“So there I was, a high school teacher in my 40s with young children, zero political experience, no money and in a deep red district,” he said, recalling his foray into the U.S. Congress. “But you know what? Never underestimate a public school teacher.”
Walz’s appearance in Chicago comes one day before Harris herself makes history by becoming the first black and South Asian woman to accept her party’s nomination for president.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention ends on Friday afternoon (AEST).Credit: Bloomberg
After a boisterous roll call and fiery speeches from the Obamas the night before, the third day of the convention featured prominent figures such as former President Bill Clinton, who portrayed the election as a clear choice between Harris, who was “for the people,” and Trump, who was “about me, myself, and me.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – the person Democrats should credit most with pressuring President Joe Biden to drop out of the race for a second term – also took the stage, highlighting Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 attacks and the threat he posed to democracy without mentioning a single name.
And the party’s future generation of leaders was also on display: rising stars such as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro used their speeches to make clear the central theme of the evening: freedom.
But it was Oprah Winfrey who stole the show: she made a surprise appearance for the first time at a party convention in her former hometown and implored independent and undecided voters to “choose common sense over nonsense.”
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey leaves the stage after her speech.Credit: Getty Images
“Soon, and very soon, we will teach our daughters and sons how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic, energetic immigrants … grew up to become the 47th president of the United States,” said Winfrey, who describes herself as an independent voter.
“Values and character are the most important things, in leadership and in life. And more than anything else, you know this is true, decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.”
When Walz took the stage, his decency was evident in every way. He often placed his hand over his heart and bowed in gratitude to the crowd, who held up signs that read “Coach Walz.”
But the likeable governor has also recently been subjected to critical scrutiny, including accusations of whitewashing his past.
This week, his wife clarified that she had not undergone artificial insemination, as Walz had repeatedly claimed, but had used other fertility treatments.
Republicans have also criticized him for a 2018 remark in which he said he had carried weapons in war. (He served in the National Guard for 24 years, but only deployed to Italy in 2003, where he replaced troops stationed in Afghanistan.)
And when he first ran for Congress in 2006, his campaign repeatedly misrepresented the details of a 1995 arrest for drunkenness and reckless driving.
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Democrats, however, stand by their Midwestern “dad in plaid” and are convinced that his presidential partnership with city-savvy Kamala Harris reflects America’s diversity, its positive vision for the future and the big tent of the Democratic Party.
Soon they will know whether the majority of voters agree.
“Look, we have 76 days. That’s nothing. When you’re dead, you still have time to sleep,” Walz said at the end of his speech. “We’re going to leave it on the field. That’s how we’re going to move forward. That’s how we’re going to leave Donald Trump behind us.”
