Via Chicago: Day 4, ‘For our future’
Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted her party’s nomination for president on Aug. 23.
Andy Bailey illustration
Editor’s note: This is the final installment of “Via Chicago,” Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
In the end, it was a beginning, but not just for the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz ticket. It was a beginning for the next cohort of Democratic leadership at a critical moment in the party’s history, vaulted to national recognition — particularly, the slate of prospective vice presidential candidates who fell short of Walz. Each of them spoke at some point during the convention, including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, briefly considered as Harris’ running mate, earned a major role in the program, speaking right before Harris closed out the convention. Cooper joked that he was “the last guy standing between you and the moment we're all waiting for,” and he wasn’t talking about Beyonce.
Cooper, a close ally of both President Joe Biden and Harris, talked of his time as the state’s attorney general and the work Harris performed as California’s attorney general on behalf of homeowners who’d fallen prey to illegal foreclosures back during the Great Recession. Cooper lauded the tenacity of Harris, who fought to turn a $4 billion settlement into a $20 billion settlement.
Appearing more animated and enthusiastic than usual, the normally staid Cooper told the world that Harris would fight for them, too.
“Tonight, I want the American people to know, even if you don't agree with her on everything, Kamala Harris will fight for you to the very end. For families who need better health care or a safer place to live, Kamala will fight for you. For parents who want better schools for their kids, for workers worried about a secure retirement for themselves, Kamala will fight for you. For any one of our allies, anywhere in the world, wondering if America still has your back, remember this — Kamala will fight for you,” Cooper said. “And when she fights, we win.”
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Inspiring the capacity crowd, Cooper then commanded a number of delegations from swing states to stand up, starting with his own. The reality of Cooper’s prime-time speaking slot and former President Donald Trump’s choice of then-NCGOP leader Michael Whatley to head the RNC suggests that both parties realize North Carolina is indeed in play for Harris this year.
Harris, delivering the most important speech of her career, began with a reflection on how she came to stand at that podium, at that moment. She called it an unlikely journey, while touching on themes from previous speakers like former Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman — the “divisive battles of the past” that are beneath Americans’ collective dignity. Harris also nailed campaign talking points bolstered by those who stood before her on the podium and now stand behind her. She called it all a “New Way Forward,” giving proper noun status to her intentions.
As with Trump’s Asheville rally on Aug. 14, Harris’ speech was thick on promises and thin on policy, except for a few. Codify Roe. Bring back the bipartisan border bill Trump killed. Ceasefire in Gaza.
But perhaps the most unlikely part of Harris’ journey, via Chicago, is that the enthusiasm, the pageantry, all of it was created by Biden’s withdrawal from the race. If Harris wins, when Biden’s legacy is finally written this may be its most important chapter.
