me, wanting to make sure that I'm doing well. When I was in the legislature. And now that I'm in Congress, I love the stories that Doug shared about her taking time to talk to her step kids. I mean, you know, as a stepmother, that is incredibly important. Those are unsung heroes.
So I think she needs to lean into that, humanize this woman who is going to be the leader of the free world.
COATES: You indeed have talked about these issues so often, and I'm so glad you extend that passion in every conversation we have.
Thank you so much, Congresswoman.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Thank you.
COATES: Well, Democrats are playing up joy and also freedom and trying to tie Trump to Project 2025.
[01:39:49]
COATES: Next, my conversation with Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who says the Democratic bench is far beyond what the Republicans have to offer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): Democrats welcome weird. But we're not weirdos telling families who can and can't have kids, who to marry, or how to live our lives.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLIS: Now, let's talk about Project 2025. Donald Trump's roadmap to ban abortion in all 50 states.
They want to take us backwards, but we aren't going back like ever, ever, ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis speaking tonight using obviously Taylor Swift to declare that Democrats won't succumb to Project 2025.
He's emerged as a straight-talking attack dog for the vice president and I spoke to him earlier at the CNN POLITICO Grill after his speech.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COATES: Well, I'm joined now, of course, by Governor Jared Polis. I'm so glad to see you today.
This has been quite the exciting time, this convention. Many people would not expect this to have been this way a month ago. Everything has changed.
What has been your assessment of how the Democrats have done trying to convince voters that they are the right ticket?
POLIS: I think they really have put together a really thoughtful cohesive convention so far. I mean, starting of course, tribute to Joe Biden, thanking the man for the work he did, his transitional leadership, now leading up to his leadership of the future, right. Bringing in different voices, mainstream voices, really Americana.
That's the story they're telling here today, of course, leading up to Coach Walz tonight, a good friend of mine from the United States Congress ready to serve, ready to lead, ready to inspire. And of course, tomorrow, Kamala Harris.
[01:44:52]
COATES: It's true that you point out the idea of the future because Democrats have been trying to convince this is a deep bench, that it's not just one person or a one off or one leader, but a future entirely.
You've heard from a number of people tonight, people who might be the future of the Democratic Party.
When you look at the different speeches that took place tonight from Buttigieg to, of course former President Bill Clinton to even Governor Tim Walz, are you trying to suggest to the American people how deep this bench could possibly be?
POLIS: I think it's really inspiring. For somebody like Hakeem Jeffries, who could be the next Speaker of the House, this was his first major address to a national audience, right. Passing the torch from Nancy Pelosi. It's kind of like a similar thing to Joe Biden passing to Kamala Harris. So this is the next generation. Part of what I think Democrats are
saying is it's time. I mean, Bill Clinton said it very poignantly, he's younger than Donald Trump, right? He was president 23 years ago.
And the American people are ready for this message of turning the page on the divided partisan politics of the past and welcoming in a new era.
And there are so many new leaders for that era. First and foremost, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz. But yes, Pete Buttigieg, Hakeem Jeffries and so many more.
COATES: Well, as you know, there is a bit of a preacher to the choir effect of any convention where the enthusiasm that is within the convention halls, they hope to mirror what's happening outside but you've got to have a broad tent to become the president of the United States and get those 270 electoral votes.
Colorado, people are focusing a great deal on, what do your voters need to hear in order to be secure and confident on issues of the economy and immigration that this is the right choice?
POLIS: Really two things this convention is accomplishing. One is exciting Democrats and people who already to support Kamala Harris. It's there.
These are the foot soldiers. These are the people going door to door. These are the people making calls. These are the workers and donors of the party that are going to help propel Kamala Harris to the presidency.
The second piece, talking to that small sliver of undecided voters out, say saying, hey, look, we got the normies here. The other side are the weirdos, the dangerous people. They're talking about strange conspiracy theories.
We're talking about helping you afford to live in your home, helping you afford to buy health care for your family, getting a good education for your child, upwardly mobile job opportunity. If you work hard and play by the rules in America, you can get ahead.
So that's the contrast that they're showing and they're doing a great job so far.
COATES: There have been a number of Republicans who have been speaking as well. Those who have felt almost homeless in a sense, not recognizing their party of yesteryear as compared to now.
What do you say to those voters who may be looking at this, very reluctant to cast a ballot for Democrats, but looking at Donald Trump and his campaign and saying I don't know that reflects my values any longer.
POLIS: Well, I think it's really important. Democrats talking about public safety. They did it today. They did it yesterday. Tom Suozzi, talking about tough border security. Democrats had a plan to secure the border, a bipartisan plan,
Republican support. Why isn't the border secure? Donald Trump struck it down for his own political reasons.
This is about America. We care about border security. We care about our neighborhoods being safe. Tim Walz talked about the freedom to know that your kid won't be shot in the hallways of the school.
We got to make sure that people who care about public safety, who care about securing our border know that Kamala Harris will do that.
