The third night of the Democratic National Convention took place Wednesday from Chicago, with a bevy of speakers touching on a variety of topics from the main stage.
On the list of Wednesday’s speakers included former President Bill Clinton. Clinton, it appeared to a wide swath of attendees, went off script for a large portion of his speech.
The former President argued that the 2024 election is a choice between “For the People”, meaning Kamala Harris, and “me, myself, and I,” alluding to former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“I know which one I like better for our country,” said Clinton.
He later encouraged voters to truly listen to the remarks Donald Trump makes during his campaign rallies.
“The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies, count the ‘I’s’,” he said. “His vendettas, his vengeance, his complaints, his conspiracies.”
Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance at the convention in her home city Wednesday evening. During her speech, she pushed back against the comments made by Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) who said the United States is being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies.”
Winfrey said the comments show Vance is out of touch with average citizens, noting that there is a much more cohesive unity than people perceive.
“We are not so different from our neighbors,” said Oprah. “When a house is on fire, we do not ask about the homeowners’ race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady — well, we try to get that cat out, too … We wish our brothers and sisters well. And we pray for peace.”
Much of the reaction to Oprah’s speech was jokes about her past television history, while others weren’t as approving of the message.
The biggest speech of the evening at the Democratic National Convention was by Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), who has been tabbed as the Vice Presidential running mate for Kamala Harris.
The reaction of Gus Walz, the governor’s son, stepping onto the main stage went viral Wednesday evening, as the 17-year-old fought back tears as his father entered the convention.
During his speech, Walz argued that the Democratic Party is the party of freedom, stating that ““In Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the choices that they make. And even if we wouldn’t make the same choices ourselves, we’ve got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business.”
He added “When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love. Freedom to make your own health care decisions. And yeah, your kids’ freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall.
“That’s what this is all about: The responsibility that we have to our kids, to each other, and to the future we’re building together in which everyone is free to build the kind of life that they want.”
Before Walz took the stage, some of his former football players at Mankato West High School took the stage to offer their support of the Minnesota governor.
Reaction to Walz’s speech was, naturally, mostly divided along party lines.
Other main stage speakers at the Democratic National Convention included Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the parents of Israel-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), among others.