COATES: On the issue of immigration, every state is increasingly becoming a border state. And obviously Colorado has been one where immigration has been a huge impact. Are you confident that your voters or constituents believe that the Achilles' Heel that has frankly plagued the perception of the Biden-Harris administration, that a Harris-Walz ticket can solve those issues?
POLIS: Look, immigrants are an amazing asset to our country. I'm third generation American. Many friends are first, second, third generation there. But you got to do it legally and you got to play by the rules.
And that's really what Americans by and large believe. And it's what Kamala Harris' policies will help do. Protect our border, secure the border. And then make sure the people who want to work hard and get ahead, do it the right way and legally rather than illegally.
COATES: Governor, always great to talk to you. Thank you for joining.
POLIS: Thank you, Laura.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COATES: Well, up next, a game of cornhole and some candid conversation. Former Obama aides and host of "Pod Save America" spill the tea with none other than Harry Enten.
Harry tells all about it in just a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Oh, that's one --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:49:16]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Well, there's a lot going on tonight at the CNN POLITICO Grill. VIPs, Chicago-style hot dogs, even cornhole.
Harry Enten got to play a round with the guys from "Pod Save America", and he is back with me. Harry. All right. Who won.
ENTEN: All right. You know that's the wrong question to ask me. I don't believe it's who
won or lost. It's how you play the game, Laura Coates.
COATES: I think we know what the answer is then.
ENTEN: No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I would believe that no matter what.
Look I was interested in playing with Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, two veterans of the Obama White House. The two members of the "Pod Save America" crew because they were two of the most critical voices for Joe Biden sticking in the race earlier this year.
And so I was really interested in catching up with them to get an understanding of how they think the campaign's been going since Kamala Harris, of course, became the likely and now actual Democratic nominee.
And so it was quite an interesting thing. And we have so many fun things going on here at the POLITICO CNN Grill, and I wanted to try some of that. So I decided to challenge the two of them to a little bit of cornhole.
Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENTEN: Did you guys think a month ago, or I guess a little bit more than a month ago, that we were going to be here where we are right now with Kamala Harris getting the Democratic nomination and Joe Biden actually stepping out.
JON FAVREAU, HOST, "POD SAVE AMERICA": Yes, I mean, that's how the we -- us and Nancy planned it this time.
JON LOVETT, HOST, "POD SAVE AMERICA": Yes, that was the plan. That's --
FAVREAU: That was the plan.
No, it's insane. I've never -- I would have never expected this in 1 million years. It's the -- of all the time I've been in politics this has been like the most momentous surprising consequential month I've ever seen in a campaign.
ENTEN: Am I any decent at cornhole?
Oh, I was pretty close. On we go. On we go. Oh come on, come on.
But you guys are in the podcast space "God Save America", you know, in the Internet and just the difference that you're seeing or even getting from listener response between now with Kamala Harris obviously forging ahead and sort of -- the sort of excitement that you're seeing, especially maybe among your younger listeners, hearing from them compared to where we were just a month ago.
LOVETT: One thing we hear is just like is politics -- is this what politics can be like? Is it?
FAVREAU: Yes, especially for younger people.
LOVETT: They're like, can it feel like this?
ENTEN: Kind of just talk about that, that sort of just difference in sort of attitude.
[01:54:51]
LOVETT: A lot of people felt incredibly angry and scared because Trump would become president. And one of the things that -- one of the risks of the cynicism and viciousness and cruelty that Trump engenders is that it turns -- it turns you cynical too. It makes you angry too. It makes you sour too. And its dispiriting.
I'm going to take another shot.
ENTEN: Go, let's take another shot. Let's take another shot.
LOVETT: Why would I? Why would I do that? But I already won, you know.
ENTEN: You can't go wrong. Can't go wrong.
Boo.
FAVREAU: What's been different about this campaign with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz compared to almost every other opponent Donald Trump has had is they have not let him throw them off their game.
They have thrown him off his game and as long as they can continue to deliver their message and keep going and keep fighting and not get pulled into the Donald Trump, you know, crap -- I think they'll be good. And then other than that, we just -- we all better get to work.
ETNEN: All right. Well, we'll see if I can possibly make a shot here.
Oh look at that cornhole.
LOVETT: Cornhole.
ENTEN: It works when it works. But sometimes the wrong person wins. Anyway.
FAVREAU: Just like elections.
ENTEN: There you go.
LOVETT: Oh yes. Come on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENTEN: Laura Coates, the only thing I have to say is will you do me the honor and come here to the Grill and play a game of cornhole with me tomorrow.
COATES: Yes. Yes, Harry Enten. I will.
ENTEN: Yes.
COATES: Thank you so much.
ENTEN: Yes. You have made me the happiest man on the face of the earth. God bless you, Laura Coates. God bless you.
COATES: I can't wait.
More of our special coverage of the Democratic National Convention is up next.
[01:56:36]
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